christmas

Exeter City v Oxford Utd: Match preview

Exeter City head to high-flying Oxford United for this season's Boxing Day fixture, ko 3pm.

The game will see the Grecians meet former midfielder Liam Sercombe for the first time since he left St James Park for the Kassam Stadium in the summer.

City are looking for a fourth consecutive away win, but it is over a month since they last played away from St James Park after the match at Morecambe was rained off two weeks ago.

Read more at http://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/news/article/match-preview-oxford-united-v...

Christmas at Exeter's hospice

Authored by Hospiscare
Posted: Wed, 12/23/2015 - 6:45pm

Staff and volunteers are getting into the Christmas spirit at our Exeter hospice.

Every day grateful Exeter people are popping in to the city hospice with gifts including hampers, boxes of chocolates, biscuits, cakes, candles and flowers.

The hospice, in the grounds of the RD&E, is decorated with six Christmas trees and festive flowers beautifully arranged by our volunteer flower ladies.

Hospiscare patron Lady Clarissa Clifford visited with presents, while Marina Cornall from St David’s donated a lovely large Christmas floral display which her mother-in-law Joan...

Bramble Ward receives Christmas cheer thanks to RBS

Staff and customers at The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in Exeter have brought some early Christmas presents to the young patients on Bramble Ward at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

The team from the Exeter branch in Southrenhay and the commercial team at Pynes Hill donated a huge selection of toys and games for the children to enjoy.

This Christmas, the staff were keen to support local children who may have to stay in hospital over the festive period, so they put up posters in their branch asking for donations of toys.

RBS Exeter Branch Manager Dan Kayes and...

An unhappy New Year as ‘Divorce Day’ looms

While Christmas and New Year are meant to be happy times, the fact is that every year the beginning of January sees a spike in divorce proceedings as couples bite the bullet and resolve to split. This phenomenon has become so well established that in legal circles it is referred to as ‘Divorce Day’, with Monday 4 January expected to see this year’s peak.

Andrew Barton, partner in Stephens Scown LLP’s family law team, has experienced this many times. He said: “Sadly, while Christmas is meant to bring people together, often it just serves to drive them apart. The tensions of being...

Mild weather set to stay through Christmas

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 12/23/2015 - 6:25am

With just a few days to go until the festive holidays begin, what weather can we expect this Christmas?

After the mild, unsettled start to December the Met Office say it looks likely that this theme will continue through until the end of the year with some spells of windy, wet weather but also drier, brighter periods with some showers. Although temperatures will remain above average, there will be some cooler days and nights with wintry showers possible over hills and mountains in the north of the UK and some overnight frosts.

Going into Christmas Eve, a low pressure system...

Christmas brings £104m tourism boost to Devon

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 12/22/2015 - 11:03am

Devon is looking forward to a welcome economic boost, thanks to Christmas this year, says VisitDevon.

Latest findings forecast that visitors will spend £104million in Devon for the Christmas period. With over 180,000 people visiting Devon for an overnight stay and 1.4 million visiting for the day.

"With restrictions on parents taking their children out of school during term time, which is having had a negative impact on tourism across the year, Christmas holidays are more important than they used to be," says Victoria Hatfield, Chair of Visit Devon.

"Historically,...

Don't be a turkey this Christmas

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Tue, 12/22/2015 - 10:35am

South West Water is calling on its customers to save the drains this Christmas and dispose of cooking fat, oil and grease responsibly.

The company's Head of Wholesale Waste Recovery and Environmental Protection, Guy Doble, said: "At Christmas, the volume of cooking fat entering the sewers increases dramatically.

"When the fat cools, it hardens, clogging pipes. It's not just sewers that suffer, household pipes can get blocked too which may result in hefty repair bills.

"Avoid pain in the drain this festive season by waiting for unwanted cooking fat, oil or grease to...

Is your chimney safe for Santa?

Christmas is fast approaching and with the colder weather also arriving, cosy chimney fires are being lit. Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service are encouraging you to check your chimney is clean, safe and swept for Santa’s arrival.

Chimney fires can cause serious structural damage to a home, with the risks being even greater if the property has a thatched roof. The damage is not only fire based but also the dirt and smell left from all the soot and smoke, which would affect your personal property, including all your Christmas presents.

Chimneys need to be dirt...

Exeter Airport gears up for busy Christmas

As the school holidays start and the Christmas holidays get underway Exeter Airport is expecting to deal with over 20,000 passengers over the two week festive period.

Already three flights have taken hundreds of excited children to Lapland on excursions that involved tobogganing, snowmobile and reindeer sleigh rides plus of course a meeting with ‘Santa'. The season of ski flights also started last weekend with departures to Switzerland and France, and the Paris flights are also popular at Christmas with trips to Disneyland.

The departures to the Canary Islands leave across...

Patients celebrate Christmas with special event

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Mon, 12/21/2015 - 11:58am

Patients at Exeter Community Hospital in Whipton were treated to a Christmas lights switch-on, carol singing, mince pies and a visit from Santa Claus and two snowmen fresh from the North Pole at a special event on Thursday (17 December).

The event was the climax of a team building day for the hospital’s facilities, domestic and catering staff.

Earlier, the staff got stuck in by clearing the inner courtyard garden area at the hospital, making decorations and putting up a Christmas tree with lights.

Patients and relatives watched from the courtyard and ward area as a...

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