Devon News

Beatles’ autographs and Four Wedding hat up for auction

Beatles’ autographs and Four Wedding hat up for auction

Autographs of members of The Beatles and a hat from the 1994 film Four Weddings and A Funeral are among the music and film memorabilia due to go under the hammer in Exeter next week.The hat worn by American actress Andie MacDowell in the box office hit was given to a local resident who had worked on the set, said Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood auction house.The Beatles' autographs - signatures of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison…

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Novice rower from Devon prepares for Atlantic Ocean challenge

Novice rower from Devon prepares for Atlantic Ocean challenge

Clare O'ReilleyClare O'Reilley is taking part in The World's Toughest Row alongside two other womenA woman with a fear of deep water is preparing to row across the Atlantic Ocean after being encouraged by someone she knows who has completed the challenge twice.Clare O'Reilly, 46, from Devon had never rowed before starting to train for The World's Toughest Row, which she will do alongside Rosie Tong, 26, and Mel Jarman, 33.The Row with the Flow crew will be…

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Devon theatre school seeks new home to store historic costumes

Devon theatre school seeks new home to store historic costumes

A theatre school in Devon is looking for a new space to store several decades' worth of costumes after a leak in its roof. Willow Tree Dance and Theatre Arts School, based in Tiverton, said the building it currently stored the items in including handmade clothing, wigs and accessories had a leak. The school hosts about 274 pupils aged 18 months and upwards and said it hosts at least three shows a year. It added thanks to its…

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Devon charity Headway uses cooking to aid brain injury recovery

Devon charity Headway uses cooking to aid brain injury recovery

Claire Manningin PlymouthBBCHeadway Plymouth has teamed up with not-for-profit community interest company Food is FunA Devon charity that supports people with acquired brain injuries is using cooking as a way to help clients with their recovery.Headway Plymouth has teamed up with not-for-profit community interest company Food is Fun to teach cooking skills.The charity said there were about 80,000 brain injury survivors living in Devon.Headway Plymouth's chief executive Craig Butler said food was important for brain growth and development.'We're…

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Litter pickers find needles and knives while collecting rubbish

Litter pickers find needles and knives while collecting rubbish

Clean Our Patch CICSome of the needles a litter picking group found in Victoria Park in PlymouthLitter picking volunteers said this year they have found items such as hunting knives and more than 5,000 used needles and syringes from different areas of Plymouth.Clean Our Patch CIC runs 43 litter picking groups in the city and has two trained volunteers who have specialist equipment to remove needles.Teams recently cleared 56 needles and a hunting knife from the edge of…

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Former Plymouth solicitor had ‘no respect’ for alleged victims

Former Plymouth solicitor had ‘no respect’ for alleged victims

BBCAlan Harris has denied 12 charges of indecent assault, eight charges of sexual assault and two charges of rapeA former criminal defence solicitor hoped clients he allegedly sexually abused would be seen as "second-class citizens" due to their past offending, a court has heard.Alan Harris, 72, of Thorn Park, Plymouth, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of 12 charges of indecent assault, eight charges of sexual assault and two charges of rape, dating from 1989 to…

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Warship crew ‘excited’ to see family and pets at Christmas

Warship crew ‘excited’ to see family and pets at Christmas

BBCJoshua Dear has reunited with his parents Lisa and David in time for ChristmasRoyal Navy crew members from HMS Richmond say they are excited to see family, friends and pets after a long deployment overseas.Hundreds of relatives and friends of the Plymouth-based frigate's crew welcomed them home on Sunday following an eight-month mission.The vessel and its 200-strong crew played an integral role in its premier deployment of 2025. Operation Highmast saw deployments to India, Asia and Australia to…

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Charity’s celeb advent calendar talks about mental health

Charity’s celeb advent calendar talks about mental health

Spark UKSir Stephen Fry is one of the celebrities included in the mental health advent calendarA mental health charity has launched an advent calendar which shares celebrity messages to encourage people to talk about mental health. Spark UK, a charity launched in North Devon, has released its fifth and final advent calendar which includes celebrities such as Sir Stephen Fry, Henry Rowley and Alfie Boe.The non-profit mental health charity was launched in 2020 by teenager Conor Warren with…

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Charity’s celebrity advent calendar highlights mental health

Charity’s celebrity advent calendar highlights mental health

Spark UKSir Stephen Fry is one of the celebrities included in the mental health advent calendarA mental health charity has launched an advent calendar which shares celebrity messages to encourage people to talk about mental health. Spark UK, a charity launched in North Devon, has released its fifth and final advent calendar which includes celebrities such as Sir Stephen Fry, Henry Rowley and Alfie Boe.The non-profit mental health charity was launched in 2020 by teenager Conor Warren with…

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Memorial bench planned for murdered lecturer Claire Chick

Memorial bench planned for murdered lecturer Claire Chick

There are plans for a memorial bench to be placed in the centre of the University of Plymouth in memory of a university lecturer who was murdered.Claire Chick was stabbed to death​ in January by her estranged husband, who is now serving a life sentence.She was awarded a posthumous PhD in October and friends and colleagues at the university created the Claire Chick Nursing Fund to support student nurses. Professor Aled Jones, from the School of Nursing and…

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Work begins on Paignton coastal flood protection scheme

Work begins on Paignton coastal flood protection scheme

Watch: A flythrough of the planned coastal defences (This video has no sound)A multimillion-pound project to upgrade a seafront to protect hundreds of homes at risk of coastal flooding has started.Paignton seafront and Preston beach in Devon are getting new defences designed to protect about 350 homes and businesses from damaging easterly storms in decades to come.The Environment Agency said its climate change models predicted larger areas of Paignton would become affected by coastal flooding over the next…

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Constantin Ursu beats Ryan Amos to win European title with ‘faultless’ display

Constantin Ursu beats Ryan Amos to win European title with ‘faultless’ display

Ursu's fight was his first since March following surgery for a torn bicep.The win took his record to a perfect 14 victories from 14 fights against an opponent who had lost just two fights in his career going into the bout. "It was a faultless display, Constantin did everything correct," added Dann. "Coming off the back of a major surgery, a big injury, he went into the contest ahead of schedule and he performed exceptionally in my opinion."He…

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