News in-brief from East Devon – Axminster, Exmouth, Sidmouth, Honiton, Seaton. Email your community news, photos and what’s on to newsdesk@eastdevonnews.co.uk
Axminster
Police on patrol in the area located and seized the motorbike after residents alerted officers to the nuisance vehicle. Photo: Devon and Cornwall Police.
Axminster police at the start of September seized a dirt bike after it was spotted being ridden on the road around the Foxhill area of town in what officers described as an ‘anti-social manner’.
Police on patrol in the area located the motorbike and its rider after residents alerted officers to the nuisance vehicle.
Axminster police said the bike owner admitted riding the vehicle on the road while he had been trying to repair it.
Officers said thanks to help from the public, the motorbike was seized at the roadside under fresh laws amid anti-social behaviour.
A spokesperson for the Axminster police team said: “Thank you to members of the public who reported the bike to us. Please continue to report any issues of concern and we will do our best to tackle them.”
Exmouth
Mum-of-two Helen Plumridge, aged 50, will take on Ironman 70.3 Weymouth in a bid to raise £1,900 for Make-A-Wish UK through online sponsorship. Photo: with permission.
An Exmouth woman this month will tackle her fourth Ironman attempt after two earlier competitions were scuppered by setbacks when she was hit by an unexplained fear of the water.
Married Helen Plumridge, aged 50, will take on Ironman 70.3 Weymouth in a bid to raise £1,900 for Make-A-Wish UK through online sponsorship.
For the one-day endurance challenge Helen faces a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a half marathon.
Mum-of-two Helen successfully completed her first Ironman in Cascais, Portugal, but battled against an unexpected and sudden fear of water over the next two events, forcing her to withdraw from the competitions.
She overcame her unexplained anxiety earlier this year, tackling the Infinitri 70.3 event in Burriana, Spain.
She said: “I’ve never been frightened of the water. It was an extreme adrenaline response that completely took me by surprise. Once it happened, my breathing became uncontrollable, so I had to focus on calming myself before I could carry on racing.”
Helen added: “Turning 50 felt like the perfect time to come back and finish what I started. It isn’t about proving anything to anyone else. It’s about proving to myself that setbacks don’t have to define the ending of your story.”
East Devon
Clyst Valley Choral Society is keen to recruit new members.
Photo: with permission.
Clyst Valley Choral Society is inviting new members to join its ‘small and friendly’ choir, which rehearses at Clyst St Mary Church every Thursday during term time, 7.30pm until 9.15pm.
Experience is not necessary and you do not need to read music. There are no auditions to join. New members can turn up on rehearsal nights.
The choir, who recently returned to rehearsals after the summer break, is learning pieces by Rutter and Donizetti for its November concerts.
The choir performs a series of concerts each year plus hosts a number of social events for members.
See here for more information.
Exmouth
Exmouth is backing a 12-month research project in a bid to tackle period poverty in the town through reusable menstrual products.
Exmouth Town Council has teamed up with the University of Exeter and Devon Communities Together for the National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded project to improve menstrual health and tackle period poverty in Exmouth through community-led research.
The project will explore how reusable menstrual products could reduce financial pressures, improve menstrual health and cut environmental waste – while recognising that ‘green’ products are not always suitable or practical.
The town council said the results will ‘help shape future local initiatives, inform public health policy and create a model that could be replicated in coastal and semi-rural communities across the UK’.
From winter 2026, women and girls aged 16 to 29 who live or work in Exmouth will be invited to take part. Recruitment begins in November.
Dr Louise Venables, Exmouth town councillor and lead researcher, said: “This research gives us an exciting opportunity to listen directly to young people and understand what support would make the biggest difference.
“We want to ensure any future initiatives are led by evidence and shaped by the community, helping to reduce period poverty while improving health, wellbeing and environmental outcomes.”
To take part, call the town council on 01395 276167 or email climate@exmouth.gov.uk.
East Devon
David Reed MP for Exmouth and Exeter East has been appointed to the Conservative frontbench as a Shadow Minister covering the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office.
David spent 16 years working across the Royal Marines, national security and the defence industry before becoming an MP.
Using his past experience, he plans to build on his ongoing work on national resilience and how the United Kingdom can better prepare for and respond to emerging threats.
David, who has argued for a more joined-up approach to defence, national security, resilience and relationships with international partners, recently backed the Conservatives’ plan to increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP.
He said: “It is a real privilege to have been appointed Shadow Minister for the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office. I am grateful to Kemi Badenoch for the opportunity and the trust she has placed in me.
“In an increasingly dangerous world, defence and foreign policy must go hand in hand. I am eager to get stuck in and help lead the development of a strong, coherent Conservative approach to Britain’s security and our role in the world.”
East Devon – what’s on
Pictured here is last year’s Devon Open Studios event at Sea View Barn. Photo: with permission.
Sea View Art Barn, at Ladram Bay, near Otterton, is gearing up to host ten artists for the annual September Devon Open Studios event.
Showcasing their work this year are artists Frances Margaret, Alison Summerfield, Phil Creek Penny Silverthorne, Jan Shayler, James Tatum, Ben Honey, Mary Donald, Teresa Creton and Doug Gilding.
