Have you already started your Christmas shopping? While it may feel too early for some, many marketers will have begun planning for the festive period months ago as retail businesses gear up for a Christmas like no other. The jewellery retailer F. Hinds is one of the businesses managing the impacts of what has been an exceptionally challenging year for the British high street. Earlier this year, Company Director Andrew Hinds told Exeter Daily: ‘On 23rd March we took the decision to close all our stores, then the same day the government announced the compulsory closure anyway. All our store teams and the vast majority of our head office staff have been on furlough since then.  ‘Members of our payroll and web teams have continued to work and we are starting to increase numbers as we plan for a gradual reopening of stores, hopefully starting in a couple of weeks’ time.’  The future of the high street already appeared uncertain, with UK consumers doing an increasing amount of their Christmas shopping online even before the virus struck. Ecommerce sales accounted for an estimated 44% of the UK’s total spend in 2019. So what more changes can we expect as we move into what would traditionally be the busiest period of the year?    New in-store experiences Many consumers will already be familiar with a new shopping experience, with masks, social distancing and other measures likely to become permanent fixtures over winter. ‘We expect to have to respond to changing current events throughout the rest of 2020 and probably beyond’, Andrew predicts.   Narrower ranges are also likely to come into play in larger stores as businesses aim to increase efficiency.     Shifting habits But will people visit physical stores as they did before? Despite reports of long queues in the weeks following the reopening of shops, footfall remains below the levels of previous years. An Ipsos Mori survey released in May found 43% of Britons would feel uncomfortable shopping in stores other than supermarkets. Online sales meanwhile have boomed, with a significant portion of shoppers expected to change their habits permanently.        ‘The only silver lining so far is that online sales have been relatively strong, but these are still only a small proportion of our usual overall turnover’, Andrew added. Targeted discounts Mirroring the…

Literature Works and the Exeter Canal and Quay Trust are delighted to announce Quay Words Autumn 2020, celebrating words and stories at Exeter Custom House. They can also announce that bestselling novelist Patrick Gale is Quay Words Autumn 2020 writer-in-residence for October/ November. The theme of the Quay Words Autumn season is ‘Wellbeing’, which is at the heart of Exeter’s programme as a UNESCO City of Literature and Quay Words is a pillar of that programme. Patrick will host a series of events and opportunities exploring the pleasure and the many positive impacts of reading and writing. Patrick will host events with bibliotherapist and writer Ella Berthoud and another with novelist and psychotherapist Salley Vickers. At his own solo event, Patrick will look at how mental health runs as theme through his writing. During the residency, Patrick will work also with six emerging writers, who will read alongside him at the end of his residency at a ‘Quay Voices’ event, our strand showcasing emerging writers on the same bill as the established writer who has mentored them. Patrick said of his residency:“I’m thrilled at the prospect of being writer-in-residence in such a stunning and atmospheric old building as the Custom House and of helping put together a series of public events there around the theme of Wellbeing. Now more than ever we need the healing power of reading and writing and I’m looking forward to roping in some old friends to help me spread the word.” Exeter Custom House has recently reopened to the public and a small socially-distanced audience will attend the events in person. The events will be simultaneously broadcast live from Exeter Custom House, free of charge to an online audience. Key Dates: Wednesday 21st October, 6.30 – 8 pm: ‘Reading and wellbeing’ with Ella Berthoud, hosted by Patrick Gale. Wednesday 11th November, 6.30 -7.30 pm: Author event with Patrick Gale. Wednesday 18th November, 6.30 -8 pm: ‘Writing, creativity and therapy’ with Salley Vickers, hosted by Patrick Gale. Wednesday 2nd December, 6.30 – 8 pm: Quay Voices hosted by Patrick Gale.
Patrick Gale was born on the Isle of Wight in 1962. He studied at Winchester College and New College, Oxford. In 1988 he moved to Cornwall where he lives with his husband, the farmer and sculptor, Aidan Hicks, on their farm at Land’s End. He is a keen cellist, gardener and artistic…

