Local News

Devon Young Carers shine at the 2025 Young Carers Festival

Seventeen young carers from across Devon have enjoyed a well-deserved break from their caring responsibilities at the largest festival in the world dedicated to young people with unpaid caring roles.

It’s the 25th year that Devon Young Carers has attended the Young Carers Festival at YMCA Fairthorne Manor at Botley in Hampshire. Four dedicated staff members, one volunteer, and one inspiring Adult Young Carer accompanied them on a two-night adventure packed with connection, laughter, and discovery - a well-deserved break from their day-to-day caring roles at home.

They...

48-hour rail strike next week

The RMT’s ballot for both strike action and action short of a strike of all First Great Western members over the threat to jobs and safety from the introduction of the new Hitachi Inter-City trains has recorded overwhelming votes in favour: Members of the union will walk out for 48 hours from 18:30 BST on 8 July.

The union said a guard should be kept on every train, but FGW said having drivers controlling doors was safer and jobs would not be lost.

At the end of May the union confirmed that it had entered into dispute with First Great Western over the introduction of Super...

New headmaster for Exeter Cathedral School

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 07/01/2015 - 11:50am

A new headmaster has been appointed to lead Exeter’s 800 year old Cathedral School.

James Featherstone is currently Head of the Lower School at the Perse School in Cambridge, one of England’s top performing independent schools.

He will take up his role as the Headmaster of Exeter Cathedral School from January next year, when current head Stephen Yeo leaves after four years to take up his new post leading Britain’s elite music school, The Purcell School for Young Musicians.

After completing his degree in French and Spanish at Durham University, James studied for a...

Sidmouth theatre tops the bill

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 07/01/2015 - 11:39am

Sidmouth’s Manor Pavilion Theatre has topped the bill with its own audiences after being awarded a Certificate of Excellence Award from TripAdvisor.

Staff at the venue, owned and managed by East Devon District Council, are thrilled with the surprise accolade and believe they are one of the few theatres in the South West to have received such an award.

The 277 seat theatre continues to go from strength to strength and has attracted more than 32,000 visitors in the last year with over 265 performances. Investment and improvements made to the venue by the council over the...

Big Beach Picnic celebrates the coast

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 07/01/2015 - 10:20am

It’s less than seven days to go to the biggest mass participation event the National Trust in the South West has ever organised. The Big Beach Picnic, taking place from 12 noon this Saturday (4 July), is happening at fifteen different locations across the South West. From Polzeath and Towan beach in Cornwall to Woolacombe and Branscombe beach in Devon to Studland and Weymouth beach in Dorset to Bossington and Brean Down beach in Somerset. A highlight of the 2015 South West Coastal Festival programme, the Big Beach Picnics are a free ‘mass participation’ way of celebrating 50 years of...

Motorcyclist dies in Devon crash

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 07/01/2015 - 10:08am

Police are appealing for witnesses to a collision in which a motorcyclist died near Okehampton on Tuesday 30 June.

The collision, involving a John Deere tractor with slurry tanker and a blue Suzuki GSXR motorcycle, happened on the A3079 outside Yelland Cottage, Fowley Cross, at 3.10pm.

Officers and an air ambulance attended. The first police officer arriving at the scene carried out emergency treatment on the 45-year-old male motorcyclist, from St Austell, with assistance from members of the public.

Despite their efforts the motorcyclist died at the scene. The man’s...

Saltrock ambassador showcases trial riding on Blue Peter Show

Saltrock ambassador and mountain bike trial athlete Andrei Burton is to take part in a live Blue Peter show this Thursday 2nd July, showcasing just how much science there is in the skill of trial riding.

Burton - who earlier this year teamed up with active lifestyle clothing brand Saltrock to roll out a series of educational and other initiatives over the course of the year – will lead a team on the live Blue Peter show where, alongside Science Presenter Greg Foot who has presented a number of science items for Blue Peter before, he’ll demonstrate the skills of trial riding and...

1 In 3 of us avoid sharing problems

Nearly a third of people in the UK say they don’t like to burden others with their problems, according to research for the charity Samaritans.

The figures, published today to launch Samaritans’ awareness raising #TalkToUs campaign, also reveal that more than 1 in 5 (21.4%) people sometimes feel overwhelmed by their troubles, but 1 in 9 (11.4%) feel they don’t have anyone to share them with.

Other barriers to opening up about what’s bothering us include:

• Feeling embarrassed (1 in 7 or 14.4%) • Feeling weak (1 in 10 or 10.2%) • Feeling judged (1 in 12 or 8.3%) •...

Fire service issues wildfire warning

With sunny weather predicted for this week many people will be encouraged to be outside, whether this is a causal stroll in the countryside or hiking across Dartmoor.

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service remind walkers and campers to be mindful of the impact and damage that a gorse fire has on the environment. They also tie up valuable fire resources for some time.

The Fire Service are advising people to be vigilant in rural areas and follow this simple advice:

  • extinguish cigarettes and other smoking materials properly
  • never throw
  • ...

Your guide to the European GP 7s

Authored by sandypark
Posted: Wed, 07/01/2015 - 5:01am

Rugby 7s: Rugby 7s is a version of rugby union played with 7 players on each team, with games lasting 14 minutes.

The European Grand Prix 7s at Sandy Park is the final leg of the European 7s Series, with rounds already being played in Moscow and Lyon.

Teams who failed to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro through the World Series have the chance of qualification through the European Series.

England and Wales will be representing British rugby 7s and will be competing against France, Russia, Spain, Belgium, Georgia, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Romania and Lithuania....

Samaritans praise John Lewis

The chair of the local branch of Samaritans says she is delighted with the contribution to the charity made by the Exeter John Lewis store.

“We’re enormously grateful to John Lewis for a really generous donation of £1,020” explains Bridget Neligan, chair of Exeter Mid & East Devon Samaritans.

“Samaritans relies entirely on voluntary donations - we receive no grants and no official funding - so we’re extremely grateful for each contribution. I would also like to thank the shoppers who chose our charity when they visited the store” she says.

The cheque was...

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