Reading offers serenity in hard times

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 03/24/2020 - 9:17pm

Despite devastating natural disasters or deadly viruses and often because of them, dedicated authors keep on writing and producing books for their readers' pleasure.

Former Exeter College student Fay Knowles (nee Johanson) has just released "Deadly Deceit In Paradise", Book Two in her Buchanan Mystery Romance Series (her sixth published book). The first in the series is "Dangerous Devotion" (formerly "Love at Sunset").

"Deadly Deceit In Paradise" tells how a mysterious death in paradise leads a young woman down a path that will determine her future. Natalie Barrett flies...

Council putting all of its energy into support for vulnerable residents

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 03/24/2020 - 8:47pm

Social care and social work teams at Devon County Council are redeploying staff from non-critical services to essential frontline services in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

It’s to ensure that vulnerable people, young or old, are able to continue accessing the services they need.

Customer service staff at Care Direct, which is the route for adults into Devon County Council’s social work services, have seen telephone calls rise sharply over the last few weeks, as the public comes to terms with the impact of the virus. They’ve taken hundreds of calls from vulnerable...

BBC

New editors join BBC Spotlight and BBC Radio Cornwall

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Tue, 03/24/2020 - 12:06pm

Daisy Griffith is now leading the most popular regional news bulletin in the country, Spotlight, which reaches more than 50 per cent of the South West each week.

Meanwhile Emma Clements is running BBC Radio Cornwall, a station with more than 100,000 weekly listeners.

Stephanie Marshall, head of the BBC in the South West and West, said the experienced journalists would bring “diligence and creativity”, particularly during a "critical time for the the South West and the UK as a whole".

The new appointments came as the coronavirus began to sweep through the UK....

The rise of the houseplant and is it set to stay?

Authored by Sam Richards
Posted: Tue, 03/24/2020 - 11:57am

It was reported by RHS in 2019 that the sale of houseplants had soared by 50% in 2018 which suggests that more and more people are bringing plants into their home. Looking back further, the Office of National Statistics reveal that the UK spent £925,000 in Q1 in 2013 on plants and gardens compared to £1,480,000 in Q1 of 2019, that’s an impressive rise of £555,555. It is clear that houseplants have become a major trend in recent years and it is thought that there are a few different reasons that homeowners are looking to bring nature into their home.

Urbanisation

It is...

The Rise of the Online Shopper

Authored by David Banks
Posted: Tue, 03/24/2020 - 11:45am

Ecommerce has completely changed consumer habits in recent years and it is only predicted to continue to grow in the coming years. Statistics show that more than half of UK consumers now shop online and online spend is predicted to increase by a staggering 29.6% between 2019 and 2024 .

Benefits of Ecommerce

It is easy to see why so many consumers prefer online shopping to the high street because it can bring so many benefits to the consumer, including the ability to shop from home, much greater variety and the ability find the best prices on all kinds of goods such as a...

Cofton Holidays closes to customers in line with Government advice

Following the Prime Minister’s call for all pubs, clubs and restaurants to close, and in the light of additional guidance that people should be staying in their primary home wherever possible - observing social distancing - Cofton Holidays, located near Dawlish, has taken the decision to close its doors to members of the public and any non-essential staff for the foreseeable future.

All future guests have been informed of the holiday park’s closure. Guests with holidays already booked are being given the opportunity to rebook at a later date of their choice, when the restrictions...

Exeter genomics scientists to battle spread of COVID-19

Scientists and clinicians in Exeter are part of a £20 million investment to unlock the secrets of COVID-19 They will use the University’s state of the art equipment to ensure samples from Devon patients help to combat the disease.

Scientists at the University of Exeter and the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) are part of a group of the country’s leading institutions who are joining together to sequence the virus from patients throughout the UK. By knowing the sequence it will be possible to know both how it is changing (or mutating) and also to map the...

Staff to provide services differently as libraries close due to coronavirus

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 03/23/2020 - 10:03pm

Libraries Unlimited has announced that libraries across Devon will temporarily close from Friday 20 March, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Across the county, library staff are trying to continue to provide library services in different ways.

In Exeter, they are trialling ‘books by post’. Others will be providing online sessions such as Bounce & Rhyme, reading groups, and story times. There will be IT help, provided remotely.

Staff will be checking in by telephone with customers who they know to be vulnerable and needing social contact.

They...

It’s official: Exeter prefers dad bods to bronzed gods

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 03/23/2020 - 3:10pm

Body positivity has really taken off in the past few years, seeing people of all genders take to social media to embrace all the ways their bodies don’t fit into the idealised image of the “perfect” body.

And now, the latest research by cruelty-free hair removal brand Nad’s suggests that, for people in Exeter, the idea of a “perfect” body is very much in the eye of the beholder anyway!

The survey revealed that just 3% of Exeter residents believe men should aspire to the “Love Island” body image. When broken down between genders, the UK results were even more startling,...

Temporary changes to on-street parking enforcement

In order to help residents parking outside their homes while working from home or self-isolating during the Coronavirus outbreak, the County Council’s parking enforcement teams will reduce enforcement on certain roads – although double yellow lines will still be enforced.

Changes to routine patrols will enable officers to concentrate their efforts on keeping key routes running normally.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “We must keep the network moving but we also recognise the concerns in residential areas where...

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