News in Exmouth

Campaigners are celebrating saving Exmouth’s ‘lifeline for the vulnerable’ after a U-turn decision to scrap the sale of a mental health hub.

Posted on: 18 October 2018

Devon is embracing the Repair Café revolution with more residents than ever before choosing to breathe new life into old possessions and having them fixed instead of throwing them away.

But now, as more people are choosing repair and reuse over discard and buy more, Devon's six Repair Cafes are urging the county's hidden handymen and women to sign up and join their army of volunteer fixers.

And its not just fixers and repair people they need – each café needs volunteers to help in a variety of roles from greeting to admin.

Thursday 18 October marks nine years since the international repair café movement began – today there are over 1,600 Repair Cafés in 33 countries and on every continent.

In Devon there are currently cafes in Tiverton, Dartington, Exeter, Exmouth,  Sidmouth and in the Blackdown Hills. A Repair Café in Crediton is due to open next month with a further four set to open next year.

Hundreds of Devon residents have used these volunteer-run cafes and taken anything  from broken furniture, electrical appliances and bicycles to textiles, crockery and toys to be fixed for free.

Some cafes are held weekly,  bi-weekly or monthly, others are set up in community venues such as church halls, but they are all underpinned with a unifying ethos – a meeting place where residents can turn up, and have their broken possessions repaired.

The Blackdown Hills Repair Café is an example of their increasing popularity – in September residents brought a bumper crop of items for repair.

"It was easily the busiest event we've had so far," said Trisha Comrie of the Blackdown Hills Repair Café.

"We had around 20 volunteer repairers kept fully occupied with vacuum cleaners, lamps, walkie talkies, kettles, fans, clothing, bikes, computers and much else besides, and a roaring trade being done in the refreshments department!"

She said it is'exciting' when they see an old and unusual item and last month an original 1930s home movie projector kit – a Pathe Kid – which had languished in a shed for years –  was brought in for repair.

"It was still complete with two films ‘The Joy of the House’ and ‘River and Canal Locks’, complete with its original bulbs, power supply and instructions. 

"Bought by its current owner for £10 at a car boot sale, this kit sold for 50 shillings, equivalent to a months wages for a factory worker back in its day. Quite a price just after the depression. "It was successfully fixed, and its owner can now enjoy it to the full."

However, the value many of the items brought into Repair Cafes go beyond pounds and pence and often have an incalculable sentimental value.

For instance, one elderly lady asked volunteers at the Exmouth Repair Café to glue the ears back on to a rather elderly pottery rabbit

"It probably didn’t have much monetary value" said Jean Holden of the Exmouth Repair Café. "She had bought it as a present for her mother when she was about seven years old and she was now ninety, so she was delighted to have it repaired."

On another occasion a young mum and her primary school aged daughter asked that ‘Horsey’, an old hobby horse that was greatly loved and taken to bed each night, be repaired after it had been ripped by their pet dog.

Jean added: "After some new fabric, a pole and some major surgery we gave Horsey a new life. The young girl was over the moon!"

Research shows that a large proportion of the small electrical items that come into our recycling centres are repairable and up to 90 per cent of items brought into Devon's Repair Cafes are fixed.

Recycle Devon's Reuse Officer Catherine Causley said: "These events help householders waste less and enable them to save money by not having to replace something that could be repaired and often repair something that can never be replaced.

"But as these events become more popular, the more Repair Cafes need expert fixers and volunteers to help out.

"So regardless if you're an electronics professional, expert seamstress or a keen volunteer willing to take on anything from threading needles and sewing on buttons to fixing a mobile phone, computer, TV or vacuum cleaner please consider offering just a few hours a month of your time."

And if you have nothing for repair, you can always enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, soak in the community atmosphere or even lend a hand with someone else's repair job.

Councillor Andrea Davis, the Chair of the Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee said: "Repair Cafés are wonderful places – they teach people to see their possessions in a new light and appreciate their value. "They can also help change people's mindset which is essential to encourage people's enthusiasm for a sustainable society. But most of all Repair Cafés have  a lovely community atmosphere and can show just how much fun repairing things can be. So why don't you pop down for a visit.”

For more information on Repair Cafes near you click here.

Making the news this week in 1944.

Florin Orășanu from Exmouth shares his love for photography

Posted on: 17 October 2018

A public consultation on revised plans to improve Bishop's Tawton Roundabout is underway.

Feedback from the previous consultation showed residents were concerned that increasing the number of lanes through the roundabout would make it more difficult for pedestrians to cross. This was especially important as the crossing formed a key access to a local school.

An underpass has been added to the design to provide a pedestrian connection across the roundabout. A footbridge was considered at the east and west side of the roundabout but was rejected because of the impact on residents.

Residents close to Bishop's Tawton Roundabout were also concerned about the impact that the improvements may have on their homes and access to services.  The updated proposals see most of the widening on the north west corner of the junction and indicate that future improvements would aim to utilise as much of the public highway as possible.

Councillor Andrea Davis, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Development and Waste Management, said:

"I am pleased that, thanks to the valuable feedback from residents as part of the initial consultation, we have been able to produce these revised plans for the improvement of Bishop's Tawton Roundabout.

"I would like to express our appreciation to those who took the time to let us know what they thought of our initial scheme, and let residents know that we would be grateful to receive any additional comments in respect of these amendments."

The plans are part of a multi-million project to upgrade of the North Devon Link Road between South Molton and Bideford. Devon County Council has been successful in its bid for £83m of central government funding to improve the North Devon Link Road. The improvements will consist of carriageway widening between South Molton and Portmore Junction, and improvements at 7 junctions between South Molton and Bideford. One of these junctions is the Bishop's Tawton Roundabout in Barnstaple.

The scheme will be subject to final approval following the submission of a full outline business case to the Department for Transport in 2020, with the main works commencing later in the same year. Further information and a more detailed scheme plan can be found online.

The consultation document detailing the revised plans for Bishop's Tawton Roundabout can be downloaded from the Council’s website.

Residents wishing to express their views on the revised plans can email [email protected] or phone 0345 155 1015 or write to: Transport Planning, Lucombe House  County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD

The consultation closes on Friday 23 November.

New assessment areas are allowing primary schools in the Exmouth area to better understand the learning difficulties their pupils are facing.

A former professional musician from Exmouth who entertained troops during World War Two has died.

Police have released these images of a wild west-style brawl in an Exmouth pub, which started when a drunken customer flashed his genitals at a barmaid and a female customer.

Builder Joshua Hempstead dropped his trousers leading to a huge fight

Help us collect more metal and recycle it into something new

East Devon District Council and its partners SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, are calling on households to recycle more of their drinks cans, food tins, deodorant cans, aluminium food trays, foil and metal jar and bottle lids in their green recycling sacks which are collected every week from the kerbside.