Devon

Former Pussycat Doll launches search for Exeter’s Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year

Kimberly Wyatt could easily be mistaken for a Hollywood starlet in her latest shoot to launch Specsavers in Exeter’s search for the Spectacle Wearer of the Year 2016. The singer, dancer, MasterChef champion and mum has posed in a series of stunning shots oozing old-fashioned movie star glamour to encourage South West specs wearers to pucker up and enter Specsavers’ annual specs selfie competition. Proud specs wearers from every corner of UK can enter the competition to be in with a chance of attending the star-studded final in London and lifting the overall crown, along with £10,000 in...

Spring family fun day and dog show

Event Date: 
15/05/2016 - 10:00am
Venue: 
The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth

The Donkey Sanctuary is holding a spring family fun day and dog show on Sunday 15 May from 10am to 4pm.

Come and join The Donkey Sanctuary at their Spring Family Fun Day and Dog Show, for an action-packed and exciting day with a whole range of activities for all of the family to enjoy. There will be plenty of wonderful stalls with a wide assortment of different stands and goodies for two and four legged visitors.

Does your dog have the waggiest tail or the most appealing eyes? The Dog Show will be split over two parts of the day; the first from 11-12:30 and the second from...

Avenue Q comes to Exeter Northcott Theatre

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 05/11/2016 - 11:44am

Following five years in the West End, sell-out runs worldwide and a smash hit tour last year (packed with mischief, bad behaviour and political incorrectness) Avenue Q comes to Exeter Northcott Theatre at the end of May.

Featuring the naughtiest puppets in town, brought hilariously to life by an ensemble cast, Avenue Q is a Tony Award winning musical about growing up, dreaming big and finding your purpose in life.

Created by Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (Co-creator of Book of Mormon and writer of the songs for Disney’s Frozen) Avenue Q is an irresistibly charming musical...

Junk food causes similar high blood sugar levels as type 2 diabetes

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 05/11/2016 - 11:35am

A junk food diet can cause as much damage to the kidney as diabetes, according to a study published today in Experimental Physiology.

Type 2 diabetes is often associated with obesity and the number of cases are rising worldwide at an alarming rate. In type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t react to it. This causes an accumulation of sugar (glucose) in the blood, which can have severe long-term consequences for organs, including the kidneys, where it can lead to diabetic kidney disease. Hence, finding a way to block glucose reabsorption in the...

Hanlons Brewery celebrates double award

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 05/11/2016 - 11:29am

The team at Hanlons Brewery had reason to celebrate twice in April having collected two awards at this year’s Tuckers Maltings Beer Festival.

The Festival, organised by SIBA, and now in its 24th Year, showcases the best beers from all over the West Country and beyond. Hanlons’ Port Stout won a Bronze Award whilst newly bottled Stormstay won a Gold.

Having recently been finalists in both the Exeter Living and Express and Echo business awards the team are rightly proud of their performance.

The Gold award means that Stormstay will be automatically entered into this...

Man jailed for theft of medieval panels from Devon church

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 05/11/2016 - 11:26am

Christopher Cooper, aged 48 from Trallong, Brecon has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison following thefts from churches throughout England and Wales.

Christopher Cooper appeared at Hereford Crown Court last Friday (6 May 2016) where he admitted to 37 thefts from churches, dealing in tainted cultural items and fraud. The sentencing has made West Mercia Police one of the first forces in the country to secure a conviction of dealing in tainted cultural items.

The investigation began in 2013 after a man in Kent was arrested for purchasing a gorilla's head...

Is your child a Spelling Star?

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 05/11/2016 - 11:05am

Remarkable Television – makers of Pointless (BBC One) and Deal or No Deal (Channel 4) – is looking for brilliant children to spell some big words in an exciting new TV competition.

‘Spelling Star’ follows a number of children as they take on various word-based competition rounds, from speed spelling to identifying incorrectly spelled words, and clue-based questions to relay-style challenges.

So, if your child is aged between nine and 13, has a love of words and would enjoy taking on a host of fun spelling games and challenges... then they want to hear from you both!...

Exmouth set to boost Olympic hopes for kitesurfing

Exmouth: The organisers of the Edge Race Cup, a high-profile kitesurfing competition held annually in Exmouth, believe the event could add a positive boost to hopes of the sport being included in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The Edge Race Cup, now in its 7th year, will be run from Exmouth beach on the 11th and 12th of June. The event has grown into Exmouth’s biggest sporting event of the year and has made the seaside resort a mecca for kitesurfers from around the world.

Steph Bridge, owner of Edge Watersports and five times Kite Race World Champion, believes the success...

Survey shows housing crisis deepening in SW

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 05/11/2016 - 9:41am

The housing crisis is deepening as concerns mount about the availability and quality of homes, while increasing numbers aspire to own the roof over their head, according to the 2016 Homeowner Survey conducted by YouGov for HomeOwners Alliance and BLP Insurance.

The survey, in its fourth year, polls over 2000 UK adults on the housing concerns and latest trends affecting homeowners and those aspiring to own. The survey shows that the appetite amongst UK residents to own their home has been steadily rising over the past four years. Almost three quarters (73%) of non-homeowners now say...

East Devon adopts CIL charging schedule

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 05/11/2016 - 8:23am

As from Wednesday 20 April 2016, East Devon District Council has formally adopted the Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule (CIL).

The charge will come into effect on 1 September 2016, allowing the council time to establish an internal process for the collection and administration of the levy. It will also give applicants and developers a reasonable lead time to become aware of the charges that will apply from that date.

The CIL is a planning charge, introduced by the Planning Act 2008, which local authorities can choose to levy on new developments in their area...

Pages