Extensive maintenance work is underway on the A380 and will continue until March. The Department for Transport (DfT) has recently awarded Devon County Council a £5 million grant to carry out the improvements on the road, between the Teign Viaduct and Ashcombe Cross. The County Council will also be providing over £1 million towards the scheme which will include resurfacing, replacing safety barriers, maintaining drainage systems, cutting back overgrown vegetation and replacing signs where necessary. Work has already started on repairs to the safety barriers between the Teign Viaduct and north of Ware Barton Roundabout. Lane closures and a temporary 40mph speed limit are in place while this work is carried out on this section until the end of October. Some overnight closures will be needed on slip roads near Ware Barton roundabout. The northbound slip roads will be closed overnight from 7pm-6am each evening next week from Monday 21 September to Friday 25 September. The southbound on-slip will be closed overnight from 7pm-6am on weekday evenings from Monday 12 October to Friday 23 October. The main A380 will remain open during this work. Resurfacing work at Ware Barton roundabout will follow on from the barrier works at the end of October. This will include night-time closures of the roundabout and slip roads up to the middle of November. The main A380 will again remain open. From the evening of Monday 21 September, overnight resurfacing work is also due to start on the northbound carriageway of Telegraph Hill, between the Mamhead junction and the intersection with the A38. To enable this work to take place, this section of the northbound carriageway will be closed from 7pm-6am each weekday evening over the next six weeks. Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “The A380 is one of the busiest roads on our network so it needs to be in tip-top condition to stand up to everyday wear and tear from traffic. We’ve been carrying out surface improvements and safety barrier upgrades on parts of the A380 over the past couple of years, but this additional Government funding will enable us to do much more, particularly on the sections that need the most attention. The intention is to bring the route up to 21st century standards so that it is fit for purpose. Although it may cause some short-term disruption…

Domestic matters will be put on the back burner for a week at least for Exeter Chiefs as they focus their attentions towards Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final at home to Northampton Saints (5:30pm). Having produced a highly impressive return to action since restart – the Devonians have won six of their seven Gallagher Premiership fixtures – Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter, is now looking for his in-form side to maintain their quest for honours on the European stage. Only once before have the Chiefs reached this stage of the competition, on that occasion they lost with the last kick of the game to Wasps, but hopes are high that this time round they are well equipped to advance into unchartered waters. “We’ve been looking forward to this game for a while,” said Baxter. “That said, we’ve also had to focus on our Premiership performances because it’s those performances that have allowed us to get to this point and to organise ourselves the way we want to. “Now, the focus has to switch fully onto Europe. As I’ve said to the players this week, this should be our biggest game of the season so far and that they should be getting ready to put in their biggest performance of the season. As a group, we have to hope – and expect – that we see something special on the pitch at the weekend.” Having utilised his squad to the full in recent weeks, Baxter – as expected – turns to his frontline team for Sunday’s showdown against a Saints outfit, who have lost six of their last seven fixtures. “We’re well prepared and the form we have shown in the Premiership and in Europe indicate that but, at the end of the day, this weekend it still come down to knockout rugby. “In our last European quarter-final [against Wasps], we played exceptionally well on the day – and we came up as close as you’re ever going to get to winning a game, only to concede a conversion in the last seconds of the game. Right now, I think we’re getting there. We’ve got a fit squad, we’re in decent form, training has gone well but, in the back of your mind, it’s still a one-off game. “What we have to do at the weekend is make sure we get everything we…

Exeter City Council has secured major government funding to continue to address  homelessness in the city. The government today (Thursday 17 September) announced that Exeter would receive £440,000 from its Next Steps Accommodation Programme as part of a commitment to end rough sleeping. The Next Steps programme sees £91.5 million given to 274 councils across the UK to help vulnerable people housed during the pandemic. Working with partners across the city, the funding will allow the Council to continue to support those accommodated during Covid-19 The money will allow the Council and its partners to: Continue to provide accommodation until the end of March 2021 for  the remaining 42 people accommodated under Covid and continue to reduce rough sleeping in the city Provide dedicated support for those accommodated in hotels Provide a Private Rented Deposit Scheme to support 13 people to access private rented accommodation, this will be match funded by Exeter City Council.
In Exeter, there has been a noticeable increase in single homelessness and since 23 March when the ‘Everybody In’ directive was announced, a total of 102 households have been accommodated.  This includes people in shelters and shared sleeping spaces, people rough sleeping or at risk of rough sleeping. Of these: 38 have moved on successfully through other housing options via friends/family,  private rented, social housing and supported housing 22 have lost or abandoned emergency accommodation 42 remain in emergency Covid-accommodation
The Council has also made a £3 million Capital programme bid for the creation of 3 units of new long term move-on accommodation with dedicated support to be delivered before the 31 March 2021.  This is due to be announced by the end of the month and if successful will include an investment of over a £1million by ECC. The accommodation will be a mixture of self-contained properties, studio flats, en-suite rooms and smaller houses of multiple occupancy Council Leader Phil Bialyk said he was delighted with the funding. “In Exeter we are committed to seeing an end to rough sleeping. But this isn’t just for rough sleeping it’s for everyone who has lost accommodation during Covid and is an ambitious plan to tackle homelessness in a way not seen before. “In Exeter we have a dedicated group of partners who are committed to tackling homelessness in the city: BCHA, Julian House, Access…