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Destination: Saltram, travelling the world through the collections

Destination: Saltram is a new pop-up exhibition exploring the world through the collections of the eighteenth century National Trust house near Plymouth. Opening on Saturday 7 May, the temporary exhibition will run until Sunday 26 June.

A two-hundred year old vase from misty Japanese mountains, tales of heroism and tragedy from Ancient Greece, and risqué painted mirrors imported from far-away China; visitors to Saltram will travel the world and through time during their stay.

A key item on display will be Saltram’s portrait of John Parker the 1st Earl by American...

SW construction market bucks national slowdown trend

The latest survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed that growth in the construction market has remained positive in the South West over the last three months.

Private housing workloads showed the greatest increase with 48% more of those working in the sector reporting a rise in activity rather than a fall over the first quarter of 2016. During the last...

Housing market outlook softens post buy-to-let boom

UK house price inflation is set for a slowdown over the coming months as the impact of new stamp duty changes, the EU referendum and the forthcoming devolved elections combine to create a climate of uncertainty in the country’s housing market, the latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed.

These factors have been most strongly felt in central...

Wood replaces oil heating at Devon mansion

A Grade one listed mansion, overlooking the River Plym and owned by National Trust, has made the switch from oil to a renewable energy heating system.

Saltram, a Georgian mansion on the outskirts of Plymouth, was using over 30,000 litres of oil each year to heat the property. It has replaced the expensive, carbon intensive heating system with a biomass boiler, powered by wood pellets...

Demand for SW homes increasing as buy-to-let investors look to beat stamp duty rise

The South West’s housing market has seen a rise in demand following the Government’s recent announcement that stamp duty is set to increase for buy-to-let investors, the latest survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has revealed.

The RICS UK Residential Market Survey, December 2015, has shown that demand for new properties in the South West rose at the fastest...

Help to keep your home warm this winter

Older home owners in Plymouth are being offered help to keep their homes warm this winter – but hurry, as it’s for a limited time only.

Every winter across the UK, one older person dies every seven minutes from the cold weather and in many cases this is avoidable. Plymouth City Council is offering assistance to home owners aged 60 and above to ensure their boilers are working...

Housebuilder marks National Tree Week

Barratt Homes in Plymouth has celebrated National Tree Week with the planting of an oak tree to mark 7,300 trees planted by the division in the last 12 months.

“We have planted or retained more than 7,300 trees or shrubs at our developments throughout the south west and wanted to mark our ongoing commitment to the environment,’’ said managing director Paul Moran.

“National Tree...

Professor Mary Watkins to become Peer in the House of Lords

Professor Mary Watkins, formerly Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth University and currently a Governor on the Board, has been made a member of the House of Lords.

Professor Watkins will become a Baroness and sit on the crossbenches after the Independent House of Lords Appointments Commission made the announcement today (Tuesday).

The peerage is recognition of the work that...

Thousands risk death from electrical fires at home

Older people in the UK are disproportionately at risk from electrical hazards, according to research by leading charity, Electrical Safety First.

The Charity has found that a person over 60 is ten times more likely to die in a fire than somebody aged 17 to 24i. And more than half of the accidental fire-related deaths last year in Great Britain were people aged 65 and olderii.

“...

Are you the Owner of Britain's Ugliest Carpet?

PoshFlooring.co.uk is on the hunt for “Britain's Ugliest Carpet” and is offering a prize of a £150 Red Letter Day to the winner. Posh Flooring are inviting Plymouth to summit what you believe is Britain's Ugliest Carpet to @poshflooring

We Brits are known for our love of carpets around the world, and although carpets are a common feature in most homes here in the UK - some...

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