Tourism Society Westcountry’s next meeting is on June 11th at Castle Drogo to discuss the ‘Gove effect’ and what can be done to address the huge loss of business now being seen in the region. The so-called 'Gove Effect' has had a huge impact on tourism in the Westcountry over the last 18 months, with changes to Education Regulations introduced by Michael Gove applying tighter restrictions on holidays in term time.
This has resulted in an £87 million loss of business to the visitor economies of Devon and Cornwall, stemming from families no longer booking term time trips and the...
It’s official: Getting out into the natural world is good fun and great for our health
This May half term (23 – 31 May) sees the launch of the first ever Devon Naturally Healthy Week to encourage everyone to get out and enjoy the vast range of outdoor opportunities the county has to offer.
Co-ordinated by Devon’s Local Nature Partnership – an umbrella body which brings together everyone with an interest in securing the benefits of our natural environment, activity ideas range from bird watching to sea kayaking; and locations from the local park or urban canal side, to Devon...
Nestled amongst the green fields of the South Hams, overlooking the River Dart in South Devon, lies the beautiful Sharpham Estate. Already renowned for its award-winning wines and cheeses, there’s now another reason to visit. The new Anchorstone at Sharpham Vineyard café has just opened its doors, ready for the summer season ahead.
This new café will be run by the owners of the already well established and much loved Anchorstone in Dittisham. Clare Harvey and her daughter Jasmine, along with Will Froude, bring a bounty of knowledge and experience with them, built up from the last...
Exeter resident Josh Ellis has been awarded the title of the South West’s 2015 VQ Learner of the Year, in recognition of his outstanding achievement following a vocational qualification in Plumbing at Exeter College. Josh, 21, won the gold medal at the World Skills competition, with his work deemed ‘near perfect’ by the judges. Josh has since progressed to a Level 3 Plumbing qualification and become the main installer for his company due to the exceptionally high standard of his work. He is successfully juggling a very high demand for his work with his further studies at college. He has...
The largest ever survey into crime and anti-social Behaviour (ASB) in rural areas has been launched in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to find out how the police can better serve rural communities.
The survey, launched by the National Rural Crime Network (NRCN), is calling for people who work or live in rural areas to come forward and give their views on policing in their community, the impact crime and ASB has on them and their neighbours and to ultimately help shape the future of crime prevention and rural policing.
Anyone living or working in rural areas is being...
THE Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust is pleased to confirm the reappointment to the board of Tim Douglas-Riley CBE and Nick Lewis MBE as non-executive directors.
Tim Douglas-Riley has been reappointed for a further two years, until May 2017.
He joined the board in May 2013 and chairs the quality assurance and organ donation committees.
He is the Trust board champion for safety and quality and for safeguarding adults, a member of the safeguarding adults board and also a trustee of the Charitable Fund.
Tim is a qualified doctor who spent his professional...
The world’s first team training programme using aviation techniques and including unique psychological management and performance skills has been launched in Devon.
The course is aimed at businesses who want to develop their teams and is run by fully-qualified, experienced, pilots working with ex Team-GB rower and lifestyle coach Ben Tipney.
“We are the only people in the country who own our own simulator and own cabin, our own flight staff and crew and we have the skills to put that together,” said Captain Andy Wilkins, a commercial pilot who set up The Virtual Jet Centre...
A national competition for the best undergraduate essay on any aspect of the American experience has been won by a University of Exeter, Humanities student.
Third-year English Undergraduate, Alice Spencer, succeeded in winning the prestigious British Association for American Studies (BAAS) / United States Embassy "Ambassador's Award".
Spencer’s winning essay was a coursework submission from her third year option, The American Novel Since 2000. The essay was entitled: "Anyway, I asked, what was wrong with sympathy?”Joyce Carol Oates's Black Girl/White Girl as a...
It seems hard to believe that it is a year since Velo Vintage was last in Exmouth.
Since then they have held their unique cycle events in Exeter and also in the north of the county in Barnstaple, but Exmouth has always felt like the home of Velo Vintage and where the first Occasion & Ride took place.
Rumour has it that this next event on Saturday 13 June, which is the eighth, is going to be rather different and as well including many of the excellent cycle paths, they will also be spending some time relaxing over a picnic and watching some cricket, all very British. The...
Ring & Ride services in Devon celebrated their 25th anniversary at a special event on Sunday 17 May.
More than 200 guests who are involved with the service were invited to a Silver Jubilee celebration which was held at Seale Hayne in Newton Abbot.
Ring & Ride was set up in response to new legislation at the time which gave local authorities powers to meet the travel needs of elderly and disabled people, and in April 1990, Honiton became the first market town in Devon to launch a Ring & Ride service.
