Devon

The waiting is finally over and months of hard work on the training fields will at last be put into action as Exeter Chiefs prepare to kick-off their latest Aviva Premiership campaign.

Buoyed by an unbeaten pre-season programme, which saw them lift the inaugural Westcountry Challenge Cup and defeat local rivals Bath and Gloucester, both home and away, it’s down to the nitty-gritty of league action that occupies the thoughts of Exeter head coach Rob Baxter and his squad this weekend.

Fresh from an impressive 43-16 success over Bath at the Recreation Ground last Saturday, the...

Exeter library is celebrating its 50th birthday on October 22, and the public is being called on to join the festivities.

The library, then called the ‘New City Library’, was unveiled by the Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, on Friday 22 October 1965.

The opening followed the previous library, in Castle Street, being bombed in 1942.

Since then hundreds of thousands of people have passed through its doors and used its services.

And now, to mark the birthday celebrations, the public is being urged to share their memories and experiences.

Library staff...

Following an ongoing community consultation exercise, last Saturday 10th October marked the start of an exciting new phase in the planned activity trail at Cowick Barton fields.

The Steering Group for the Cowick Barton Alcoa Activity Trail which includes councillors, residents, activity providers, Active Devon and Exeter City Council, met in the park to do a walk around and hands on mapping exercise.

Local residents have begun to think in very innovative ways about what they would like to see in the space. Phase one will include the planting of fruit and other trees in a...

Police officers investigating the theft of a suitcase on a train in Exeter have charged a man with handling stolen goods.

Bryan Bell from Torquay was arrested yesterday (15 October) following a CCTV appeal to trace a man suspected of using a bank card inside the bag at a cash point on the day of the theft (19 July).

The suitcase belonged to a woman from the Penzance area who was on a Liskeard-bound train at the time.

Bell – aged 38 and of Pembroke Road – was arrested at his home address and subsequently charged with one count of handling stolen goods in relation to...

Over the last few weeks ‘Rugby fever’ has hit the nation with everyone getting ready for what was set to be a nail biting Tournament.

Exeter has been extremely honoured to host three fantastic matches at Sandy Park, the Fanzone has seen thousands of people gathering to enjoy an electric atmosphere and a great feel good factor has been brought to the city. With England out of Rugby World Cup 2015, the Tournament is far from over.

Exeter’s Fanzone is still open for six days, with live coverage of the quarter finals, semi finals and final as well as a jam-packed Entertainment...

Exeter Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the guest speaker for the 11th annual business dinner will be TV and radio comedian and bestselling author Tony Hawks.

Tony is the author of the bestseller ‘Round Ireland with a Fridge’ - the story of his absurd quest to hitch round the circumference of Ireland within a month... with a fridge. The book became a top 10 Sunday Times bestseller in 1998, was serialised on BBC Radio 4, and led to a six month TV advertising campaign for HARP Irish Lager. It has now sold over 800,000 copies worldwide including the US and Australia, and has...

Devon County Council has expressed its disappointment at having to postpone a contract to build a new primary school on the outskirts of Exeter.

Work on the Trinity Church of England Primary was due to start last month (Monday 7 September) but the County Council has now put the contract on hold pending agreement with the landowners regarding the site situated near to the Newcourt housing development. This follows protracted negotiations from which it has not been possible to reach agreement to progress the project in the immediate term.

Devon County Council Leader John Hart...

Westpoint Arena opened its doors to 1,400 primary school pupils from across Devon for the third annual Farm Wise event. As part of this hands-on learning approach to agriculture, the children donned wellington boots and rolled up their sleeves to discover how Coastal Recycling transforms ordinary garden waste into free organic compost for farmers. This nutrient rich compost fortifies soil, promoting a fertile environment for crops and therefore plays a vital role in our food chain. Coastal Recycling creates more than 35,000 tonnes of compost each year, which farmers can then spread free of...

Devon residents susceptible to the effects of flu are being reminded to get their annual vaccination to protect them against the illness this winter.

Flu can be a serious illness, particularly for those in the at risk groups, so it’s vital that people in the eligible groups* and parents of young children take up the offer of the free flu vaccination, even if they feel healthy.

The effects of flu can be much more serious than people think. It’s highly infectious, and the symptoms of fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness, can...

Ben Moon has warned his Exeter Chiefs team-mates they can expect the ultimate examination when they kick-off their Aviva Premiership campaign on Saturday away to rivals Bath (2pm).

With a lengthy and gruelling pre-season done and dusted for Devon’s finest, it’s now that the business end is about to begin and the 26-year-old prop is well aware of what looms large on the horizon.

Impressive victories over Bath and Gloucester - both home and away - meant the Chiefs collected the inaugural Westcountry Challenge Cup with an unblemished record and with plenty of positives safely...