Tom Johnson will extend his Exeter Chiefs career into a tenth year after he today put pen to paper on a new three-year deal with the Aviva Premiership club. With his current contract set to expire at the end of the season, Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has wasted little time in tying down the future of the England international. Signed in 2007 from then National League One counterparts Coventry, the 31-year-old forward has since gone on to establish as an integral part of the Exeter squad in recent years, amassing 168 appearances in total and scoring 27 tries. Johnson’s decision to prolong...
Damian Welch said his decision to stay with Exeter Chiefs was effectively a “no-brainer” after he today sealed a new two-year deal at the Aviva Premiership club. Signed ahead of the 2011/12 season from Welsh region Scarlets, the 31-year-old has settled well to life in the Westcountry and has installed himself as a senior figure within Rob Baxter’s first-team squad. With 30 appearances and six tries already to his name, Welch is determined to build on what has been a solid start to life at Sandy Park for the towering second-row forward. “I’ve loved being here since I got here,” he said. “It...
Plans for new homes near Feniton in Devon were today seriously questioned after the village was it by flooding on New Year's Day.
Independent Councillor Susie Bond has written an excellent blog about what happened.
She says in her post:
Along with many others, I was soaked to the skin dashing round the village in an effort to help those who had turned out to keep drains clear. It was metaphorically all hands to the pump (we don’t have any pumps capable of clearing the road).
Water was gushing off the Wainhomes site through the children’s play area, through...
Exeter Tennis Centre is looking forward to an exciting 2014, after welcoming a raft of new coaches to its award winning team.
A Beacon Site for tennis’ governing body the LTA, the centre helps hundreds of people from across the city play tennis every week.
The introduction of six new members of the coaching team will allow the centre to widen their programme, introducing a number of new initiatives in January.
Amongst the new recruits is Tennis Development Officer Julie Williams, who will work closely with the Director of Tennis to oversee the centre’s community...
Cinderella Exeter Corn Exchange Kickline Theatre present Cinderella, the ultimate dreams-come-true story. The show runs until 5 January and stars Daniel Page and Alicia Agneson. www.exeter.gov.uk/cinderella
The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr Benn Northcott Theatre, Exeter As if by magic, the shopkeeper appeared... Tall Stories present The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr Benn, full of catchy songs and astounding magic – for all ages... old friends of Mr Benn and new adventurers alike... The show runs until 4 January and tickets are £12 www.exeternorthcott.co.uk...
The Met Office has warned of further heavy rain tomorrow morning after issuing a yellow weather warning. Forecasters have warned that further, heavy rain will return on Wednesday morning with up-to 60mph winds expected to accompany the rain. The Met Office’s Chief Forecaster says: “Another active Atlantic frontal system and deepening area of low pressure is expected to push northeastwards across western UK on Wednesday.
“A combination of strong winds and very moist air will give locally significant rainfall accumulations especially over south-facing coasts and hills. The more...
The Devon and Cornwall Police press office has reported no crimes in Exeter since before December 17.
There is not a single recorded incident in the city over a two week period.
Questions were today raised as to why so little is reported.
And the new Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Hogg was urged to look into the situation.
Marc Astley, the editorial director of The Exeter Daily and former editor of the Express & Echo newspaper said he found the situation "highly unusual".
"Exeter residents will be well aware that crimes are taking place and...
The department store has heavily revised its projected profits after revealing that the store achieved poor sales during the Christmas period.
Analysts had been expecting the store to make £110 million in pre-tax profit in the six months leading up to April 2014 but the stores currently estimates the much more modest figure of £85 million.
Debenhams have said they did not have the final surge in sales they had expected in the last week of the Christmas period.
The store has also attributed some of the loss in profit to the “highly promotional” nature of the retail...
A comment in a donor file has begun an intriguing search involving international commerce during England’s Civil War, silk togs, and a fake letter that may have finished a career... Shelley Tobin, RAMM’s Curator for Costume, reports:
Family treasures
A silk robe and quilted velvet tarboush (hat) were presented to RAMM in 1965 by Miss Mollie Prideaux, who referred to herself as the only surviving member of her family who knew their origin. They had belonged to an ancestor, Edward Barnard, not to be confused with the famous seventeenth-century philosopher and astronomer....
Customers of the high-end supermarket Waitrose have complained that that a new loyalty card scheme is bringing “down the image” of the store.
The scheme has seen the upmarket chain give complimentary hot drinks to loyalty card holders – even if they do not make a purchase, leading several of the stores customers, including the controversial commentator Katie Hopkins to complain about the scheme.
Former apprentice contestant and regular Waitrose shopper, Katie Hopkins said "People that go to Waitrose for a free coffee without making a purchase, are not customers. They are...
