Devon

Budleigh skate park receives £150,000 investment from district council

East Devon District Council is investing £150,000 in renewing Lime Kiln skate park in Budleigh Salterton.

The council worked in conjunction with a local user group to produce a design for a new longer lasting sprayed concrete skate park.

At an initial highly productive consultation meeting, local users of the park advised East Devon and its specialist designer/contractor, Maverick Industries, what they wanted included in their new skate park.

Budleigh and Raleigh ward member Councillor Tom Wright, who has a long term commitment to Budleigh Youth Club, realised the...

Families rally to help Devon park take out a ton of plastic

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Thu, 09/05/2019 - 11:32am

The family owners of a Devon holiday park are involving guests in their bid to turn the tide on the scourge of plastic which is polluting West Country beaches.

Ladram Bay Holiday Park near Budleigh Salterton in East Devon is aiming to retrieve one ton of waste washed up on its private beach over the coming months.

The growing total of discarded plastics gathered will be shown by a rising column of sand on a special display board near the beach path.

The park is asking guests to bolster the efforts of their own staff team of litter pickers by collecting any plastics...

Gardener Sam checking an Atkins Stuffing tomato at Knightshayes. Photo: NT Liz Abdey

‘Living library’ offers chance to taste a piece of history at Knightshayes’s heritage tomato day

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 09/04/2019 - 10:55am

Veg lovers are being invited to ‘taste a piece of history’ at Knightshayes, near Tiverton, at a celebration of all things tomato on Saturday 7 September.

As caretakers of around 150 varieties of heritage tomato seeds, the garden team at the National Trust property have been growing 29 varieties this year. These 29 varieties will be the stars of the show at the ‘Terrific Tomato Day’ in September and the public are invited to see, smell and taste some of the tomatoes grown from the ‘living library’ kept at Knightshayes.

The 2.5 acre walled garden at Knightshayes is home to...

In the pink: scarlet birds have red letter day

In the pink: scarlet birds have red letter day

Authored by Paigntonzoo
Posted: Tue, 09/03/2019 - 7:17pm

One of the most striking birds in the world has bred at Paignton Zoo. The scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is famous for its bright red feathers – although, as you can see, the chicks are anything but scarlet.

There’s no other wading bird as scarlet as a scarlet ibis, but it takes time for juveniles to grow into the colour. It’s not until their second moult that the birds begin to take on that extraordinary rosy sheen. It can take two years or more for the dazzling change to be completed; the colour comes from the red crustaceans in their diet.

Keepers don’t want to disturb...

Photo: Exeter Rugby Club/JMP UK

Exeter Chiefs create new women's team

A new and exciting chapter in the history of Exeter Rugby Club has today been unveiled with the announcement that the ambitious Devon club are to create a new professional women’s team.

The team, which will be the club’s first-ever affiliated women’s team, will begin in earnest from this point with the view of tendering for a place within the Tyrrell’s Premier 15s League ahead of the 2020/21 season.

For some time, Exeter Rugby Club chief executive, Tony Rowe OBE, together with Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, have been exploring the idea of creating a women’s team at Sandy...

Urgent appeal for Devon families to talk about organ donation

During Organ Donation Week, September 2 to 8, NHS Blood and Transplant are urging people to talk to their families about organ donation to increase the number of people whose lives can be saved or transformed by an organ transplant.

Last year, 85 people in Devon had their lives saved by a transplant. If more people agreed to donate, more lives would be saved in Devon and around the country. Currently, 96 in Devon are still waiting for that life-saving call.

Next year, the law around organ donation is changing in England. From spring 2020,all adults in England will be...

People asked to back new project enhancing Exeter’s wildflowers

People are being asked to help increase Exeter's wildflowers by backing a project that seeks to brighten up the city even more.

Devon Wildlife Trust has launched a Crowdfunder scheme to create more wildflower meadows across the county.

In Exeter the Trust are joining up with the City Council to further enhance the displays of wildflowers that have been bursting with colour on roadside verges, roundabouts and open spaces.

People are being asked to support the scheme by donating to Crowdfunder. People have until the end of Friday to make their pledges and can do so by...

Powderham Food Festival

Event Date: 
27/08/2019 - 1:30pm

Devon’s most exciting foodie event, Powderham Food Festival, returns for its eighth year.

Set in the grounds of the stunning Powderham Castle, the festival promises delicious local foodie treats and a fantastic fun-filled family day out for all ages.

Exhibitors have been announced so check out the website for further information - all of your favourite food and drink vendors are returning to enjoy another wonderful food festival! With live demonstrations, workshops, talks, live music and all the food and drink you could possibly imagine, this is a weekend that can't be...

Order yourself a cup of conservation

Order yourself a cup of conservation

Authored by Paigntonzoo
Posted: Tue, 08/27/2019 - 12:11pm

The charity zoo has its very own branded blend – Zoorabica. It’s the first time the charity has offered its own named coffee. The new beverage is supplied by Coffeeworks, based in Exeter, an independent company with over 20 years’ experience.

Paignton Zoo Group Catering Manager Jennifer Proctor, who helped choose the final blend, said: “We have gone for this new blend because of taste, price, the support that Coffeeworks offer and the training they provide.” She visited the family-owned roasting business in Bristol to select the coffee.

The beans are triple certified – they...

New digital service gives people at risk of homelessness immediate help

People at risk of homelessness can now contact the council to start accessing key housing services at any time of the day or night – every day of the year.

Advice, information and access to the council’s housing team can now be obtained from the council’s website.

The new digital service gives people the ability to make appointments, upload documents and communicate directly with housing case workers, without needing to take time out of their day to visit the council offices.

It also allows professionals from statutory and voluntary agencies to easily refer clients...

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