Early morning commuters got their first peek inside the new John Lewis store today.

Barriers that had been shielding the site came down overnight revealing a glistening entrance area decorated with elegant chandeliers.

In the early morning half light the building was a far cry in appearance from the former eyesesore Debenhams building.

The front facia has been bedecked with pealights and the all-glass frontage hints at the treats that await shoppers inside.

Workers were putting the finishing touches to the new Exeter John Lewis store just hours ahead of opening today.

Outside, cleaners were jet washing the pavements whilst inside the windows were being cleaned to gleaming perfection.

City centre manager John Harvey was outside the store at 7am sharp.

He said: "The workers have done an amazing job to turn everything around and this part of the city centre looks completely different now.

"Not only have we got a marvellous new department store, we've got a great environment for the many, many people who are going...

The countdown is well and truly underway for the long-awaited opening of the John Lewis store in Exeter.

This was the scene this afternoon as contractors pulled out the stops to get the entrance area finished on time.

The TED team will be posting live from outside the store from 7.30am, so if you can't make it yourself, you won't miss a thing.

Exeter city centre manager, John Harvey, told TED: "Clearly there have been some late challenges which have resulted from the interface between the paving work and utilities, and dealing with the significance of buried...

The TED team will be in Exeter tomorrow offering shoppers the chance to win some fantastic prizes.

Our leaflets will also explain the background to the website and offer hints and tips for getting involved.

We have received a tremedous response from both local businesses and users since we launched on Monday with a number of people taking advantage of the opportunity they have to post directly on to the site.

Look out for the team wearing TED shirts and please say hello!

Drivers faced a treacherous journey home after torrential rain caused flooding across Devon.

Fire crews were called to Copplestone to pump out flooded properties and many country roads were only passable with extreme caution.

The Environment Agency currently has flood alerts out for the following areas:

• The Lower River Exe from Tiverton to Exeter, including Bickleigh and Stoke Canon areas
• Hemyock, Cullompton, Stoke Canon, Broadclyst and Clyst St Mary areas
• The Rivers Creedy, Creedy Yeo, Little Dart, Lapford Yeo and their tributaries
...

Sireli Naqelevuki says he and his Exeter Chiefs team-mates cannot wait to get stuck into the demands of European Rugby's top competition when it gets underway this weekend.

In what is a mouth-watering, first-ever Heineken Cup fixture for the ambitious Devon club - Naqelevuki and his fellow Chiefs will head across the Irish Sea to face reigning champions Leinster at the RDS on Saturday (3.40pm).

For many of the squad at Sandy Park, including Naqelevuki himself, Saturday's clash will be their first involvement in the tournament, which sees the cream of Southern Hemisphere...

The first ever elections for police and crime commissioners (PCCs), who will be accountable for how crime is tackled in local police force areas, will be held on 15 November 2012 and residents are being encouraged to ensure that they will be able to vote by being on the electoral register. Jeff Chalk, Electoral Services Manager said: “You must be on the electoral register to vote in these new elections. If you have recently moved to the area, or moved house it is important to make sure that you register at your new address otherwise you won’t be able to vote. “It only takes a few minutes...

One of the country’s most distinguished living novelists, University of Exeter honorary graduate Hilary Mantel, will read from her latest novel Bring Up the Bodies, sequel to her Man Booker prizewinning Wolf Hall , at a special event hosted by the University of Exeter tonight (October 11).

The event takes place in the Alumni Auditorium, part of the new Forum at the Streatham Campus.

Wolf Hall is a study of Thomas Cromwell, the man who engineered the dissolution of the monasteries to the execution of Anne Boleyn.

It won not only the Man Booker 2010 but also the...

Business leaders have hailed the new £8.5 million Exeter College Technology Centre as yet another example of how the city is moving forwards.

Derek Phillips, vice-chairman of the Exeter Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “This college facility is a great asset for the city and should make science and engineering more popular with students, which is great. It’s what we need for the future and it’s a very good development.

“The striking design will appeal to many new students and it’s great news for Exeter.”

He was speaking as more than 100 members of the Chamber...