West Country

A 12 strong team of competitive-commuters met at Exeter central train station on Friday 25 September for our commuter ‘Top Gear style’ race to determine the fastest, greenest, cheapest, safest and easiest way to commute across the city to our office in Pynes Hill.

As the clock hit 8.45am, the busiest time for travel, the green chequered flag waved the competitors off in a bundle of chaos, consisting of runners, a cyclist, an electric bike, BMW i3 electric car, a taxi, walkers, a bus and a train to Newcourt, who completed the last leg by walking.

As this is was a green...

RMBI care home Cadogan Court, Exeter, has celebrated British Food Fortnight with an array of foodie events including a menu of local produce from the West Country, a Macmillan’s Coffee Morning and afternoon tea.

The fortnight lasted from 19 September to 4 October in which RMBI adopted a special menu of local produce from the West Country including a full English breakfast with local sausages and eggs, pork for lunch and an afternoon cream tea.

Angela Webb, Activities Coordinator at Cadogan Court in Exeter, said: “Food is the perfect way to bring people together and British...

Worsening skills shortages in the construction sector could threaten many building projects in the South West by 2019, new research* reveals today.

Data released by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) highlights the severity of the skills shortages facing businesses across the region.

More than nine tenths (93%) of the surveyors questioned said that a lack of qualified candidates meant they had problems recruiting, but more alarming is the amount of paid work being turned down by many companies.

Three in five (60%) surveying firms in the South West...

Productivity could grow faster in the countryside than urban areas over the next decade, with a rise in rural jobs, thanks to a high-tech boost from speedier broadband and better transport links, a new analysis has shown.

Increased connectivity, spread of innovation, growth in knowledge-based industries and changes in working patterns are expected to help rural areas catch up with urban areas over the next decade, contributing to the government’s long-term economic plan.

This is expected to deliver higher wages and output of rural areas could potentially increase by around...

House prices in the UK will see an average increase of three percent over the course of next year, bolstered by recent changes to Stamp Duty, continuing demand and lack of supply of property, according to the RICS housing forecast for 2015. The forecast looks ahead to the next 12 months, across all parts of the housing market, from house prices, sales, rents and housing starts and repossession levels.

Across the UK, RICS expect all parts of the country to see modest price rises during 2015, at an average of three percent. Meanwhile, the South West, Wales and London will experience...

More than 60 unique British foods have now achieved protected status to help safeguard these iconic products and deliver a major boost to the economy.

West Country Beef and West Country Lamb have all today had their Protected Food Name (PFN) status confirmed by the European Union – joining the ranks of some of the UK’s best love foods such as Welsh Lamb, Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and Stilton cheese.

It’s estimated that these food items helped contribute more than £900 million to the European economy.

Sixty-two of these items have now gained the prestigious award...

The acknowledged queen of the psychological thriller, Val McDermid will be a big draw at this year’s world-famous Agatha Christie Festival. Val will be talking about how she admired and drew inspiration from Torquay’s beloved Queen of Crime.

McDermid is a top ten best seller and has been translated into over 30 languages. Val’s latest novel, Cross and Burn, her 27th novel, will be out in October 2013. A regular broadcaster with BBC Radio, Val’s five-part Woman's Hour drama Village SOS, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

In 2011 Val also presented BBC Radio 4 serial The Chalet...