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Local News Stories, Fine Dining and Cultural Activities
Exeter and Essential Devon offers much more than the traditional seaside family holiday. Increasingly it's becoming one of the most important areas for cultural activities and fine dining within the UK. We've listed below local news stories detailing what's happening in Exeter and Devon
The Exeter & Essential Devon Tourism Partnership and businesses within the area are working together to raise the profile of Exeter & Essential Devon as a stimulating and vibrant year-round destination for all.
The local news stories listed below offer a selection of exciting new and up and coming cultural activities and facilities within Exeter & Essential Devon:
Mothers' Day Treats at Crealy
All mums and grandmothers, visiting Devon's Crealy with their family on Mothers' Day will receive a free gift.
The Met Office predict sunshine on Mothers' Day, Sunday 14th March so Crealy is an ideal day out for the family with masses of outdoor attractions and countryside, bound to result in a healthy glow to the cheeks. With Fair Trade hot drinks and locally sourced food, the catering outlets are a great place to treat mum to a hot chocolate and cake or a glass of wine and a panini.
This year, mums are being treated to a special seasonal gift, which they can keep as a memento of their family day at Crealy.
For more information and to book tickets in advance visit www.crealy.co.uk
Otterton Mill Gallery announces spring exhibition
Otterton Mill Gallery's spring exhibition, entitled "Going Green", showcases a quartet of west country artists who use recycled materials to create their art. Taking what other people might consider rubbish, they use their imagination and inventiveness to transform throwaway objects into something beautiful.
Veronica Gosling works with sculpture, assemblage and pottery decoration to create humorous, quirky artworks that are a real talking point. Veronica's exhibits include Waterbirds, a work made from an upturned mattress and scythes, Jungle Lamp which is made from a recycled bird-cage, and a range of painted mugs and tea-pots.
Jane Perkins describes herself as a "re-maker" with a love of the fun and unexpected. Her custom-made "Memory Brooches" use collected memorabilia in unique pieces for the wearer to treasure. For this exhibition, Jane is showing portraits of David Beckham, Madonna, Boris Johnson and Alan Titchmarsh, as well as a selection of her brooches.
Lauren Ballard creates 3D sheep from plastic bags, wire and willow, highlighting the environmental impact of discarded rubbish. Lauren's flock has been widely exhibited throughout Devon and Somerset. Lauren is showing several of her sheep, alongside her bumble-bee pictures, also constructed of plastic bags and wire. As part of the exhibition, she is running a sheep-making workshop at the Mill on Sunday 11th April from 11am to 1.15pm (call 01395 568521 for details and to book).
The fourth participating artist is Amy McCarthy, a mixed media and stained glass artist, who is exhibiting a new series of mosaic-like pictures of sea-life entitled "Zoo Plankton". Her work is inspired by a love of the stylised forms of the Art Deco period, as well as the countryside, coast & natural environment. Her mixed media work is backed on waste wood salvaged from skips.
The exhibition runs daily from Saturday 6th March to Monday 19th April. Entry is free. For more information, call the Gallery on 01395 568008 or visit www.ottertonmill.com
Otterton Mill's March music nights feature quartet of outstanding acts
Following sell-out performances for its January and February gigs, Otterton Mill's music season springs into March with a quartet of outstanding acts.
On Thursday 4th March, the Mill welcomes Aussie-based Emily Maguire. STOP PRESS: Sold Out. On Thursday 11th March, the Mill hosts a very welcome return for American musicians Dana and Susan Robinson. Tickets for Dana and Susan are £12.00. On Thursday 18th March, "one of Britain's greatest singer-songwriters" (Bob Harris, BBC Radio), Angie Palmer, returns to the Mill. Tickets for Angie are £11.50. For its last gig in March, the Mill welcomes back Mike Silver. Tickets for Mike are £10.50.
Full listings and information can be found on the Mill's website www.ottertonmill.com, where you can also link to the musicians' sites to hear samples of their music. The Mill's Music & Food Nights take place in the intimate and atmospheric setting of the upstairs Mill restaurant and feature great menus of seasonal food. Tickets can be booked by calling 01395 568521 or in person at the Mill's Gallery. Note: prices cover music only.
Green Shoots in East Devon
CAMP WILD is Escot's very own take on summer camp. Throughout the long sunny weeks of the summer holidays, Escot will offer the children of hard pressed working parents both day and residential options in a brand new Yurt Village to be built alongside Escot's famous beech hedge maze. Local company support is key to this venture. Yurt Village, a collection of five mighty Mongolian-style tents, is being supplied by the Really Interesting Tent Company based in Newton Abbot. Home-cooked meals will be provided from Escot's Coach House Restaurant, and once a day the children, well supervised, will cook for themselves in their field kitchen. As is the custom with Escot's catering, the fresh supplies will be locally sourced.
A vital ingredient in the success of this project is undoubtedly the Camp Wild web site www.escotcampwild.co.uk
CAMP WILD and a JLS concert - what a summer for Escot! What green shoots!
Exeter's Underground Passages receives prestigious national award.
Exeter's Underground Passages has been awarded the prestigious 'Quality Assured Visitor Attraction' status by VisitBritain. The attraction received this after much hard work and dedication from its staff since its reopening in September 2007 as part of Exeter's multi-million pound Princesshay redevelopment.
The Quality Assured Visitor Attraction scheme is VisitBritain's quality assessment service for all types of visitor attractions throughout England. It helps to identify strengths of an attraction and highlights development areas based on industry examples.
Click here to view the full press release.
National praise and celebrations for 'Exeter's Sound Alternative'
Phonic.fm Exeter's Community Radio Station, which broadcasts 7 days per week from studios at Exeter Phoenix, reaches its second birthday on February 15th. The Times Online recently stated that Phonic.fm is:
"...providing some of the most inspired broadcasting in the country, giving fans of alternative radio the listening experience they've been longing for...the best music station in the UK".
For more information please visit www.phonic.fm
The Tour Series is set to return to Exeter
The Tour Series cycle race is set to return to Exeter June 2010 and promises to be the biggest sporting event of the year in the city.
Devon County Council, Exeter City Council and Tour Series organisers SweetSpot have announced the city centre will host Round 4 of the Tour Series on Thursday 3 June during the school half term holidays.
On the night of the race, back in May last year, 12,000 spectators saw Dean Downing, of Rapha-Condor take top spot on the podium and Ed Clancy of Team Halfords-Bikehut won the sprint event as his team went on to take the overall Series title.
The Tour Series organisers are determined to make this year's race even bigger and better.
Ottery St Mary Church celebrates 750th anniversary
A play has been commissioned by Ottery St Mary Parish Church to celebrate the 750th anniversary of its formation. 'Reformation' will be performed at Ottery St Mary Church on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th March at 7.30pm. The play will celebrate the history of the church, the town and its people in the 750 years since its dedication in 1259 by Bishop Bronescombe.
Click here for more details.
