Local News

Lotteries in Devon

In Devon, as in the rest of the UK, there isn’t just one single “lottery system” but a range of different lottery-style schemes and funding models that operate in slightly different ways. Some are national draws that people up and down the country would recognise, while others are smaller,...

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A First-Time Visitor’s Guide to Devon

Devon is one of England’s most varied counties, known for its long coastline, open countryside, and two contrasting national parks. It sits in the south-west of the country and offers visitors a mix of seaside towns, rural villages, and wide moorland views. First-time visitors often find it takes a lot of time to explore all the different elements that Devon offers, whether it be the bustling...

Search is on for tattoo studios to hold flash days for needy moggies

This ‘kitten season’ tattoo studios across the South West as well as tattoo fans of all ages are being called on to celebrate their dedication to cats and body art by hosting tattoo-focused days during July to raise money for local needy moggies.

Cats Protection has seen a number of tattoo studios over the past two years create dedicated flash days to raise money for its cat rehoming...

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Cats Protection

Exeter

Devon

Oddfellows Southern Conference Hailed a Major Success as Torquay Hosts Thriving Regional Event

Members of the Oddfellows Friendly Society from across the South West have returned from Torquay following a highly successful three day regional conference.

Deputies from Redruth, Truro and Plymouth joined others from across the large Southern Group for a packed programme of meetings, discussions and social events based in a seafront hotel which was able to accommodate and cater for...

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Oddfellows; Oddfellows Friendly Society; friendship; membership; fraternal;

Our Freedom: Then and Now – National Exhibition Comes to Exeter in June

Libraries Unlimited is delighted to announce that Our Freedom: Then and Now, a major UK-wide exhibition marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War, will be on display at Exeter Library from 15 June to 10 July 2026.

Developed by Future Arts Centres in partnership with Open Eye Gallery and Libraries Connected, and supported by public funding from Arts Council England, the...

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Libraries Unlimited

Devon

Exeter

Start the bray with the dawn chorus

The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth is not only home to hundreds of friendly donkeys, it’s alive with the sound of birdsong, and visitors are being offered the chance to enjoy the dawn chorus under the expert guidance of one of its ecology officers.

The Wildlife Walk and Breakfast on 9 June offers people the chance to discover the early-morning bird life across the sanctuary, set...

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The Donkey Sanctuary

Devon

South Devon College celebrate annual apprenticeship awards

South Devon College celebrated nine years of excellence at its annual Apprenticeship Awards event recently.

Apprentices, employers, families and friends filled the Torbay Suite at The Imperial Hotel in Torquay for an evening of celebration and recognition for the people and organisations driving apprenticeships across the region.

Among those recognised on the night was Felix...

GB baseball stars coming to Exeter

Women’s baseball players from across the region will descend on Exeter next month for a special tournament celebrating the growth of the sport and encouraging more women and girls to get involved.

The event, organised by Exeter Baseball Club, takes place at Winslade Park on Saturday, June 13 and will feature players from the South West Serpents alongside members of the current...

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Devon’s Long History With Tobacco — From Coastal Smugglers to Modern Smoke-Free Alternatives

Devon’s history is usually told through shipping, fishing, farming, tourism, and its dramatic coastline. But hidden within that wider story is a surprisingly deep connection to tobacco, stretching from 18th-century smuggling coves along the North Devon coast to tobacco factories in Exeter and later public health campaigns aimed at reducing smoking across the county.

For generations,...

Afternoon Tea and Good Company for Oddfellows at Windy Ridge Café

Members of the Oddfellows from Plymouth and South East Cornwall enjoyed a sociable afternoon tea gathering at the Windy Ridge Café in Trerulefoot, where members came together for food, conversation and good company in relaxed surroundings.

The event, which drew a good turnout, featured cake and sandwiches and a traditional cream tea that inevitably sparked light-hearted debate over the...

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Oddfellows; Oddfellows Friendly Society; friendship; membership; fraternal;

Sheep Return to Bideford Bridge in Celebration of 555 Years of Westcountry Wool Heritage

A centuries-old tradition will return to North Devon when sheep are driven across Bideford Bridge during the Bideford Town Fair on Saturday 6 June at 10.00am.

The ceremonial sheep drive, last undertaken in 2012, will be led by the historic Incorporation of Weavers, Fullers and Shearmen as part of celebrations marking 555 years since the Guild was gifted land in Exeter on which it built...

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