The managing director from one of the South West’s leading housebuilders says he’s pleased with the performance of the business and believes it’s firmly on track to meet end of year expectations.

Simon Perks, managing director for Exeter-based Persimmon Homes South West says the autumn selling season has seen visitor rates rise six per cent ahead of this time last year and weekly private sales rates rise four per cent.

Speaking as Persimmon plc releases its Interim Management Statement which covers the period from 1 July 2012 to 12 November 2012, Simon said: “House buyers...

Exeter Phoenix

Mark Thomas’s dad was a thoroughly unusual character. A bearded, violent brute of a man but also an uneducated working class Methodist with an admirable dedication to hard work, Mr Thomas Sr. was a mass of contradictions. Yet perhaps the strangest thing about him was his undeniable passion for opera.

Even as an adult, the comedian Mark Thomas himself is clearly still unsure what to make of his father and even after the hour long second half, you might well find yourself feeling the same way. Mark incorporates extracts of recorded interviews with his family...

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service is promoting the installation of sprinkler systems in commercial premises. Sprinklers play a positive role in protecting life, reducing the economic and environmental cost of fire in any building they are installed in.

Recently a sprinkler system saved a local business from potentially severe losses following a fire at a commercial building. The fire, which started on the ground floor of the premises, was quickly dealt with by the activation of the sprinkler system and by operational firefighters using compressed air foam,...

After all the bad headlines concerning ash dieback, a Devon-based charity is now providing good news about a brighter future for our trees and woodlands.

Devon Wildlife Trust is planning to plant more than 1,000 throughout Exeter in its ‘The Big Tree Plant’ initiative which aims to attract more attractive green spaces for the city’s people and wildlife.

The charity will be working with community groups including more than 500 local school children to plant native trees which include rowan, oak, hazel, alder and hawthorn, along with fruit trees including cherry and...

A very special event at The Guildhall on Thursday 15th November 2012 will honour the members of 307 (Polish) Squadron RAF who protected the skies over Exeter during the Second World War.

Michael Parrott, who is a 'Friend of Higher Cemetery', was researching the history of the Cemetery's two chapels when he was shown a wooden memorial to a 307 Pilot tucked away on the wall of an unused corner of one of the chapels.

He managed to obtain a translation of the memorial dedicated to Kazimierz Jaworksi and this led to further research on the night fighter squadron that...

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced that from 2015, the UK will move to a new system of flexible paternal leave, as part of a huge shake up of current arrangements.

Nick Clegg said: "Under the new rules, a mother will be able to trigger flexible leave at any point - if and when she feels ready.

"That means whatever time is left to run on her original year can be taken by her partner instead. Or they can divide up the remaining time between them - taking it in turns. Or they can take time off together... whatever suits them."

Mr...

In 1998 Calendar Club opened its very first store in Exeter, one of 12 short term retail stores in the UK during that year. In 2012 they celebrate their 15th anniversary opening more than 300 stores in shopping centres across the UK and Ireland between September to January.

Exeter's Calendar Club store for this year is situated on the edge of the Guildhall high street entrance, in what was previously the Nickleby's menswear premises. The store stocks roughly 1,500 products that include calendars, diaries, annuals as well as an extended range including posters and animal...