Devon

Stagecoach South West brought Christmas cheer to children this week when its Santa bus visited Children’s Hospice South West in North Devon.

Gary the Rabbit and the Stagecoach elves visited the charity’s Little Bridge House hospice near Barnstaple to hand out festive treats including goody bags and art and craft supplies for the sensory playroom.

Election staff had to deal with a particularly prickly ‘voter’ in Exeter yesterday.

A hedgehog turned up unexpectedly at a polling station in the city whilst voting for the General Election was taking place.

The hedgehog appeared at the polling station at the Sea Cadets premises in Haven Banks.

Poll Clerk Maggie Keenan said the visitor caused quite a stir amongst voters, climbing the steps and walking past a teller.

“He casually strolled in and members of the public were very intrigued with him and took lots of pictures,” said Maggie.

Christmas party season is well underway at The Volunteer Inn in Ottery St Mary, but this year diners aren’t getting their traditional Christmas crackers.

Instead, landlord and landlady Mike and Jacqui Down have come up with an environmentally friendly alternative; a paper Christmas bag containing a joke, a paper hat, plus some homemade chocolate ‘bark’, all prettily wrapped in tissue paper and personalised.

Mike said: “We feel that Christmas crackers are really wasteful - the majority of the toys are made from plastic and are thrown away almost immediately.  

Castle Drogo will be open for Christmas for the first time since a major conservation project began seven years ago to make the building watertight.

Although the building work now has the end in sight, there is still much work to be done to restore the castle’s grounds and interiors back into the Drewe’s family home, which is likely to continue into 2020. However, the building is now watertight, meaning that Christmas can return to the castle once again.

Councillors have given the go ahead for a "park and change" site to be built on the outskirts of Exeter.

Devon County Council’s Cabinet approved the construction of the £2.2 million scheme to the east of Exeter Science Park on Wednesday (11 December).

The site aims to relieve traffic congestion on the A30 Honiton Road and Moor Lane roundabout, enabling drivers to park on the edge of the city and then switch to sustainable forms of transport - bus, bicycle or car share – for their journey into the city.

A well-known local charity that uses therapy with horses to help disadvantaged people will take centre stage during Exeter Racecourse’s Christmas raceday next Thursday and bring the curtain down on a year-long programme of supporting local causes.

Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship at Dartington provides equine-based educational and therapeutic activities which helps promotes increased resilience and social, emotional and physical well-being.

Over a dozen leaders from some of Exeter and Devon’s best-known design and construction firms, along with customers and suppliers, came together in November  to instigate a ‘construction revolution’.

With Extinction Rebellion protests having swept the region, and Exeter Council among others having claimed a climate emergency, attendees at the event said a paradigm shift in thinking is needed to meet environmental challenges. 

Entries are now open for the 2020 Michelmores Property Awards, which celebrate excellence within the South West's property and construction industry.

The Michelmores Property Awards are now in their 18th year and showcase the very best commercial and residential projects from the previous 12-months.

For 2020, a new Masterplanning for the Future category has been introduced. This category will shine a light on projects that are still at conceptual planning stage, and which will aim to create, shape, change and improve communities in the South West region.

People who live in Devon and Cornwall may be getting a text message from the Environment Agency this week to let them know they have been automatically registered for free flood warnings.  

People on the Vodafone mobile network who live in areas at risk of flooding across the South West of England will receive an automated text message informing them that they have been signed up. The message will include a link to let them know what they should do if they receive a flood warning, and the option to opt out.