News in Axminster

Nub News editor Francesca Evans joined Matt Smith from Axminster's Community Waffle House this week to discuss all things 'local news'.

Francesca - who edits Axminster and Seaton Nub News, as well as the LymeOnline website and newspaper in Lyme Regis - was put in the Waffle House's 'Community Hotseat' this week.

Nub News editor Philip Evans continues his series looking back over his 55-year career in journalism, many years of which have been spent covering East Devon.

People have often asked what made me leave my idyllic life in Lyme Regis, living and working by the sea in one of the West Country's most beautiful areas. The answer was simple. Ambition - and of course, money.

The 2021 census has begun as authorities such as Devon County Council try to determine how many people are living in here and what the population needs.

What is the census?

A LOUD bang was felt across Devon and further afield this afternoon.

At around 3pm residents heard and felt the so-called 'sonic boom', with some writing on social media that their homes shook.

Visitors to The Camp

There were many people who visited The Camp in the course of their business. Several come to mind but possibly the one that stands out in my memory is Reg Driver the 'Fish man' from Beer.

A new survey has been launched to find out how East Devon District Council can best support the cultural and creative communities in the area.

In the wake of the pandemic, the Arts and Culture East Devon forum is being relaunched as ACED. This new public forum is designed to support local cultural services in East Devon such as theatres, museums, galleries and festivals as well as all creative practitioners.

More than 40 people, including many teachers and parents, posed questions about the future of education in Devon to Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Kate Green MP.

The virtual question and answer session was hosted last week by Devon Labour, and was chaired by Lisa Robillard Webb, chair of Devon County Labour Party Forum.

I concluded Part 3 of my career in the construction industry in the village of Chardstock and I will now move on to the neighbouring parish of All Saints.

The family firm carried out a number of projects at All Saints School and we built a large extension on a difficult site at Dennings Down Farm on the road towards Membury. We also worked at Twist Farm and Oxenways in that same "neck of the woods". At Dennings Down, we encountered "green sand" when we excavated for the extension and thankfully the architects had carried out a survey of the site and were aware of the conditions and how the foundation structure would be constructed.

Five deaths have now been reported at the Holmesley care home in Sidford, all believed to be related to an outbreak of COVID-19, with post-mortems carried out on three.

Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the outbreak, which has affected a 'significant number' of residents and staff.

From the very beginning of the COVID crisis, Axminster Rotary Club realised that its main fundraising events would be in jeopardy.

Its annual charity golf day in Lyme Regis was called off, the Axe Vale Festival was cancelled and Stockland Fete, where members help every year, likewise.