Exeter

Sandy Park, home of the Exeter Chiefs, has been confirmed as one of three venues that will form part of a triple bill of double headers to kick-off Greene King IPA’s new partnership of the RFU Championship in September.

Greene King IPA was today confirmed as the first title partner of the second tier of professional rugby in England, consolidating its position as one of the key supporters of rugby at all levels of the game.

The competition, now titled the Greene King IPA Championship to reflect the new four year partnership, has seen rapid growth since its inception in 2009...

Staff at Diligenta's in Clyst St Mary, Exeter, have been told today that the financial services company is set to pull out of Winslade Park and another site in Salisbury by February 2015, affecting 470 employees over both sites and 340 staff in Exeter alone. The first potential redundancies could take effect from as early as February 2014.

Diligenta is a UK business process outsourcing provider for the Life and Pensions industry, which last year commenced a 15-year contract with Friends Life. However, a Friends Life spokesman said: “Friends Life can confirm that the recent...

Exmouth Art Group return to A la Ronde, the quirky National Trust house near Exmouth, with a variety of artwork produced by some of the best local artists.

This eclectic exhibition runs until 3 July and offers the visitor an opportunity to view and perhaps purchase a piece from the traditional to the more contemporary, at a realistic price.

Secretary of the group Cath Ager says: “A la Ronde and its setting are wonderful creative sources for paintings; and Exmouth Art Group members, often inspired by the beautiful Devon landscape and coastal environment, are delighted to...

Update 26 June: Ursula Seneca has been found safe and well. She returned home of her own accord.

First published 24 June: Police are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 43-year-old Exeter woman who has gone missing. Ursula Seneca lives in Exeter but had been camping at a site in Dawlish Warren since 7 June. She has not been seen at the site since 19/20 June and has left the majority of her belongings in her tent. She has medical issues which may affect her memory. Police are carrying out searches and local enquiries, and are seeking the public’s help to trace...

The focus of today’s Spending Review should have been clear and decisive action to boost growth and living standards this year and next year — not simply setting out cuts for two years’ time. David Cameron and George Osborne are failing to deliver on investing in infrastructure. In Exeter and the Westcountry we need that investment to boost growth and create jobs.

Exeter’s flood defences are in dire need of upgrading to protect homes, business and our rail connections. People desperately need more affordable homes for rent. As Ed Miliband revealed in Parliament today, only a tiny...

A Passivhaus project in which Exeter-based Aspect Windows installed the windows and doors has been shortlisted for a national award.

Totnes Passivhaus B & B, in Dartington, about a mile from Totnes in Devon, has been shortlisted, along with two others, in the private housing category of the UK Passivhaus Awards 2013, which celebrates the design and performance of Passivhaus in the UK. The winners will be announced at a Passivhaus Trust ceremony in London on July 4th.

Aspect Windows worked closely with the designer and builder and supplied and installed the property’s...

Three years ago, Exeter Leukaemia Fund was one of the first charities to join forces with Giveacar, which was a new non-profit social enterprise that encourages car owners to scrap or sell their old unwanted cars in a professional manner, giving the proceeds to the charity of their choice. From small beginnings like ELF, Giveacar has grown from dealing with 7 cars per month to 50 per week. Recently they reached a milestone of £1 million donated to charities all over the UK, with Giveacar receiving many awards. During this period ELF supporters have taken part in this scheme with the latest...

History comes to life in Exeter on Friday 5 July, with the centuries-old tradition of Lammas Fair.

The colourful ceremony of the Proclamation of the Fair dates back more than 900 years and Exeter is one of the few cities to maintain the tradition.

The word Lammas derives from the Anglo-Saxon Hlafmaesse or Loaf Mass. Lammas Day, the festival of St Peter and Vincula, was when the first fruits of the harvest were offered to the Church in the form of a loaf.

The franchise of a fair was a very valuable possession, giving exclusive right to tolls on all articles sold. The...