With just a few days to go until the festive holidays begin, what weather can we expect this Christmas?
After the mild, unsettled start to December the Met Office say it looks likely that this theme will continue through until the end of the year with some spells of windy, wet weather but also drier, brighter periods with some showers. Although temperatures will remain above average, there will be some cooler days and nights with wintry showers possible over hills and mountains in the north of the UK and some overnight frosts.
Going into Christmas Eve, a low pressure system...
Devon is looking forward to a welcome economic boost, thanks to Christmas this year, says VisitDevon.
Latest findings forecast that visitors will spend £104million in Devon for the Christmas period. With over 180,000 people visiting Devon for an overnight stay and 1.4 million visiting for the day.
"With restrictions on parents taking their children out of school during term time, which is having had a negative impact on tourism across the year, Christmas holidays are more important than they used to be," says Victoria Hatfield, Chair of Visit Devon.
South West Water is calling on its customers to save the drains this Christmas and dispose of cooking fat, oil and grease responsibly.
The company's Head of Wholesale Waste Recovery and Environmental Protection, Guy Doble, said: "At Christmas, the volume of cooking fat entering the sewers increases dramatically.
"When the fat cools, it hardens, clogging pipes. It's not just sewers that suffer, household pipes can get blocked too which may result in hefty repair bills.
"Avoid pain in the drain this festive season by waiting for unwanted cooking fat, oil or grease to...
Christmas is fast approaching and with the colder weather also arriving, cosy chimney fires are being lit. Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service are encouraging you to check your chimney is clean, safe and swept for Santa’s arrival.
Chimney fires can cause serious structural damage to a home, with the risks being even greater if the property has a thatched roof. The damage is not only fire based but also the dirt and smell left from all the soot and smoke, which would affect your personal property, including all your Christmas presents.
As the school holidays start and the Christmas holidays get underway Exeter Airport is expecting to deal with over 20,000 passengers over the two week festive period.
Already three flights have taken hundreds of excited children to Lapland on excursions that involved tobogganing, snowmobile and reindeer sleigh rides plus of course a meeting with ‘Santa'. The season of ski flights also started last weekend with departures to Switzerland and France, and the Paris flights are also popular at Christmas with trips to Disneyland.
The departures to the Canary Islands leave across...
Patients at Exeter Community Hospital in Whipton were treated to a Christmas lights switch-on, carol singing, mince pies and a visit from Santa Claus and two snowmen fresh from the North Pole at a special event on Thursday (17 December).
The event was the climax of a team building day for the hospital’s facilities, domestic and catering staff.
Earlier, the staff got stuck in by clearing the inner courtyard garden area at the hospital, making decorations and putting up a Christmas tree with lights.
Patients and relatives watched from the courtyard and ward area as a...
Record numbers of older people worried about being alone over Christmas have already contacted older people’s housing and care charity The Abbeyfield Society as its Coping at Christmas campaign gets into full swing.
Since the campaign launch in November, Abbeyfield has handled hundreds of calls from isolated older people who face being alone over the extended Christmas period. As a result, over 400 older people who would otherwise have spent the Christmas period without company are being welcomed into Abbeyfield houses the breadth of the country to enjoy festive events ranging from...
Residents are being encouraged to ‘starve your bin’ by reducing, reusing and recycling seasonal waste wherever possible this festive season.
From plastic food and drink packaging to cardboard boxes and wrapping paper that housed gifts under the Christmas tree - there's a variety of packaging that can go into your recycling bins, boxes and sacks.
Christmas lunch, New Year’s Eve celebrations and friends and family popping round all mean one thing – fridges and cupboards stocked with food and drink.
Plastic drinks bottles and pots; tubs and trays can go straight into...
Exeter Chiefs may be gearing up for a busy festive period of fixtures, but today members of the first-team squad took a morning out to pay a special festive visit to the Bramble Children’s Unit at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital.
First team stars Haydn Thomas, Ben Moon, Brett Sturgess, Gareth Steenson, Michele Campagnaro, Ollie Atkins, Don Armand, Jack Yeandle, Matt Jess, Tom Johnson and Olly Woodburn, along with our very own Big Chief, took on the role of Santa Claus for one very special day and made their annual visit to the local hospital to spend time with youngsters who...
The construction team working on the Queen St Dining Quarter in Exeter got festive during their lunchtime this week (Monday 14 December 2015), downing tools and bursting into song at St Pancras Church, right at the heart of the redevelopment project.
Over 60 employees of construction firm ISG took part in the carol service organised by the company and Lead Chaplin Rev Norman Wallwork at the 13th century St Pancras Church, singing carols and handing out festive treats including mince pies and cream, chocolates, biscuits and soft hot and cold drinks, supplied by ISG and colleagues...
