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Joe Ralls: New Plymouth Argyle midfielder hopes his experience can help club

Joe Ralls: New Plymouth Argyle midfielder hopes his experience can help club

Ralls admits that it will be strange to pull on a new club's shirt for the first time since a loan spell at then-Championship Yeovil Town 12 years ago.But he feels he is ready for a new opportunity as Argyle try and salvage something from a difficult start to the season after relegation from the second tier in May."After 15 years if you move straight into another club it would have felt more strange than what it does…

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‘Convincing’ Torquay United secure 3-1 victory at Farnborough

‘Convincing’ Torquay United secure 3-1 victory at Farnborough

Boss Paul Wotton has praised his Torquay United side after their 3-1 win at Farnborough in National League South.The victory was just a second away win of the season for the Gulls, who move up to sixth place in the table.Louis Dennis gave the Gulls the perfect start as he put them 2-0 up inside the first 15 minutes.The forward fired in from close range in the second minute before being in the right place at the right…

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Devon to see 1,300 more children get free school meals

Devon to see 1,300 more children get free school meals

Miles DavisDevon political reporterPA MediaMore children are getting free school meals after councils switched to auto-enrolmentAbout 1,300 children in Devon are now getting free school meals who were not previously entitled to them.Devon County Council and Torbay Council have changed the rules so families who are entitled to free school meals automatically get them without having to apply.The increase in the number of children who are eligible also brings with it extra "pupil premium" funding that can be…

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Devon’s elite attempts to “police” patriotism during World War One had limited success, research shows

Rich and powerful Devonians attempted to “police” patriotism during World War One because they were dismayed by an indifferent response to the European crisis by some in the county, research shows. These ‘provincial patriots’ were alarmed by objections from some eligible Devonian men reluctant to serve in the Army and the low recruitment rates in the area. But their efforts to restore the county’s patriotic reputation and convince Devon’s reluctant men to enlist achieved mixed success. This was…

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Joe Ralls: Plymouth Argyle sign former Cardiff City midfielder

Joe Ralls: Plymouth Argyle sign former Cardiff City midfielder

Plymouth Argyle have signed former Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ralls on a short-term contract, initially until January.The 32-year-old was a free agent after leaving the Cardiff City Stadium in the summer after 14 years with the Bluebirds.Ralls, who had a loan spell with Yeovil Town earlier in his career, scored 34 goals in 409 appearances for Cardiff in all competitions."Joe has extensive experience at Championship level and will bring that experience and leadership qualities to our young squad,"…

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BBC Devon presenters finish Children in Need challenge

BBC Devon presenters finish Children in Need challenge

BBCBBC Radio Devon presenter Caroline Densley walked around Plymouth and Devonport on day two of the challengeBBC Radio Devon presenters have completed their part of a 1,000-mile (1,609km) three-legged charity challenge for Children in Need (CIN).Caroline Densley and Michael Chequer walked a combined 28.3 miles (45.5km) while tied to a different person, which included volunteers and staff from CIN-funded projects, over the course of the two-day fundraising challenge.On Wednesday, Densley walked around Plymouth and Devonport, while Chequer completed…

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Solar radiation modification could reduce global temperatures but is no substitute for reducing emissions, says Royal Society

Techniques to reflect an additional small portion of sunlight back into space could help cool the planet if deployed globally, but they cannot address the full range of climate impacts or replace emission cuts, according to a Royal Society briefing. “Solar radiation modification” (SRM), published today, considers the potential impacts of SRM if deployed globally, in a scientifically informed way, across both hemispheres and for long periods of time. It evaluates its potential effectiveness, limitations, risks, and challenges…

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Bonfire night challenging for pets, Devon vet says

Bonfire night challenging for pets, Devon vet says

BBCRalph, a Romanian rescue dog, is "extremely scared" of fireworksPet owners are being encouraged to keep their animals indoors on Guy Fawkes Night.Many events are planned across Devon on 5 November, including plenty of colour and sounds thanks to firework displays.While many enjoy fireworks, Peter Spruell, head vet at White Lodge Veterinary Surgery in Exmouth, urged people to spare a thought for cats, dogs and other pets that could become anxious because of the loud noises.Mr Spruell said…

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BBC presenters head into Children in Need challenge final stretch

BBC presenters head into Children in Need challenge final stretch

BBCBBC Radio Devon presenter Caroline Densley will be walking around Plymouth and Devonport on day two of the challengeBBC Radio Devon presenters have set off on the second and final day of a 1,000-mile (1,609km) three-legged charity challenge for Children in Need.Caroline Densley and Michael Chequer plan to walk 12.5 miles (20.1km) while tied to a different person, which have included volunteers and staff from Children in Need-funded projects, over the course of the two-day fundraising challenge.On Wednesday,…

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Plymouth anti-child exploitation operation has ‘haunting’ results

Plymouth anti-child exploitation operation has ‘haunting’ results

Police have described the results of an operation to target child exploitation in Plymouth as "haunting".On 30 October, officers from Devon and Cornwall Police's city centre neighbourhood team conducted a day of action around the exploitation of children.Police cadets worked with officers to conduct test purchases at hotels, in which an attempt was made to book a double bedroom for one night, to be paid for with cash, no ID was provided, and neither officer or cadet carried…

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New effort to tackle Camborne’s anti-social behaviour

New effort to tackle Camborne’s anti-social behaviour

Caroline RobinsonSouth WestStreet Focus CamborneStreet Focus Camborne's first meeting brought together charities and businessesThe next phase of a project to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour (ASB) has launched. Street Focus Camborne's first meeting brought together charities and businesses to discuss areas of progress and what support they needed next.The project, which is run by the police and crime commissioner in collaboration with Devon and Cornwall Police and other local authorities, started its first branch in Torquay last year.The…

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Theatre and Performance scholar wins international awards for experimental new film

Theatre and Performance scholar wins international awards for experimental new film

A drama scholar has won a pair of European awards for his directorial work on his debut film. Professor Konstantinos Thomaidis picked up the Best Director Award at the Berlin Indie Shorts Festival last month, for his short documentary, Mother Company, which he co-helmed with Alexander Raptotasios. This was followed by further honours at the Berlin Indie Film Festival, where Professor Thomaidis, of the Department of Communications, Drama and Film, received Best First Time Director for a Short…

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