Devon

Warning over fake Frozen merchandise

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Tue, 02/10/2015 - 12:26pm

Thousands of items of counterfeit “Frozen” merchandise, including dolls and costumes, have been seized in Barnstaple and Ilfracombe by Devon and Somerset Trading Standards service.

Investigations are continuing, but the authorities have issued a warning , alerting people to the potential dangers.

“We are concerned that children could be playing with these potentially dangerous dolls or wearing costumes which are highly flammable,” says Councillor Roger Croad, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Trading Standards service.

“We’re asking...

Get up to speed with digital mega trends events

Businesses in the South West can get hands on practical advice about social media, working with the ‘cloud’, understanding analytics and the benefits of utilising other digital technologies at two separate events taking place in February. Specialist Business support services from Superfast Business, The Digital Marketplace, Heart of the South West Business Support and Get up to Speed, all delivered by Peninsula Enterprise, have joined forces to deliver Technology Mega Trends 2015.

Taking place in Barnstaple on Tuesday 24 February and Exeter on Thursday 26 February, business owners...

Devon Wildlife Trust on a recruitment drive

Devon Wildlife Trust is looking for friendly, enthusiastic and confident people to take on a new challenge in 2015, and help Devon’s biggest wildlife conservation charity recruit new members. The Membership Recruiter position has never been more valuable to DWT, as membership is the only reliable source of income for the charity to be able to continue helping wildlife in Devon. DWT’s 49 nature reserves across Devon provide habitats for a host of threatened and rare species including dormice, otters and greater horseshoe bats. Membership allows the charity to continue the habitat management...

Flybe appoints new operations chief

Flybe today announces the appointment of Luke Farajallah as Chief Operations Officer. Luke joins Flybe on 1 April, 2015 from Bond Offshore Helicopters where he has been the Managing Director since 2012.

Luke has over 25 years of aviation experience having spent 17 years with British Airways in various operational roles. After BA, Luke held senior operations roles with a number of airlines in UK and Mainland Europe including Wizz Air and easyJet.

He is replacing John Palmer, current Director of Operations, who is leaving Flybe at the end of March to take up a role with...

Exeter hotel raises over £7,000 for charity

A top Exeter hotel pulled in thousands of pounds for charity in 2014 by hosting everything from a sky dive to a pumpkin contest.

The Mercure Exeter Southgate raised more than £7,500 for a number of charities - and has big plans to do even better this year.

The charities that have benefitted from the novel fundraising events include Contact the Elderly, Exeter Foundation, Age UK and Hospiscare.

Tamsyn Parsons, sales manager, at the hotel, said that fundraising was a big part of the hotel’s life.

She said: “Our fundraising activities have grown year by year,...

Roman cemetery discovered in Devon

Fifteen ancient skeletons have been discovered on an archaeological dig in Ipplepen, a major Romano-British settlement in Devon and now the best preserved Roman cemetery in the county.

University of Exeter archaeologists and a team of students and volunteers uncovered the human remains during an excavation of a Roman Road and found a roadside cemetery, the like of which has never been seen in the region. The significance of the discovery took on further importance when one of the skeletons was found to date from around 250 to 350 years after the Roman period, an era often referred...

Man in critical condition after A38 crash

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 12:59pm

Police are appealing for witnesses to a collision on the A38 near Exeter in which a man suffered serious injuries.

At around 8.55am on Sunday 8 February, a silver Vauxhall Corsa, travelling along the A38 northbound, left the carriageway on Haldon Hill and collided with a tree.

Extensive damage was caused to the car and the driver suffered serious head injuries.

The fire service, highways and an air ambulance were called to assist.

The 23-year-old male driver, from London, was taken by air ambulance to Derriford Hospital where he remains in a critical...

Connecting Devon and Somerset achieves 100,000 premises milestone

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 12:39pm

Connecting Devon and Somerset today announced it has achieved a major milestone in its rollout of superfast fibre broadband. More than 100,000 homes and businesses in the two counties now have access to fibre broadband as a result of the partnership, with nearly 90 per cent of those premises being able to connect to superfast speeds of 24Mbps or above. The news comes as the Government today announced that the nationwide rollout of superfast broadband has now reached more than two million homes and businesses1. Around 12,500 orders have already been placed since the beginning of this year...

New photography studio opens in Exeter

Authored by mrowl
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 12:10pm

After 17 years, and two national awards as wedding photographers John and Jill English have opened a photography studio in Bowhill House, Exeter.

It's quite unlike any other studio you've ever seen before and in place of a soulless white space it is brimming with atmosphere - well it is a house with hundreds of years of history including a fabulous great hall, wooden panelling, cloisters, and walls that are proudly Devon Cob.

As twice winners of best UK wedding photographer at the UK Wedding awards John and Jill know a thing or two about photography and their...

Are you prepared for Red Tuesday?

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 02/09/2015 - 10:45am

‘Red Tuesday’ is the top dumping day of the year, just four days before Valentine’s Day, according to new research released by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s top dating website.

3,000 people were surveyed on Illicit Encounters and one in five - 22% - had broken up with someone the week before Valentine’s Day.

Dumping someone electronically is also rising in popularity with 7.5 in 10 people breaking up with someone over their phone.

The top six ways people chose to dump their partners were:

  • By text
  • By phone call
  • In person
  • ...

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