He was one of 13 men who were caught and told to pay nearly £4,000 in a crackdown by Westminster Council

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Laura said: “I also want to elevate the status of young people within the community so people like me feel their views can be heard and are of importance.”

Laura will be scouting out young people’s events and interests, as well as seeking their views on issues, before writing articles on them.

Her press releases will then be sent out to the media in the East Devon area via the EDDC Press Office – so expect to see forthcoming articles by her – for young people and about young people, by young people!

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The Tory motion describing the changes as “an abuse of the democratic process” was defeated.

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

To celebrate its opening, Pilton Community College will hold a bikers’ breakfast on Monday, March 15 for students who cycle in on the day, and Devon County Council’s Cycling Ambassador Andrei Burton will demonstrate his mountain bike trials skills.

Read the full press release

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Exeter University is holding a free public lecture by Prof Sir John Pendry, which will feature a fascinating journey through the world of electromagnetic metamaterials, including his famous work on ‘invisibility cloaks’.

This lecture, entitled Invisible Cloaks and a Perfect Lens, is the first in a series of lectures entitled The Material World, inspired by the Exeter University’s research in functional materials.

Electromagnetics encompasses much of existing modern technology, from mobile phones to microwave ovens and medical scanners. But now a new class of materials, with properties not found in nature, has ushered in some extraordinary possibilities – such as invisibility cloaks that hide objects within them, and perfect lenses with ‘unlimited’ resolution. These new materials, named metamaterials, owe their remarkable properties more to their specifically designed micro-structure than to their constituent materials.

Event details: xFI Lecture Theatre, xFI Building on Thursday, March 11 at 6.15pm (also video-conferenced to Peter Lanyon Building, Cornwall Campus, Penryn). Places are free, but should be booked in advance. 01392 269101 / j.delmaestro@exeter.ac.uk

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Robert has now been selected to be part of the Great Britain squad to play in the Open Super 12 tournament in Auray, France. He will also attend clay court International Training Camp and compete in the Nike Junior Tour Event at the Barcelona Total Tennis Academy alongside Britain’s other top juniors.

The young tennis star first picked up a racket at the age of three and his skills and ability for the game is supported by expert coaching. McNally is a top-level Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Performance Coach and has been coaching high ranking young players for over 15 years.

On Robert’s recent ascent up the national rankings McNally said: “He is a dedicated and exceptionally hard-working athlete and fully deserves to be ranked number one nationally in the 12-and-under category. Junior tennis in Britain is extremely competitive and the challenge for us now is to continue Robert’s development and hold on to that number one position.”

A demanding training schedule sees Robert on court for at least 11 hours each week, with additional fitness sessions on top of this. While this may seem a huge commitment for someone so young, McNally remains aware of the pressures on Robert. He said: “Many promising sportspeople burn out at an early age due to the commitment required to be the best. However, Robert loves playing the game and we will do our best to ensure that continues.”

The young tennis player has already represented Great Britain at junior international level. On his international debut he was unbeaten in a match against Belgium in December in which he won all his matches in both the singles and doubles.

Robert attends St Peter’s School in Exeter, where they are supportive of his tennis commitments. The Exeter youngster dreams of playing at Wimbledon, and his progress to date suggests that with expert coaching from McNally, he is defiantly heading in the right direction.

In the near future, while eating our strawberries and cream, we may well see this exceptionally talented young tennis player head to Wimbledon and onto Centre Court.

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Torridge District Council, which has been named as one of the best councils in the country to work for, according to Best Companies staff survey. The Devon district council came top in the South West and sixth overall.

Brixham treasure: Brixham is being heralded as the jewel in Torbay’s crown when the lastest multi-million pound redevelopment is completed, which will feature road widening, a ferry port and park-and-ride facilities.

Something for a rainy day: The Met Office has awarded its staff more than £12 million in bonuses over the last five years. The bonus is performance-related and yearly, with the average award at £1,485 per member of staff.

BAD WEEK
Political stickiness: An OAP from had to pay £1.30 to receive a letter from the Lib Dems asking for elections donations. It was sent without the required postage and was picked up at the mail depot. Torbay MP Adrian Sanders apologised and said he would send a letter of apology and a book of stamps.

Council finances: A perfect storm of economic and financial issues have created a gloomy future for the council’s finances, says the BBC’s Chris Whipp. They include “reduced funding from central government; less cash coming in from money-earners such as parking; and increasing demand for things like housing benefit as a result of the poor economic climate”. Combined with a poor rate of return on investments and councils are having to decide between ‘must do’ and ‘nice to do’ services.