The free exhibition runs from Saturday, September 12, until to Sunday, September 20, open from 10am to 4.30pm.
Sidmouth
The Donkey Sanctuary, in Sidmouth, recently hosted Gardeners’ Question Time. Photo: The Donkey Sanctuary.
BBC Radio 4 Gardeners’ Question Time was recently recorded at The Donkey Sanctuary, in Sidmouth, in front of around 150 East Devon gardening fans.
Panellists Anne Swithinbank, Pippa Greenwood and Matthew Pottage answered questions from the live studio audience.
Ahead of the recording, programme host Peter Gibbs praised the sanctuary for its ‘great horticulture’.
Sanctuary cat Beau got in on the act and surprised the audience when he made a brief appearance on stage alongside the panellists before he was escorted out by a member of staff.
Exmouth – what’s on
Exmouth Art Group is gearing up for its 80th annual exhibition from Thursday, October 1 until Sunday, October 11, at Ocean on the seafront. Entry is £2.
The event showcases the creativity of the Exmouth Art Group, Exmouth Ceramic Group and Exmouth Community College Art students.
The event, in the Ocean Suite, will have a variety of artwork to view and buy.
The art group, thought to be one of the longest running in the UK, said it was ‘proud’ to be celebrating its 80th birthday.
Vanessa Coley, exhibition co-ordinator, said “We are rightly proud of our annual exhibition and this is a very special year for us, it being the 80th anniversary of the group being set up in Exmouth.
“It is a popular and eagerly awaited event and visitors come in their thousands to view the amazing work of our members. Usually over one hundred artists choose to enter their work.”
This year’s exhibition is in support of FORCE Cancer Charity, who will receive a donation from the raffle.
Artist Gary Cook, known locally as Garf, has been named judge of the 2D work. Exmouth Art Group past president Irena Boobyer will judge the 3D work.
Seaton
Pictured here is artist and charity champion Simon Wellington at the phone box gallery presenting the cheque for £1,000 to members of the Seaton Majorettes. Photo: with permission.
Seaton Majorettes recently received £1,000 to help fund new uniforms thanks to a donation from charity champion artist Simon Wellington and his phone box gallery.
Simon in the last three years has distributed more than £7,000 to small local charities through selling his artwork from a red phone box outside his Seaton Hole home on the Jurassic Walk. He recently donated £2,000 to Seaton Hospice at Home.
Simon came up with the idea of the mini gallery and honesty box in aid of charity after he was left with cards and prints from a show at Wells Cathedral.
He transformed the derelict phone box into a gallery with the help of the council.
East Devon
Firefighters rescued a casualty trapped inside a vehicle after a crash on the A30 outside Yarcombe, East Devon.
Honiton and Chard fire crews were called to the two-vehicle crash at the end of August and used cutting equipment to free the trapped casualty before handing them over to waiting ambulance crews.
Honiton
Pictured here, L to R: are Jon Milsom, chairman Honiton Air Cadets 1064, Christie Wantling, Hays Travel Honiton branch manager, Alan Rowe MBE, The Baton founder, travel agent Kerran Bright, Barbara Cuthbertson, SSAFA Devon treasurer, travel agents Miya Booth, Kelly Stamp, Lexi Haines, Lesley Davies, Gordon Evans, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, and Terry Cuthbertson MBE, SSAFA Devon Treasurer. Photo: with permission.
Travel agents in Honiton were visited by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant and presented with a trophy after raising more than £850 for a charity supporting veterans and their families.
Staff at Hays Travel, in Honiton High Street, recently held three weeks of fundraising events in aid of The Baton charity.
The travel agents were presented with The Baton Trophy, an award given annually by the charity in recognition of the most outstanding contribution to the cause.
Founder of The Baton, Alan Rowe MBE, and his wife, Pauline, recently visited the Hays Travel team to present the award, along with Deputy Lord Lieutenant Gordon Evans MBE, and representatives from SAFFA, the Armed Forces charity.
Pictured here, L to R, with The Baton Trophy, is Honiton branch manager Christie Wantling, and travel agent Kerran Bright. Photo: with permission.
Mr Rowe said: “The Baton Trophy is presented to recognise support and promotion of the Baton’s message, not necessarily for any funds raised.
“The lovely ladies at Hays Travel Honiton did both exceptionally well, with tremendous spirit and enthusiasm, reflecting local support for our cause. Honiton is the ‘home of the Baton’.
“The team at Hays Travel are a credit to Honiton, with their incredible commitment to making a difference to a local charity, and their warmth of welcome to all who participated. We cannot thank them enough.”
A prize tombola, sale of children’s goody bags and guess the name of the elephant competition raised £851 for the charity.
Christie Wantling, branch manager, said: “We chose this charity as quite often the veterans get forgotten and we felt it would be lovely to give something back.
“I am so proud of all the team for getting involved and I would like to thank my colleague, Kerran, in particular for all her efforts in making the event such a success. I’d also like to thank the local businesses for being so generous and the community for their support – we could not have done it without them.”
