Exeter

Following annual expansion at the rate of 20% year on year, Exeter-based professional services firm Prydis is moving into a new £7.3m head office in Southernhay this week.

In May 2017, Prydis, along with some high net worth investors, bought all the shares in The Senate Court building as an investment. Now, after a full refurbishment, the firm, which offers legal, audit and accountancy, corporate finance and wealth management services is ready to move into half a floor of the four-story A grade building. Gary Randall, Director for Prydis Group said: “Prydis has been enjoying annual...

A new play inspired by an imagined meeting between two great leaders of the women’s suffrage campaign will be performed at Exeter Phoenix. The Cause depicts the explosive meeting of minds when Millicent Fawcett and Emmeline Pankhurst come together at a time when campaigns for women’s rights were at their most revolutionary and embattled.

Written by playwright Natalie McGrath, and directed by Josie Sutciffe, The Cause explores the struggle, and the effects of campaigning for a cause by different methods. There was a divide between the violent direct action of the suffragettes and...

A unique way to discover the gardening community around you has been launched by Candide, an innovative gardening community app, at Toby’s Garden Festival. Places is the brand new and unique functionality which allows you to locate your nearest gardening centre or public garden wherever you are in the South West. This regional launch comes ahead of a national roll out at BBC Gardeners’ World Live in June.

Thousands of people visited Toby’s Garden Festival held at Powderham Castle in Exeter, where the Candide team were on hand to demonstrate the app and its full capabilities, which...

The links between caffeine, physical activity and mood will be examined by a new University of Exeter study.

Researchers need volunteers to help them explore whether caffeine and physical activity might be useful tools to help people manage their mood.

The focus of the study is bipolar disorder, but it will also include people with depression and a control group of people with no mood disorder.

The call for participants comes at the start of Mental Health Awareness Week (May 14-20).

“Caffeine and physical activity are often used for the management of mood or...

Home furnishings retailer, IKEA, yesterday unveiled a striking sculpture made from over 500 pieces of colourful IKEA glassware as the finale of its “Wonderful Everyday Tour” – a series of unique mini-events and installations that were created to give Exeter and Devon locals a taste of the ‘Wonderful Everyday’ to celebrate IKEA’s arrival in the city. The retailer has partnered with talented local artist, Roop Johnstone, on the design of The Glass Boat, to pay homage to Exeter’s rich maritime history and the city’s unique heritage. The sculpture will be on display at Princesshay Shopping...

Acclaimed storyteller Matthew Crampton unites with American folk music legend Jeff Warner in a new show based on Crampton’s book Human Cargo: Songs & Stories of Emigration, Slavery & Transportation. The show comes to Exeter Phoenix on Tuesday 12th June as part of a national tour which culminates in UK Refugee Week (18-24 June).

Human Cargo gives voice to past exiles – emigrants, slaves, transportees – to shed fresh light on today’s migrations. Through the accompanying Parallel Lives project, it includes – wherever it performs - local stories of migration and partnership...

A Devon home care service has been rated outstanding for the quality of care and support it provides to vulnerable people.

Bay Care has received the highest accolade from the Care Quality Commission after an inspection carried out in March.

The 100-strong team at the Paignton-based company were praised for the quality of the service provided across Torbay and the South Hams, with the commission proclaiming the company to be an ‘excellent role model’ for the caring professions.

The inspection looked in detail at how safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led...

The South West Falcon from Stagecoach is celebrating May in style with a prestigious awards win coinciding with a major passenger milestone.

The Falcon has won the silver award for ‘Top Express Operation’ at the UK Coach Awards. The award recognises excellent customer service, high operational and engineering standards and a rigorous approach to training, diversity and health and safety. There were just two awards, presented in this category, due to Stagecoach and Gold winner Scottish Citylink Coaches being ‘head and shoulders above’ the other operators.

Post ceremony, the...

The South West has been recognised for its “exceptional performance” in bringing new treatments and medicines to its patients through clinical research – for the second year running.

The South West Peninsula is a ‘Prime Site’ for global pharmaceutical consultancy, IQVIA, and has just been announced as the best recruiting prime site in the world for 2017/18, being acknowledged with a certificate of achievement.

With the majority of clinical trials conducted across international borders, the prime site collaboration, formed in 2011, allows experts in the South West to foster...