Escot

Christmas shoppers looking for unique and unusual gifts will find inspiration at the Escot House Artisan Fair on Saturday, November 23.

This is just the second year for the event, which debuted last year and was declared a resounding success by shoppers and traders alike.

The event is organised by Helen Bottrill of The Creative Business Network, whose work encourages artisans and crafters in the region. She said:

“We have such a wonderful array of makers locally and Escot House is the perfect venue for them to showcase their wares.

“By shopping for Christmas...

Christmas is a time of year when we all get involved with certain traditions. Hanging the mistletoe, brussels sprouts, mince pies, Christmas trees, office parties, so the list goes on…. And it’s no different for retired police officer Barry Frost, 59, from Exeter. However one of Barry’s festive traditions is a tad more unusual than most.

For the last 14 years Barry has gathered a group of colleagues and friends together who take off their clothes in the great outdoors to feature on the front of Barry’s light-hearted Christmas cards.

In the past these cards have been for...

East Devon stately home, Escot House is celebrating a special birthday this year as a venue for weddings, conferences and special events.

21 years ago, Escot held its first wedding for a couple whose parents had worked on the estate.

“We still know the bride and groom well,” explained Lucy Kennaway, who manages events and catering at the venue.

“Traditionally, many of our weddings were booked by people who had a connection with Escot when they were younger, but these days we are also getting lots of interest from couples from all over the world.”

Escot was...

Thousands of runners braved the cold to take part in the RockSolid Race, an obstacle endurance race at Escot over the weekend.

Despite the freezing temperatures they queued up in their shorts and t-shirts to climb, jump and race either 5k, 10k or 15k.

Hospiscare entered three brave teams cheered on by staff from our city hospice, Searle House on the RD&E site.

After a warm up session it was off down the hill to discover what horrors lay in wait – freezing cold ponds, nearly vertical walls to climb, streams to cross, ladder bridges to crawl across, a sack race, a...

Steve French, an ex-serviceman from Exeter, will take on Exeter’s Rock Solid Race in March to raise money for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a leading charity that helps bereaved British Forces children smile again.

Steve, 28, now a restaurant manager, was touring with the Army when Lee Scott, the inspiration behind the charity and father-of-two, was killed in Afghanistan after his vehicle hit an IED.

He will be running the obstacle event with partner Emily and the pair are hoping to raise up to £700 for the national children’s charity. It’s the second time Steve will be...