On Wednesday 4th March, South West Water submitted a guilty plea to supplying water unfit for human consumption during the cryptosporidium outbreak in Brixham. This admission has been a very long time coming and is a vital step towards accountability. I am glad SWW have finally owned up to their serious failures. But let's be clear: this awful event should never have happened. The fact that it did is symptomatic of our broken water industry. The industry needs a serious refit

Reading to children exposes them to millions of words that differ substantially from everyday spoken language, as books contain a wider range of vocabulary, more complex sentence structures and richer narrative forms. But the current state of children’s reading in this country is deeply concerning, with rates plummeting – and this cannot be detached from the increase in recreational screen use. Children are being engrossed by addictive algorithms, swiping through TikTok rathe

In 2002, when our youngest was five months and our eldest was two, my beloved husband was diagnosed with terminal oesophageal cancer.

In 2002, when our youngest was five months and our eldest was two, my beloved husband was diagnosed with terminal oesophageal cancer. A year later, he died. You cannot explain to a baby or a toddler what death means. All they know is: one day their parent is there, the next he is gone. I remember my youngest, who had just learned to say the word “dada”, going round the house opening doors, looking for him because she could not find him. I did not know much about the imp

The Slapton Line Partnership recently met to discuss coastal erosion in Start Bay and the ongoing situation with the A379 Slapton Line. In attendance were representatives from Devon County Council, South Hams District Council, and multiple Parish Councils, as well as the Environment Agency, the Field Studies Council, Natural England, and more. We had a broad discussion, covering everything from access for emergency services, supporting the Torcross and wider Start Bay communi

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