The New Year may not be very happy for hundreds of thousands of people in the South West, as research by Shelter reveals a fifth of rent or mortgage payers in the region are cutting back on winter heating and clothing to meet their housing payments. This is the equivalent to 500,000 people.
The study by housing and homelessness charity Shelter and YouGov shows the strain people in the South West face this January, with one in eight rent or mortgage payers fearing they will be unable to meet their housing costs this month.
This is despite the fact that many have already cut...
The mild weather is set to continue but as temperature records are broken and the ice rinks melt, Devon Wildlife Trust is asking us to spare a thought for our local wildlife. Winter is a tough time for wildlife. It is a time of hibernation, migration and survival. But with temperatures reaching 14 degrees in Exeter at the beginning of the week, Devon’s wildlife is not following its usual seasonal patterns. The charity Devon Wildlife Trust is reporting some strange goings on at the 50 nature reserves it cares for across the county. David Wodehouse who helps manage DWT’s Meeth Quarry nature...
Temperatures may be dropping but tempers could be set to rise, according to new research which reveals that nearly 36% of people in the South West argue with their partners or housemates over the central heating.
As the nights are getting colder, things could be turning frosty in more ways than one. New research commissioned by Toolstation, the trade and DIY supplier, reveals that over a third of the South West argue with their partners or housemates over the central heating – on or off? Hotter or colder?
The survey, conducted this month, showed that turning on the heating...
Devon County Council is reminding road users to “brighten up” when the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October.
As British Summer Time ends, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders are being urged to wear reflective and fluorescent clothing to ensure they can be seen on the county’s roads as the winter nights draw in.
Car drivers are also being asked to “give cyclists space” and look out for all other road users, especially when visibility is limited due to mist, rain and fog.
Between October and December in 2014, two pedestrians in Devon were killed and...
Powderham Castle, the family seat of the Earl and Countess of Devon, is the setting for this year’s Michaelmas Fair, which is hosted by ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. The Soldiers’ Charity is the National Charity of the British Army.
The Fair will be a chance to undertake some early Christmas shopping whilst enjoying the grandiose surroundings of the Castle. The Music Room is just one of the many rooms that will be housing stalls selling jewellery, accessories, china, cards, clothing, soft furnishings, books, Christmas puddings, handbags, and a wide range of gifts.
More than 4,000 grit bins across Devon are currently being inspected and re-filled by Devon County Council in preparation for winter.
Although the Autumn sunshine has dominated the recent weather, the County Council is gearing up for the coming season as it has now started its winter service operations.
The County Council spends between £4 million and £5 million a year on roads affected by winter weather – whether it is salting roads, clearing snow or responding to flooding issues.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management...
Flybe will offer year-round sunshine holiday flights at Exeter Airport following a deal with Regional & City Airports (RCA), the airport management division of Rigby Group PLC, Exeter Airport’s owner.
The partnership, which involves significant investment from both parties, will safeguard the future of Exeter Airport’s existing summer holiday flights to Alicante, Faro, Malaga and Palma, and will see year-round services being introduced to Alicante and Malaga. The frequency of winter flights to Geneva will also be increased.
As the year end raises its head on the horizon, one doesn’t have to look back at the summer and fall with sadness.
Winter has many distinctions and charms to warm your heart and keep you smiling until a new starts once more. Here are 12 things to look forward to on a winter’s day.
1. The winter scent: Your lungs will awaken to the crisp and cold air with hints of pine and eucalyptus. You’ll feel alive and sharp ready to live completely in the moment.
2. Comfort food: The summer heat destroys any appetite for heavy stodgy meals. The summer calls for lighter fare such...
Residents along the river frontage in the estuary-side town of Topsham were full of praise for the flooding exercise that took place on Wednesday evening of this week.
The exercise was aimed at raising awareness of the risk of flooding in the town – which suffered from floods in the storms of February 2014 – which allowed residents to test their own property defences.
The exercise also tested the readiness of Topsham’s recently recruited Flood Wardens, 10 of whom were deployed across 5 sectors covering the town’s 1.5 mile river frontage, from the recreation ground through...
An El Niño climate event is under way that could lead to conditions similar to those of 2009/2010 (which saw the coldest January in decades) and possibly the worst for 65 years.
El Niño is one of three key climate patterns that could lead to changes in our global temperature.
It can trigger droughts in some areas, typhoons in others and is associated with an increased chance of blizzards in the northern hemisphere.
The Exeter-based Met Office is warning that that the El Nino phenomenon – which caused the prolonged, snowy winter six years ago – could be the most...
