Devon

19240 Shrouds of the Somme figures go on sale

The first shrouded figures in an astonishing grand-scale art installation in memory of those who fell on the first day of the Battle of the Somme have gone on sale.

Artist Rob Heard is creating 19,240 hand-stitched figurines to represent each man who died on that day, one hundred years ago, at the beginning of the notorious World War One battle.

For each one completed he crosses a name off a list of those who died and says their name out loud to remember them.

On 1st July 2016, at 07:30 hours, exactly 100 years since the whistle was blown to ‘go over the top’, 19,...

On-street parking charges to rise

Drivers parking in communities throughout Devon for an hour or more are being urged to help tackle congestion by choosing district council car parks over Devon County Council’s (DCC) on-street parking bays.

In what will be the first on-street parking increase in Devon for five years, from Monday 9 May 2016 an increase in tariffs will begin to be rolled out across the county.

It follows concern that many drivers contribute towards congestion by preferring to ‘circle’ the roads looking for vacant slightly cheaper on-street parking bays, instead of using district, city or...

New cuckoo season starts - walks and all!

The first cuckoo of the 2016 season has already been heard on Dartmoor, thereby heralding the long-awaited spring.

Over the last two years, Dartmoor National Park Authority, in partnership with Devon Birds and Exeter University, has been asking the public to report their cuckoo sightings.

During that time, we have collected over 2,000 records of cuckoos across Devon, with 90% of those records coming from Dartmoor.

This spring, we are again collecting as many sightings as possible. Please log your observations by going to our interactive map at www.dartmoor.gov.uk/...

Mysteries of Shakespeare’s grave uncovered

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 04/20/2016 - 11:52am

A University of Exeter expert will describe his fascinating work to unlock the secrets of Shakespeare’s grave at an event held to mark 400 years since the playwright’s death.

Professor Philip Schwyzer has been trying to solve the mystery of the curious forbidding curse on the writer’s tombstone. He will share information about his quest during a public lecture at Exeter Cathedral next week.

Visitors will also be able to view an early collection of Shakespeare’s plays which is held in Exeter Cathedral Library. This rare book is known as the ‘second folio’. The engraved...

SW ambulance service a research trailblazer

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 04/20/2016 - 11:52am

More emergency care patients in the South West of England have the opportunity to take part in research studies out of hospital than ever before.

Six years ago South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) was not conducting a single research study on the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) portfolio and had no research-active paramedics.

In 2014/15 SWASFT was the top patient recruiting ambulance trust in England and it is the first ambulance service to sponsor a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) funded study.

Sarah Black, Research and...

Brand new look for Devonshire Homes

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Wed, 04/20/2016 - 10:22am

Tiverton house builder Devonshire Homes has unveiled its new look with the launch of fresh corporate branding.

Designed by Exeter-based brand design studio Believe in, the company’s logo has been transformed into a dramatic black and white design that incorporates a new ‘maker’s mark’ symbol.

“With Devonshire Homes fast approaching its first quarter century, it was time to update the story that the company was presenting to the world.” said Devonshire Homes Managing Director Steve Russell. “We are building more houses than ever in the county, becoming much more ambitious in...

Bumper Easter for Devon’s Crealy

Devon’s Crealy is reporting increased visitor numbers for the Easter period with a 5% boost to last year’s numbers, despite the holiday falling early in the calendar for 2016. The family adventure park are celebrating their success and looking forward to a busy year ahead.

Josh Haywood, General Manager said: ‘The Easter school holidays have been fantastic for us here at Devon’s Crealy. Our new seasonal recruits have been brilliant, helping us to welcome families to the Park and ensure that they have a great day out. We all know that the weather has been a bit hit and miss over...

SW construction market bucks national slowdown trend

The latest survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed that growth in the construction market has remained positive in the South West over the last three months. Private housing workloads showed the greatest increase with 48% more of those working in the sector reporting a rise in activity rather than a fall over the first quarter of 2016. During the last quarter of 2015 that figure was 28%. Nationally private housing workloads rose at their slowest pace since Q2 2013, with only 36 per cent more of those working in the sector reporting a rise in growth rather...

TicTac Theatre present You Were After Poetry

Event Date: 
22/04/2016 - 7:30pm to 23/04/2016 - 7:30pm
Venue: 
Victory Hall, Broadclyst

A double bill of short comedy plays.

You Were After Poetry by Steven Bloomer is about a couples break up and the after effects.

The Bride to Be by by Peter Quilter: Angela is marrying for the third time amidst a barrage of bad omens and a dress resembling a parachute.

These two plays filled with cunning one liners and heightened physical comedy make for an hour long performance underlined with the company's ethos of storytelling.

Tickets are £8/£7 and are available from Broadclyst Post Office or online at www.tictactheatre.co.uk

Police target poor and inconsiderate drivers

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 04/19/2016 - 4:43pm

Officers from Devon, Cornwall and Dorset’s Road Policing Team will be mounting a week long campaign, targeting drivers of all types of vehicles who flout road traffic laws on roads.

Operation Vortex targets poor, inconsiderate and complacent driving across the region and aims to reduce the number of collisions and casualties on our roads.

A team of officers will be carrying out patrols in unmarked vehicles and on motorcycles on various roads across Devon and Cornwall this week (from Monday 18 April).

Officers will be observing driver behaviour and dealing with all...

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