Fun for young people at Tiverton Adventure Playground this summer

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 08/02/2013 - 11:35am

There’s loads of great things to do at Tiverton Adventure Playground this summer thanks to a £10,000 Lottery grant.

The 3.5 acre wooded site in Cowleymoor Road, Tiverton, will be open between 10am and 4pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout August for a Summer Play Scheme. The play scheme is completely free and will be supervised by four qualified, experienced staff at all times.

This summer’s theme is The Roundhouse Project, where Forest School Worker and Play Scheme Leader Kate Smith will be constructing a wooden hut on site and inviting young people to take...

Study links chemicals in our body with income

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 08/02/2013 - 11:25am

A new study published this week has found that the build-up of harmful chemicals in the body is affecting people of all social standings - not just those from economically deprived backgrounds as previously thought.

The research has been led by Dr Jessica Tyrrell from the University of Exeter Medical School’s European Centre for Environment & Human Health, in Truro, Cornwall.

Using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the team analysed possible links between a person’s socioeconomic status and the prevalence of chemicals in their body....

Green Action August Comment: Whose Democracy?

Authored by Martyn Goss
Posted: Fri, 08/02/2013 - 10:43am

In a democratic society any government should be judged by both how it has deepened and enhanced democracy, and by the quality of life it leaves for future generations. On these two criteria our recent politicians do not have much to be proud of. In my view, they have been short-sighted, especially (though not exclusively) by the way they have failed to recognise and act urgently to address climate change, and by the way our (albeit immature) democratic processes have been eroded.

More and more powers have been removed from the English regions and from local authorities, at a time...

Tour of Britain goes live again in 2013

Devon will be showcased to a live worldwide TV audience in September when the tenth anniversary Tour of Britain will be shown live on both ITV4 and British Eurosport.

It will be the first time that both channels will broadcast daily live coverage of Britain’s biggest professional cycle race, building upon ITV4’s successful coverage of the 2012 Tour of Britain, which was the first time the race had been screened live.

The Devon Stage, will be Stage Six of this year’s Tour, covering 85 miles of the county. It will start in Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and finish at Haytor...

Towpath safety reminder at Grand Western Canal

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 08/02/2013 - 10:05am

Visitors to the Grand Western Canal are being reminded to use the Grand Western Canal towpath safely and considerately.

The Canal always attracts extra visitors during the Summer holidays, and it is encouraging cyclists, walkers, dog walkers and anglers to obey the towpath code of conduct and share the space with other users.

The code explains the behaviour expected of all towpath users and for safety reasons, the horsedrawn barge horse has absolute priority. It also highlights that visitors are asked to care for the environment at the Canal and Country Park, and are...

Devon survey reveals a catastrophic year for British barn owls

Britain's largest regular survey of barn owls, carried out once a decade in Devon, has revealed the extent of the devastation hitting the popular bird's breeding season.

According to the Barn Owl Trust, conservationists are describing 2013 as "the worst barn owl breeding season for over thirty years."

The Trust says: "A run of extreme weather events since 2009 has devastated not only people and property but barn owls and other wildlife. The final blow was March 2013."

Barn Owl Trust spokesperson, David Ramden MBE explains: "Barn owl mortality usually peaks in...

Ashfords LLP team up with Exeter Chiefs ahead of new season

Two of the top teams in Devon have joined forces ahead of the new Premiership Rugby season.

Ashfords LLP has signed sponsorship deals with four Exeter Chiefs players as the side gears up for another exciting campaign.

Justin Blanchett, Rob Coote, Sam Blanchett and Henry Slade visited the law firm’s Exeter offices and practised a scrum with partners Stuart Mathews, Tim Heal, Andrew Perkins and Graham Cridland.

Graham said: “It was great to meet the players and talk about the forthcoming season, which we are all incredibly excited about.

“There will be added...

Ashfords LLP bucks trend to top league table

South West law firm Ashfords is topping the table for completed deals in the first half of 2013. The firm bucked the trend as the market experienced a year-on-year decline in volumes.

Research by Experian revealed that Ashfords was the most successful law firm in the whole of the South West for completing deals so far this year.

The business has recorded some significant successes in recent months including assisting with a management restructure at Westcountry-based clothing retailer Quba and helping Exeter company Antech, which supplies drilling equipment to the oil and...

Police warning about dangers of ‘legal highs’

Devon and Cornwall Police are warning users and potential users of so called ‘legal highs’ of the risks particularly with the summer influx of tourists and festivals.

The new psychoactive substances (NPS), or ‘legal highs’ as they are more commonly known, are easily purchased online or in high street shops often labelled as novelty items or research chemicals. They also include a label ‘not for human consumption’ to get around legislation and misrepresent their true intended use.

Detective Inspector Neil Blackhurst from the serious and organised crime investigation team,...

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