Once more our senses are being bombarded with manufactured images and messages of totally irrelevant and mostly unneeded seasonal tat.
It is nigh impossible to escape the Christmas kitsch which pushes us to value ourselves by what we buy, never mind the costs of consumerism to other people, other places or the planet. As long as the tills keep ringing, we can forget the bells.
So what is really at the heart of the Christmas story? In one word - ‘hospitality’.
We have an unmarried pregnant woman, marginalised in her own culture in an army-occupied land which is harsh...
NFU Mutual, the UK’s leading rural insurer, is urging owners to put certain foods on the ‘naughty list’ for their dogs this year. Christmas is well known as a time of excess for humans but, according to the insurer, pet dogs are also prone to eating too much during the festive period and sometimes, what they choose to eat could have serious health implications and end-up in an emergency visit to the vet.
NFU Mutual warns that claims for dogs who have eaten weird or poisonous items take on a distinctly seasonal flavour as Christmas approaches and reflect the type of foods...
We will be in Bedford Square, Exeter (opposite Lloyds Bank) on Saturday 12th December for some good old fashioned carol singing. Please come and join in!
With thanks to members of Ottery St Mary Silver Band for playing for us.
Stagecoach South West today confirmed that it will be running Boxing Day buses across Devon.
For the first time this will also include buses for North Devon and for Plymouth, building on the success of the Boxing Day services introduced in previous years in Exeter and Torbay.
Special timetables will operate on key routes in the Exeter area (A Thornpark Rise – Alphington, 5 Exeter – Crediton and 57 Exeter – Exmouth), North Devon (21 between Barnstaple, Bideford and Westward Ho!), Plymouth (1 Plymouth - Tavistock and 2/2A Saltash – Mount Batten) and Torbay (12 Brixham –...
Your essential guide to What's On in and around Exeter this weekend (11-13 December).
THEATRE
Eloise and the Curse of the Golden Whisk Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter The year is 1944. In the depths of a dusty larder in the bombed ruins of an Exeter restaurant, Eloise finds a beautiful, golden whisk. But when she clutches the shimmering relic, she unleashes an ancient curse. The show runs until 9 January. www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk
A Christmas Carol Exeter Northcott Theatre Ebenezer Scrooge is a notoriously bitter old man who is determined not to let Christmas interfere...
From 5pm until 8pm on 11-13 and 18-20 December, staff and volunteers at Knightshayes Court are hoping to make the festive season extra special by inviting visitors to explore the house and illuminated garden after dark.
They will be able to wander from room to room feeling the warm cheer of a traditional Christmas; and then pop on their woolly hats and snug coats to stroll along the terraces and see parts of the garden transformed into a winter wonderland.
Peta Richards, Visitor Services Assistant, said: “We hope to bring back the magic for families. They can peer at...
School teams taking part in Exeter’s Young Enterprise are heading to Princesshay on Saturday 12th December from 10am – 4 pm to showcase their entrepreneurial skills and Christmas wares at the Young Enterprise Trade Show.
Young Enterprise is the UK’s leading charity that empowers young people to harness their personal and business skills.
Six schools from Exeter, East, Mid and South Devon will each set up and operate their stalls in Princesshay, under the Debenhams colonnade, to compete for the accolade of Most Successful Business. The teams will be under the watchful eye of...
Get away from the crowds and hustle and bustle of town to experience Christmas at Castle Drogo.
There is a treat in store for children on the weekends of the 12, 13, 19 and 20 of December as they can follow the trail around the garden and grounds to find Father Christmas in his grotto and receive a special present for just £2.
The lead up to Christmas is the perfect time for families to spoil themselves by taking advantage of the home made cakes in the café, or something hearty from the delicious festive food menu. There will also be a three-course Christmas lunch special...
Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, which has a rehoming centre in Ilfracombe has teamed up with some of the nation’s most famous faces to launch their iconic campaign, ‘A Dog is For Life, Not Just For Christmas’, following a year of ludicrous excuses offered up by dog owners when giving up their pets to Dogs Trust.
Staff at Dogs Trust Ilfracombe were particularly surprised to hear a member of the public explain they no longer wanted their dog because he wasn’t housetrained.
The line-up of celebrity dog lovers includes Sky News’s Eamonn Holmes, Sherlock’s...
