Families are being invited to the Grand Western Canal on Sunday 19 May to take part in the annual sponsored walk in aid of CLIC Sargent.

It is the 23rd year of the event in aid of CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, and their families. The walk covers 10 miles of the Grand Western Canal towpath, from Tiverton Canal Basin to Burlescombe village hall. Free transport will be provided from Cullompton to the Tiverton start, as well as for the return from the finish at Burlescombe. Registration at the start will be available at the new visitors’...

Leading Oxfordshire rose-grower Robert Mattock will pursue his search for lost roses at the Rose Festival and Garden Fair to be held at Cadhay near Ottery St Mary, Devon on bank holiday Monday 27 May. Visitors to the show are invited to bring their own plants along for identification at the Robert Mattock Roses stand at the festival.

With a catalogue of over 800 varieties, Robert Mattock Roses is one of the leading stockists of old roses in Europe, yet many more varieties have been lost down the years and Robert will present prizes to the three that he judges to be the most...

These days I am frequently speaking to clients that are new to this world. By ‘this world’ I mean ‘investing’, and by ‘new’ I may actually mean..... err..... ‘more mature’ (bear with me and let me give you an example).

Last week I met Mr Jackson (not his real name). Mr Jackson had recently retired and had ample income from his state and employers’ pensions to cover his expenses and enough to generate a regular surplus. In addition, by virtue of his lifestyle and a regular savings habit he had built up substantial amounts in cash deposit accounts. In terms of savings, he had never...

More than 98 per cent of Devon’s five-year-old children have been offered a place at one of their preferred primary schools this year.

94.7 per cent of the families who applied to Devon County Council have been offered their first choice school.

Three per cent have been offered their second choice and 0.45 per cent their third option.

That’s despite an increase in the number of children requiring places across the county.

Altogether, 7,764 children have been offered places compared with 7,601 last year.

Devon’s Head of Education, Sue Clarke, said: “I...

Up to 2,000 pirates will be heading to the historic fishing port of Brixham on Devon’s English Riviera for the renowned Brixham Pirate Festival that attracts visitors from all over the world.

The Pirate Festival sees the whole of picturesque Brixham Harbour with its colourful cottages, spectacular marina, half-mile long breakwater and pretty beach gripped with Pirate Mania. It takes place on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May and offers a weekend bursting with Pirate Fun for all the family.

Visitors can join in the swashbuckling atmosphere full of pirate characters with swords...

Thomas Hardy is one of the West Country’s most famous writers whose novels, such as Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the D’Urbervilles are internationally renowned. As part of a project to promote knowledge and understanding of Hardy, Dr Angelique Richardson of the University of Exeter is organising a series of lectures in collaboration with the National Trust and Dorset County Museum, where the talks will be held. Although Hardy is most commonly known to the public through his novels, the lectures will provide further contexts for his work.

The series of five evening...

Rob Baxter knows the rewards of another hard year in the Aviva Premiership are within his side's grasp as his Exeter Chiefs squad prepare to travel to London Wasps in their penultimate game of the season on Sunday (2pm).

Four wins in their last five top flight fixtures have helped propel the Chiefs into the all-important top six as the battle for qualification in next season's Heineken Cup reaches boiling point.

Entering into this weekend's fixtures, the Chiefs hold a slender advantage over both Bath (2 points) and Wasps (3 points) for the final European spot - and Baxter...

Devon Hotels raised over £1,000 for the RNLI and Hospitality Action following a charity auction at their Annual Association Dinner, with each charity receiving £500 to put towards the valuable work they do.

James Sharp, Chair of Devon Hotels said: “We are grateful to our members for raising such a fantastic sum of money for these groups and for the prizes that they donated. Devon Hotels represents more than 50 hotels and restaurants in the county and the work that both the RNLI and Hospitality Action do is imperative to our industry, as well as Devon’s tourism.”

The money...

RAMM’s chief patron, Michael Morpurgo, will be spending the evening of Friday 26 April with a packed audience at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum.

The award-winning author of War Horse , Private Peaceful and Adolphus Tips is a passionate supporter of museums and became RAMM’s chief patron in 2011. He has visited RAMM many times as a parent, grandparent and writer. In this family evening he will talk about his connection with and love of Devon, its people and landscape, and their place in his stories.

Entitled 'A Family Evening with Michael Morpurgo: From All Around the...

A coach driver has been killed after being trapped underneath a coach in a car park in Ivybridge.

Police report that the incident happened just before 5.00pm on Thursday 18th April 2013 in the Car Park of the Famous Lee Mill, Lee Mill Bridge, Ivybridge.

The coach was carrying passengers on a day excursion from Paignton. The driver had exited the coach which then rolled forward into a hedge trapping him underneath.

The driver, a 50 year old man from Newton Abbot received serious injuries and was rushed to hospital. He died at Derriford Hospital shortly after arrival...