Devon

Top Exeter scientist to talk climate change at Glastonbury

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 06/21/2017 - 11:30am

Glastonbury festivalgoers can look forward to a heady mix of Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Katy Perry – and a lesson on climate change from a top scientist.

At the festival’s Speaker’s Forum, Professor Richard Betts, of the University of Exeter, will discuss the science of climate change and take part in panel discussions and interviews with other prominent figures in the climate change debate.

“Climate change is a complex topic with some important and fascinating science behind it,” says Professor Betts.

“As we continue the debate on what to do about it, it’s important...

Freemasons to hold public vote on £3m charity grants

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 06/21/2017 - 7:06am

The Freemasons are holding an unprecedented public vote to decide how to spend a special three million pounds of charity funding as part of their 300th anniversary celebrations this year. Freemasons throughout the country have selected 300 local charities to receive a special Community Award, but the decision on the size of grant – ranging from £4,000 to £25,000 – is being decided by an online public vote. Anyone who wishes to vote should visit the Masonic Charitable Foundation website at mcf.org.uk/vote go to the page for their region and vote from the list of local charities which have...

Spy thriller Our Man in Havana comes to Exeter

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 06/20/2017 - 9:08pm

Innovative theatre company Creative Cow from Devon brings an evening of hilarity and satire to Exeter in this witty adaptation of Graham Greene’s spy thriller ‘Our Man in Havana’. Known as one of Greene’s ‘entertainments’, the play tells the tale of a luckless vacuum cleaner salesman who gets sucked in to a dirty world of espionage and double agents when the chance of helping out MI6 with a job or two proves too good an offer to resist.

Touring venues around the UK following a hugely successful Autumn tour of another Graham Greene popular classic ‘Travels with my Aunt’, this...

Seaton Jurassic wins major SW Award

Seaton Jurassic, East Devon District Council’s flagship visitor attraction, has scooped a major South West award for the best leisure and hospitality project of the year.

The £4-million centre, at the heart of the world-renowned Jurassic Coast, was described by judges of the prestigious Michelmores Property Awards as “simply just a fun project”. Owned by the council and operated by Devon Wildlife Trust, the judges were particularly complimentary about how involved the community was in the centre and that partnership working was key to the attraction’s success.

East Devon...

Ancient Devon community had a taste for exotic food and drink

Devon farmers who made their home in the same remote location for 1,200 years had a taste for exotic imported food and drink, archaeologists have found.

There was a thriving settlement in Ipplepen, South Devon, for hundreds of years longer than previously thought, excavations have shown.

It was originally thought that people only lived on the site during the Roman period, but radiocarbon analysis now shows the settlement was founded in the middle of the pre-Roman Iron Age - the 4th century BC. It was only finally abandoned in the 8th century AD, possibly because of the...

Heatwave advice issued as temperatures soar

Public Health leaders are offering advice on how to beat the heat, in the wake of news today of a continued heat wave.

The Met Office has forecast that the hot weather will now continue until Thursday and Public Health England South West is issuing heatwave advice to local authorities across the peninsula.

Dr Virginia Pearson, Devon’s Director of Public Health, said: “Most people are able to cope with this rapid rise in temperature by staying out of the sun, drinking plenty of water and protecting their skin by covering up.

“However, babies, older people and those...

Curtain up on Sidmouth’s annual Summer Play Festival

Award-winning West End producer Paul Taylor-Mills will be raising the curtain on his hugely popular Summer Play Festival at Sidmouth’s Manor Pavilion Theatre from Thursday (June 22) with a three-month run of productions featuring works from iconic playwrights including Cooney, Coward, and Ayckbourn.

Tickets for the play season went on sale last month and the box office took an astonishing £14,000 in the first four hours of trading.

The theatre – owned and managed by East Devon District Council - is the last in the UK to offer a season of repertory productions that...

The Jolly Good Jaunt is back for 2017!

Authored by Hospiscare
Posted: Tue, 06/20/2017 - 1:19pm

After a triumphant success last year, Hospiscare’s Jolly Good Jaunt, a sponsored walk starting and finishing at The Deer Park Country House Hotel in Honiton, is back on Sunday 29th October.

To launch this event, Steve from The Deer Park collected Hospiscare patient Brian Mills and his Volunteer Care Navigator David Woodward, treating them both to a trip in one of the hotel’s classic cars, a Packard V12. Brian, a keen car enthusiast, thoroughly enjoyed the journey which was followed by tea and cake with his family at The Deer Park.

Brian’s daughter speaks movingly about her...

On-field success helps drive business towards Sandy Park

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 06/20/2017 - 11:56am

It seems the on-field success of the Exeter Chiefs is helping boost visitor and booking numbers off it with demand and attendance figures at Sandy Park having increased in recent weeks following the club’s major success at Twickenham.

Less than a month after Rob Baxter’s side lifted English rugby’s top prize for the first time in the club’s history, so companies and organisations are looking to make the most of staging their events at the home of the newly-crowned Premiership Rugby champions.

Enquiries, bookings and footfall at Exeter’s premier conferencing and banqueting...

Public behaviour ruins a great weekend on Dartmoor

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 06/20/2017 - 11:46am

The fantastic sunny weekend we have just experienced here in the south west has seen thousands of people enjoying the outdoors and all that it has to offer. But whilst this weather provides a welcome boost to the local economy, the selfish behaviour of some people can potentially put people’s lives at risk.

At Spitchwick and Deeper Marsh cattle grid gateways were blocked and vehicles were parked on narrow roads blocking access for farm vehicles and emergency vehicles. The situation was repeated right across the National Park at popular locations.

Bill Allen area Ranger,...

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