Business Daily

Anna Fitzgerald has carried off one of the main prizes at Topsham Art Group’s 50th Anniversary Exhibition with her picture “Heading Home’. Emma Matthews of Exeter based wealth managers Charles Stanley & Co said that it was very difficult to choose who should receive the Charles Stanley award, which the firm had sponsored. Anna's piece stood out due to its imaginative use of new materials and novel layering techniques, which include gold leaf and resin. Anna, who moved to Exmouth only a year ago has already shown that she can make a big impression by creating the highly successful ‘...

Construction firms in the South of England must develop more training-based employment programmes for young people if they are to attract the brightest A-level achievers – and help alleviate the skills epidemic in the industry, says the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). It has been predicted that the UK construction industry will create around 190,000 new jobs by the end of 2018 but there is a growing fear that there will not be the talent to fill them.** Lynn Robinson, RICS Regional Director, South said: “We have to make it easier for young people to find an appropriate...

Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimants in Devon are at a new historic low after falling by 58 during July, with the total claimant count now standing at 3,029.

Of Devon’s eight districts six experienced falls , ranging between one and 34 claimants.

In Exeter the number of claimants rose by 30 claimants and in South Hams the number increased by just one. The largest fall of 34 claimants was seen in East Devon.

The claimant rate (proportion of the county’s working age population claiming JSA) remained largely the same with East Devon, Teignbridge and Torridge falling...

A yellow severe weather warning for strong wind has been issued for Devon on Saturday, with gusts of up to 55mph expected in areas.

A spell of unseasonably strong southwesterly winds, accompanied by heavy, blustery showers, is expected to develop across the south of the UK later on Friday but peaking during Saturday daytime.

The strongest winds will lead to large waves round exposed coastlines.

Gusts of up to 45 mph inland, and 45 to 55 mph along exposed coastlines, are expected.

The strong gusts may cause disruption to transport and, in view of the time of...