New research has discredited the popular belief that street lighting is attractive to common bats.
The study, carried out by scientists from the University of Exeter and Bat Conservation Ireland, found that bat activity was generally lower in street-lit areas than in dark locations with similar habitat.
The findings have important implications for conservation, overturning the previous assumption that common bats benefited from street-lights because they could feed on the insects that congregated around them.
The research, published in the journal Philosophical...
The success of the Brook Gallery in Budleigh Salterton, East Devon, has led to this acclaimed gallery opening a new location in Exeter.
Renowned for working with some of the world’s best known artists, the Brook Gallery Exeter will bring original works from some of the country’s major artists to the city, with challenging and thought provoking exhibitions from past masters to contemporary artists.
Brook Gallery Exeter will open at 1 Barnfield Crescent on 28 March 2015 - a unique setting within a Georgian crescent providing the perfect backdrop for a trailblazing gallery...
Members of the Exeter & Heart of Devon Hotels & Restaurants Association raised over £1,000 for three chosen charities at this year’s annual dinner. The three chosen charities were, Cancer Research UK, Hospitality Action and Equine Protection South West.
This year’s annual dinner was held at the Deer Park Country House Hotel where guests were treated to a sparkling wine reception followed by a sumptuous 5 course feast.
Mark Godfrey, MD at the Deer Park Country House Hotel was delighted to host the event saying, “There are so many exciting things happening at the Deer...
Devon’s Glazebrook House Hotel is never short of imagination and innovation, and this spring this luxurious boutique hotel presents a series of Epicurean Evenings to delight even the most discerning foodies.
The South Brent hotel's owner Pieter Hamman is excited to announce the stylish destination’s 2015 calendar of compelling and quirky events which showcases what Glazebrook does best, delicious food in a magical environment, always with an element of surprise.
On Thursday 26th March 2015, the Glazebrook will host a special Austrian/Bavarian night and will be joined...
Stagecoach bus employees have topped a global eco-driver performance scheme which measures fuel-efficient driving.
More than 4,100 Stagecoach drivers have been awarded Fleet Elite status under the programme managed by GreenRoad, whose telematics system serves professional drivers in the UK, Ireland, Europe, the Middle East, America, Australia and New Zealand.
Of the Stagecoach drivers who reached Fleet Elite standard, 179 were from Stagecoach South West.
Over 1,000 of Stagecoach’s Fleet Elite drivers have achieved the Gold badge for consistently maintaining the...
Every year 6 million loaves of bread are being thrown into canals and rivers in England and Wales - potentially polluting the water and damaging hundreds of thousands of ducks’ homes.
Last year 73% of people in the South West fed the ducks, 82% of them admitting to feeding our feathered friends with bread.
Uneaten soggy bread can cause a build-up of bad nutrients which can lead to greater algae growth, spread disease and encourage pests such as rats.
Today, ahead of the official start of spring and duckling hatching season, the Canal & River Trust is calling on...
A team of accountants swapped their books for Wellington boots when they paid a visit to their newly-adopted charity.
Exeter-based Sidaways were given a VIP tour of Farms For City Children at Nethercott House, near Iddesleigh.
The firm of chartered accountants is to focus on raising money for Devon-based charity Farms for City Children as part of the company’s 25th anniversary celebrations. The trip was arranged so the business could see where the money it raises will be spent.
Children’s author Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare founded Farms for City Children in...
Gardeners should start preparing early for their great slug and snail hunt this year as winter temperatures have provided the perfect conditions for their arch enemies.
According to Wyevale Garden Centres – the UK’s largest garden centre group - last year, gardeners spent £11.6 million in their battle to protect their botanical spaces, battling over 30 species of slugs including a voracious invader discovered on our shores only last year – the Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris).
Slugs like mild and warm winters and Met Office statistics show that average temperatures were...
Exeter businesses are being warned they may become “April fools” by sacrificing tens of thousands of pounds in rating refunds and savings if they do not act quickly.
The alert has come from Matthew Midwinter, partner with leading national property consultancy and chartered surveyor Sanderson Weatherall, which has offices in Exeter.
Mr Midwinter explained: “The rates that businesses pay on their premises are linked to valuations which have previously changed every five years. The last such review took effect in April 2010 but the government announced a couple of years ago...
With the 2015 budget just days away independent Devon accountancy firm Thomas Westcott has issued a wish-list it believes will help businesses in the South West.
But, with a General Election looming, the experts at Thomas Westcott fear the Budget announcement will be a "benign affair" focused on what has been achieved, rather than measures to further stimulate business growth.
"With the economy continuing to show encouraging signs and businesses across the South West generally feeling more optimistic we would like to see the Budget used to keep momentum with local...
