Devon

We're good to go with safety first, say Devon holiday parks

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 06/19/2020 - 9:16pm

One of Devon's largest holiday park operators, Park Holidays UK, says bookings have "avalanched" in the run-up to the re-opening of its six major parks in the county.

The group says it is having to deal with holiday requests on a "first come, first served" basis as families get ready to enjoy their first taste of real freedom in months.

Its Devon parks – which in high season can together accommodate up to 2,000 people every night - are located in Brixham where there are two, Barnstable, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren and Paignton.

Behind-the-scenes preparations for re-...

Adventure Drive-In announce UK's biggest drive-in cinema tour

Adventure Drive-In, the UK's biggest drive-in tour, will be visiting over 20 towns and cities this summer, including Exeter and Newton Abbot!

Friends and family are invited to enjoy outdoor screenings of their favourite films, new and old, from the safety and comfort of their cars. With 80s classics including Dirty Dancing, Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Labyrinth, The Goonies and The Blues Brothers, to family favourites such as Grease, The Lion King, Cool Runnings and The Greatest Showman, to critically acclaimed 90s films like Pulp Fiction and Jurassic Park, and...

Hodge seals move to the Chiefs

Exeter Chiefs have bolstered their back three options with the signing of highly-rated back Josh Hodge from Gallagher Premiership rivals Newcastle Falcons.

The 20-year-old is Baxter's fifth addition to his squad, joining the likes of Jonny Gray, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Aaron Hinkley and Corey Baldwin, in making the switch to Sandy Park.

Equally adept on the wing or at full-back, Chiefs' Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, has spoken of his delight at landing Hodge, who as well as being capped at both Under-18 and Under-20 level for England, also took up an apprentice role in Eddie...

Bring Your Dog to Work (at home) Day: The UK’s best day out (in) for dogs

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Thu, 06/18/2020 - 12:38pm

It is the 7th annual Bring Your Dog to Work Day on Friday 26th June, and this year we’ve turned this pupular charity day out into an exciting “day in” for our hardworking pawsome pals and their homeworking hoomans.

We’ve got five pawtastic online events on the big day from celebrity judged Dog Shows to an exclusive Rescue Moon Bear Experience live from Chinacelebrating that special bond we have with animals.

This year we are raising money for animal welfare charities that includes the Bring Your Dog To Work Day official charities – All Dogs Matter and Animals Asia ....

How Exeter’s twin city of Yaroslavl is coping with Covid-19

Exeter is twinned with the Russian city of Yaroslavl, about 3 hours’ drive north-east of Moscow. There are regular exchange visits between the two cities and we were preparing to welcome our Russian guests this year when the virus struck. However, the Exeter – Yaroslavl Twinning Organisation (EYTA) is still very much in regular contact with our opposite numbers in Yaroslavl via zoom.

During our last virtual meeting we asked our Russian friends how the present situation was affecting their lives and it was quite interesting to compare daily life in our two cities.

In...

White bids fond farewell to the Chiefs

Nic White says he will forever remember his time in Exeter, not just for the enjoyment he got from playing for the Chiefs, but from the warmth and support he received from the club’s supporters and the region itself.

After three memorable years in Devon, the 30-year-old and his family are heading back to his native Australia, ready to start a second stint in Super Rugby with his former club, the Brumbies.

As part of the agreement that saw him feature for the Wallabies at last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, it was agreed that White would return Down Under once his...

Exeter City Council secures landmark museum ruling at Royal Courts of Justice

Exeter City Council has secured a landmark ruling over the rateable valuation of the city’s Grade II listed Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery (RAMM).

The decision will have a significant impact on the way many English and Welsh museums are valued in the future, especially those in similar listed buildings with high operating costs.

The case was brought by the Valuation Office as an appeal against a decision made by the Valuation Tribunal for England in August 2018, which set the rateable value of RAMM at £1 from April 2015.

The previous rateable...

Covid chaperones in demand

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Wed, 06/17/2020 - 11:41am

As the country emerges slowly from the coronavirus lockdown a new type of job has emerged – the ‘Covid chaperone’.

Berry Recruitment says the number of clients looking for people to manage queues, gatherings and other assemblies has rocketed.

The work is somewhere between security and ‘front of house’ and those with the skills are needed in a variety of sectors.

BRG works from nearly 40 locations across England and Wales and has branches in Truro and Exeter, covering Cornwall and Devon.

It is redeploying many of its workers from other areas to the new...

South West firms speak to Environment Secretary

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 06/16/2020 - 11:55pm

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has spoken to businesses across the South West about the challenges they have faced during the coronavirus pandemic and how the government can continue to support them through these unprecedented times.

The bosses of Cornwall-based Ocean Fish and Kepak, along with fishermen Julian Baker and Andy Giles and Devon farmer David Chugg, were among a raft of businesses to speak to George Eustice MP during a special business roundtable.

The virtual meeting is one of many similar being held by the Conservative...

Steroid cuts death risk in some hospitalised patients with COVID-19

A cheap and readily available steroid which was part of a nationwide COVID-19 trial that included patients in Exeter has been found to reduce the risk of dying in patients admitted to hospital with the virus.

The University of Exeter and the Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust (RD&E) were collectively among 175 NHS hospitals signed up to the RECOVERY trial, coordinated nationally by Oxford University and delivered by the National Institute for Health Research, Clinical Research Network.

Established in March this year, the randomised clinical trial is...

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