Homes & Gardens

What to Consider Before Adding Colour to Your Home

Choosing a new colour for your home is much more than just picking something that looks good in isolation. You need a tone that reflects your style and complements the architecture. Before you start splashing paint on the walls, there are a few factors to think about that can help you make an...

Full story

The search begins in Plymouth for Britain's Top Tradesman 2013

Tradesmen and women across Plymouth, the time has come once again to down tools and enter this year’s search for Britain’s Top Tradesman (BTT).

Screwfix, which has a store in Plymouth, is launching its annual competition to find the best in the field where the winner receives a brand new Toyota Proace van, worth up to £27,000, and also be awarded the title of the nation’s No1...

Tags:

Plymouth

Britain's Top Tradesman 2013

Screwfix

Fire service's top tips for kitchen safety

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is asking parents and carers to make sure that children know the hazards of a hot hob.

Half of all accidental fires in the home start in the kitchen - often because of distractions like phone calls or family.

The Fire Kills campaign’s top tips for staying safe in the kitchen:

• Take care if you need to leave the kitchen whilst...

Tags:

Devon and Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service

kitchen safety

Top Tips

Military might on show at Mount Edgcumbe this weekend

Motor-mad enthusiasts and military buffs are under orders to get to the Mount Edgcumbe this Bank Holiday weekend.

The estate will be taking a drive back in time with historic military vehicles on display in the park on 24, 25 and 26 August (Saturday, Sunday and Monday).

The vehicles, which range from World War II jeeps to 1970s armoured trucks, have been carefully restored by...

Tags:

Plymouth

Devon

Mount Edgcumbe

historic military vehicles

Barn Pool

Have your say on £850 million proposals to improve your water and sewerage services

South West Water has revealed more of its plans to improve the region's water and sewerage services between 2015 and 2020.

Customers and businesses are being asked to comment on its draft WaterFuture proposals, which could see around £850 million being pumped into the regional economy supporting more than 4,000 jobs, before they are submitted to water industry regulator Ofwat later...

Tags:

Cherrytree Gardens - a new development for Plymouth

Prospective house hunters in Plymouth are being encouraged to register their interest in a brand new housing development which is just about to start at Pennycross Close in Plymouth.

The Cherrytree Gardens development, which will include a range of two, three and four bedroom properties, will include a range of terraced houses and a few semi-detached homes. With prices proposed to...

Tags:

Don't let fair weather thieves get the upper hand

Devon and Cornwall Police have warned that the hot weather may be leaving some residents vulnerable to opportunistic burglars.

Simple tips such as closing and locking windows and doors when you are away from the property, as well as being careful about the windows that are left open while still inside the property, could prevent you from becoming a victim of crime.

Bob Bunney,...

Tags:

Devon and Cornwall Police

Heat wave

crime

Council clears the way for more local growers

More green-fingered people are getting to grips with spades and shovels as part of the Council’s commitment to provide more allotments.

The Council has recently cleared an unused area of land within the Lower Compton allotments to make way for nine new plots.

Council staff cleared trees and massive bramble bushes which had taken over the area. They also tilled the soil and...

Tags:

Plymouth City Council

allotments

Lower Compton

growing

City College Grow Allot project receives official opening

The Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Vivien Pengelly was present to officially open the City College's new Grow Allot project on Monday 8 July.

City College Plymouth who have described the project as "an exciting initiative", have launched Grow Allot which will restore an area of disused ground at its Kings Road site.

With funding from the Big Lottery's Local Food programme,...

Tags:

Plymouth

City College

Grow Allot

Big Lottery Local Food

community garden

allotment

Nearly half of Brits keep household items that could be used as weapons

New research from Confused.com reveals that nearly half of Brits (49%) keep a household item as weapon to defend themselves from burglars – as pots and pans take on a whole different purpose.

The findings from the leading insurance price comparison site reveal that of those who admit to owning some form of weapon, two-thirds (66%) are not afraid to use it in self-defence against an...

Tags:

Confused.com

weapon

self defence

Police shed some light on summer thefts

This summer, Devon and Cornwall Police are encouraging homeowners to take simple security measures to help secure their shed and contents from opportunist thieves.

People in the UK are spending more and more leisure time in the garden so the value of the items within our sheds has risen, making these areas attractive to thieves.

Simple tips such as locking sheds and putting...

Tags:

Devon and Cornwall Police

homeowners

security

opportunist thieves