Branscombe to host Big Beach Picnic

There’s nothing quite like a great British picnic by the sea. We all have fond childhood memories of days out at the seaside; that heady combination of sun, sand and sea along with a dollop of ice-cream, sandy sandwiches and hours of endless fun.

What better way to celebrate 50 years of public support for protecting our precious coastline, than by attending a Big Beach Picnic at Branscombe Beach, this is just one of 15 Big Beach Picnics taking place in the South West on Saturday 4th July 2015 [1]. The Big Beach Picnics are a key moment in our SW Coastal Festival programme, and we...

'Squeaky bum time' for BBC bosses

Authored by Marc Astley
Posted: Sat, 06/27/2015 - 12:19pm

It’s going to be ‘squeaky bum time’ for the management team at BBC Radio Devon over the next few weeks.

After a week in which it took managing editor Mark Grinnell three days to respond to criticism over his decision to drop Judi Spiers from the station and more than 1,000 people taking to social media to complain about the move, he has let one of his big names go.

Bad move.

Judi will be replaced by David Fitzgerald, who is an experienced broadcaster and a jolly good chap.

However, he has a huge act to follow and a loyal audience to win over – those that are...

Think you know your cat? Study suggests not

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Sat, 06/27/2015 - 12:09pm

Cat owners fail to realise the impact of their cat on wildlife according to new research, published today (26 June), from the University of Exeter and Queen Mary University of London.

Cats are increasingly earning themselves a reputation as wildlife killers with estimates of animals killed every year by domestic cats in the UK numbering into the millions. This new study on the attitudes of cat owners suggests that proposals to keep cats indoors in order to preserve wildlife would not be well received.

The researchers studied cats from two UK villages, Mawnan Smith in...

Judi social media revolution grows

Authored by Marc Astley
Posted: Sat, 06/27/2015 - 11:42am

A social media revolution is growing over the decision by BBC Radio Devon boss Mark Grinnell to axe the Judi Spiers show.

Hundreds of people have taken to Twitter and Facebook to express their anger and dismay.

A Facebook post announcing Judi’s last show this morning had received more than 100 comments in just over an hour meanwhile, a statement made online by Mr Grinnell yesterday has attracted a whopping 550 responses.

A campaign set up on both twitter and facebook called Bring Back Judi has almost 1,000 followers.

Typical of the comments was that made by...

A bright future for a brand new town

A huge amount has been achieved since work began at Cranbrook in June 2011. The first residents collected their keys in summer 2012 and St Martin’s C of E Primary School opened its doors shortly after - all when there were less than 50 homes occupied.

A half hourly bus service and the multi-purpose Younghayes Community Centre followed, along with a children’s play area, open space in the country park and connections made to already improved cycle and walking routes.

A pharmacy and doctors surgery are now open for the community to use and in summer 2015, opposite the...

Your guide to What's On this weekend

Don’t make any plans for the weekend until you’ve checked out our guide to the best of what’s on in and around Exeter.

THEATRE

Grease Friday & Saturday, Exeter Northcott Theatre 23 - 27 June 2015 Stage by Stage present a high-octane production of the world's most popular musical. Tickets £9-£15. www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

We Are Brontë Friday & Saturday, Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter We Are Brontë is a piece of comic visual theatre inspired by the real and imaginery worlds of Yorkshire’s literary siblings, presented in Publick Transport’s irreverent style....

Study finds racehorses are getting faster

Despite a general consensus among scientists and in the racing industry that racehorse speed has plateaued, a new study from the University of Exeter has found that racehorses are getting quicker. Further research is required to determine whether the increased speeds have a genetic basis or are the result of improved training, jockey tactics or other environmental factors.

It had appeared that racehorse speeds were not improving and previous studies concluded that thoroughbred racehorses may have reached the limits of their abilities. However these studies only analysed the winning...

Exeter law firm chooses charities of the year

Two local charities that help both young and older people are set to benefit from the fundraising efforts of a leading Exeter law firm, after being selected by its staff to become its charities of the year.

Children’s Hospice South West and Age UK Exeter have been chosen as the charities of the year by Stephens Scown LLP. The charities were suggested by staff and came out top in a staff vote. Children’s Hospice South West becomes Stephens Scown’s firm-wide charity of the year and Age UK Exeter is the chosen charity of the firm’s Exeter office. Both charities will benefit from a...

Hospital Radio Exeter wins lottery funding

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 06/26/2015 - 4:51pm

Hospital Radio Exeter has been awarded £7,690 in funding by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund.

The volunteer run radio station which is based at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital in Exeter currently provides more than 40 hours per week of varied programmes including the famous request shows to hospital patients.

Malcolm Mardon from Hospital Radio Exeter said: “This funding will allow us to update our second studio to allow more shows to be recorded and broadcast, and to allow interviews to take place.

“We hope that this development will help...

The Magnificent Three

Event Date: 
14/07/2015 - 7:00pm to 18/07/2015 - 7:00pm
Venue: 
Rougemont Gardens, Exeter

Tue 14 – Sat 18 Jul in Rougemont Gardens

This summer Miracle Theatre, Exeter Phoenix and Farms For City Children are teaming up to bring a week of wild west fun to Exeter. Across five nights, the award-winning Cornish company Miracle Theatre will be performing their rootin’ tootin’ new show The Magnificent Three in the glorious outdoor setting of Rougemont Gardens. One for all the family, the week is set to include plenty of fun extras, including workshops and a Friday night live music hoedown under the stars. There will be an excellent selection of food and drink available to...

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