Devon rail travellers: The new high-speed trains that were cleaner, greeners, would generate less noise, have more seats, be more reliable and cut journey times and planned to replace the ageing stock of the  Great Western Line have been postponed.

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

In keeping with the theme of the festival, Devon Wildlife Trust has produced a recycling trail to guide people around its grounds showing how over the generations people have employed various methods of recycling.

Due to limited spaces, booking is essential. To book a place on one of the tours, call Devon Wildlife Trust on 01392 279244 or email contactus@devonwildlifetrust.org

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

In those days street sweeping was carried out by hand with three barrow sweepers. Nowadays street sweepers have heating, automatic cut-offs, power steering, effective suspension, radios. David started working for the council when he was 17 and retired this week after 48 years’ service.

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

The team will assemble in the Arctic on Thursday, March 11 to work an ice base only 750 miles from the North Geographic Pole. They will study the impact of rising levels of acidity in some of the coldest water on the planet.

Record-breaking Polar explorer Anne Daniels, from Whimple, East Devon, is leading a long-range expedition, along with Martin Hartley and Charlie Paton. Dr Ceri Lewis from the Exeter University and Dr Helen Findlay of Plymouth Marine Laboratory have been selected as members of the international team of scientists that will carry out research projects on an ice base.

Dr Helen Findlay’s research will focus on how the chemistry and biology beneath the sea-ice is being affected by ocean acidification. Marine biologist Dr Ceri Lewis will be investigating the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on the wide range of marine life in the Arctic Ocean.

Ceri and Helen are undergoing a gruelling training regime to prepare themselves physically and mentally for the challenges of spending six weeks in temperatures of minus 40ºC. This includes having training on what to do if they encounter a polar bear, or find themselves in the ice waters, and simply learning how to survive living in a tent in the harsh arctic conditions.

Dr Ceri Lewis, NERC Research Fellow at the Exeter Univrsity said: “I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to join the Catlin Arctic Survey. The science that we are hoping to do is incredibly important to our understanding of climate change effects in the ocean and I feel really privileged to be a part of such an exciting project. It will of course be a very challenging and harsh environment to work in and the possibilities of seeing polar bears in the wild is both thrilling and a little unnerving, but I think it will be truly amazing experience to be part of.”

Dr Helen Findlay of Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said: “I’ve been to the Arctic before, although not in winter, and it’s a challenging place to carry out science. But, it is worth the effort to get first hand, unique and important data that will help us understand changes in Arctic seas and how they may link to global systems. I am really looking forward to returning on this expedition, with an international team to find answers to the challenges faced by our oceans.”

Anne Daniels, who has already begun final preparations in northern Canada, says her team’s Arctic skills will be extending the sampling and research far beyond the locations where it is safe for scientists to work. “It is unimaginably tough surviving on the floating sea ice. But as experienced explorers we know what to do. The drilling work will produce more measurements of the sea ice thickness and is continuing the work we began last year and the water samples we take will be stored and returned for analysis for the acidification programme.”

“What motivates us at Catlin Arctic Survey is the vulnerability of the Arctic Ocean. We know that disappearing ice cover and potential impacts of acidity are parts of some big ocean changes. Since it is widely viewed as a bellwether for wider global change, it is important we understand better what is happening.”

Scientists believe that on current projections, the pH of the world’s oceans could reach levels not seen on Earth for 20 million years with serious consequences for all marine life.

Speaking at the launch in London, polar explorer Pen Hadow, who is director of the project, described it as an example of modern exploration: “Our aim at Catlin Arctic Survey is to make it possible for science work to be undertaken that would otherwise be exceptionally difficult to do.  The scientists will be able to work safely thanks to the skills of our polar support team who will be guiding them out onto the floating sea ice. Our Ice Base will have all the facilities they need to do analysis and to survive in the extreme conditions of an Arctic winter and spring.”

The academic institutes participating in the project include the Laboratoire Oceanographie, Villefranche, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Institute of Ocean Science, (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), University of Exeter and Bangor University.

People can follow the progress of the expedition at Catlin Arctic Survey website where blogs, video and photos will give regular updates of the team’s progress in the Arctic winter and spring.

(from a press release)

(check out our text ads on Addiply or other ways to advertise and collaborate)

© the Devon Week, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh