Exeter academic hails damage from 'worst storm in 20 years' as irreversible

Dr Shail is part of the Geology department at Cornwall campus. Image Credit: University of Exeter

A University professor has claimed that an unusually powerful storm which hit Devon during bad weather in early January has caused irreversible changes to the county’s coastline.

Dr Robin Shail, a geologist and senior lecturer at Exeter, suggested that ‘Hercules’ was the worst weather to hit the region in 20 years. He described the storm, which damaged both natural and manmade structures and took the lives of two people out at sea, as having the biggest impact on the county since the winter storms of 1991.

The impact is most likely to manifest itself in the form of geological erosion of the coastline, something that Dr Shail attributes to the relentless pounding it received from waves during the storm.

This would increase the risk of landslides, as the weather gets drier.

Dr Shail added that epic storms such as Hercules will only become more common, thanks to climate change.

Speaking to the Exeter Express And Echo, he said: “What we are seeing within the debate about climate change is that one-in-50-year events are becoming one-in-20 year ones – we are moving to a situation where change is occurring more rapidly – it is like pressing the fast forward button”.

Already, Dr Shail’s widely published predictions appear to be coming true, as geological structures along the East Devon coast have eroded, unveiling rare dinosaur fossils in the process.

Dr Shail reflected: “The landscape which we see and love and cherish is forever changing – people assume it is fixed but it is an ever-moving canvas”.

Bryan Toh, News Team

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Region hit by storms with bad weather set to continue

Image credit: Niklas Rahmel

Devon has been badly hit by some of the worst weather the country has seen in over 20 years – and more rain is on the way.

Several severe flood warnings had been in place in the county, though they have now ceased, whilst the search for a Devon teenager continues.

Sea fronts, such as Exmouth and Lyme Regis, were given severe weather warnings due to their “low-lying and exposed communities”, according to the Exeter Express and Echo. Copious tidal barriers have been broken by the high tides, some of which have measured up to nine metres high, thus flooding low lying communities.

In Exeter the severe weather temporarily closed the train line to Exmouth due to extreme flooding on the rail tracks. The heavy rain has been accompanied by both hail thunder storms, which have affected signal communicators and has interrupted traffic.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Office have been making the public aware of the dangers, advising drivers to not travel through floodwater and to stay safe. Crashes have occurred on the M5, some taking place within minutes of each other during especially bad weather, although no one has been seriously injured.

This weather has created severe threats to life, with the increasingly bad weather posing safety concerns for South West residents. Two people have reported to have died because of the weather and 18 year old Harry Martin, from Devon, has been missing since Thursday – the search for him continues.

Another Atlantic storm swept into Devon at the weekend, prompting the Met Office to issue a new set of severe weather warnings. It has been predicted that high rain fall and heavy winds will continue to affect the county, with the north being a particular target, over the next 24 hours. This storm will also bring continued high tides which are expected to continue to break over flood barriers in the south-west of the country.

Some forecasters are predicting that flooding will continue for the next few weeks, with coastal areas still at a continued risk.

See our gallery of pictures below, image credits: Niklas Rahmel.

Bea Wood, News Team

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County Cricket Club pavilion may be demolished for student flats

Hot on the heels of Exeposé‘s exclusive about possible demolition and construction plans at St. Luke’s campus, the Exeter Express and Echo is reporting that the traditional cricket pavilion, at the Devon County ground opposite campus, could be demolished to make way for “high quality student flats”.

Photo Credit: Niklas Rahmel

According to the Express and Echo‘s website, long-serving Exeter Cricket Club chairman Bob Price thinks that the building plans should cause no “real controversy”, because the alternative to the “limited development” is that the ground’s pitch and open space would be lost for future generations of Exeter residents.

A family trust has allowed both Devon Cricket Club and Exeter Cricket Club to play at the ground, rent free, since 1902. However, next year this long term lease will finally run out, forcing Exeter Cricket Club in particular (the only amateur team in their division) to seek new forms of income.

Mr Price told the Express and Echo: “We sub-let the adjoining squash club and we will lose that income when the lease is up. How are we to replace that income?”

“We don’t pay any of our players. We want to play simply for the beauty of the game. We will retain the ground and we will have a sizeable amount of money to build a new club house next to the squash club”, he added.

It is not yet clear whether the student accommodation Mr Price is proposing would be approved by the university, or a private venture.

However, the plans came as a surprise to the Students’ Guild. Grace Hopper, VP for Welfare and Community, told Exeposé that “the new article from the Express and Echo was the first I’d heard of anything”. She added though that she would now be “investigating the alleged plans”.

There are already strong indications that the plans to knock down the pavilion might encounter considerable opposition. Councillor Percy Prose explained to the Express and Echo that “temporary listed protection status” had been used to save buildings in the past and he thought there was scope for a “Save Our Pavilion” campaign.

A council spokesman has also stated that there are “no current planning applications” and that any such applications would be subject to both “legal tests” and the new St. James Neighbourhood Plan. The Western Morning News website suggests that the Neighbourhood Plan may give residents a say in the future landscape of the cricket ground.

Many students would welcome a say in the future of the pavilion, as it is used to host Athletics Union events. Men’s hockey captain Sam Plater told Exeposé that the building was used to host his society’s match teas. He went on to condemn the possible plans: “it would be a travesty to demolish such a beautiful, traditional pavilion that makes the Cricket Ground what it is: a quintessential Cricket Pitch”.

Confusion reigns over the exact purpose of the potential planned flats and their benefits to students. Mr Price told the Express and Echo that the flats would accommodate students close to campus, so that they are not “taking up houses in the city”. Does this mean that they are not intended for first year students, who would usually live in university accommodation, either on campus or nearby?

Second-year History student Oscar Maddox questioned whether there would be a demand for flats on the edge of campus among second and third years. He said: “While it would be nice to live near campus, I would worry about how much it would cost. Also I think there are lots of benefits to living nearer town, so I’m not sure how many people would want to live there”.

Whether the development will even go ahead or not remains to be seen, and the future of cricket in Exeter is also uncertain.

Liam Trim, Online Editor

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Exeter's bishop set to retire

Photo credits to Mazur/www.catholicchurch.org.uk

Lord Bishop of Exeter, Dr. Michael Langrish has announced his retirement after serving 13 years at Exeter Cathedral and 40 years in priesthood.

Enthroned in 2000, Southampton born Langrish (aged 67) will step down from his post in June, with his final service being held on Saturday, 29 June at Exeter’s Cathedral.

Throughout his years, Bishop Michael has achieved many notable positions, such as being a member of Exeter University’s Council and since 2005 has been a member of the House of Lords.

Langrish’s retirement comes after a turbulent year, due to his choice to abstain from voting in the legislation to introduce the first women bishops. Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw commented: “Bishop Michael and I haven’t always seen eye to eye, most recently on women bishops, but he has served the Exeter Diocese with great distinction.”

Despite the controversy, in a letter sent to all Church of England clergy in Devon parishes he wrote that he had “grown to love the county and its people deeply” and hopes that he leaves “the Church of England in Devon in good heart.”

Caitlin Synnott

Crammer's Butternut Squash and Pancetta Soup

Left your revision to the last minute again? Tired eyes from staring at your notes and computer screen in the early hours of the morning? Butternut squash is packed full of vitamin A so help out your eyes and revision with this slamming soup.

Photo credit to nature’s pride

Serves 4. Freezable.

Ingredients

100g pancetta, lardons, or sliced streaky bacon

4 fresh sage leaves, optional

Splash of white wine

50g butter

2 medium onions, finely sliced

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 big butternut squash, roughly chopped

1 litre of water

125ml single cream

Equipment:

Chopping board

Small sharp knife

Big sharp knife

Spoon

1 frying pan

Small plate with a sheet of kitchen roll

1 big pan

Kettle

Hand blender

What you do

Chop and slice all vegetables. The butternut squash looks intimidating but it isn’t – the hardest thing about it is that the flesh is tough. To prepare it, use a big sharp knife and cut off the ends. Next, use a peeler to get rid of the skin. Sometimes I microwave the squash for 3 minutes before cutting off the ends because this makes peeling easier, but you don’t have to. Once peeled, use the big knife again to halve length ways. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Finally, use the big knife to roughly cube.

Heat up the frying pan and add either the pancetta, lardons or sliced streaky bacon until it’s crisp.

Add in the sage leaves and stir round. They should sizzle and crisp up.

After about a minute, remove the bacon and sage and place on the plate with the kitchen roll to soak up excess oil.

Fill and boil the kettle.

Return the frying pan back to the heat and add the wine and stir. This should bubble and steam up but keep stirring. This deglazes the pan and picks up all the tasty bacon juices in the pan – also makes it easier to wash up!

Melt the butter in the big pan. Add all the chopped up veg and sweat for about 10-12 minutes. The vegetables should be softened but not coloured.

Add the deglazed wine juices from the frying pan and stir.

Pour 1litre of boiled water from the kettle into the pan – most kettles have measuring lines on them already. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes with the lid on.

Get the hand blender involved. Remove the pan from the heat and liquidise everything in the pan, taking care not to burn yourself / splash it up the walls.

Put the pan back on a gentle heat for 5 minutes. You can add the fried bacon and sage here, or leave as a garnish to top the soup at the end.

Swirl in the cream, season and serve.

 

Still unsure how to prepare the squash? Check out the ever enthusiastic Dani Spies youtube video here!

By Kitty Howie, Lifestyle Editor 

 

Get psyched for soup in term two!

In January, Lifestyle will be bringing you a yummy range of wallet friendly and seasonal soups (not the tinned kind!), guaranteed to keep out the cold and fill you with goodness for the term ahead!

Photo credit to the Telegraph for these delicious looking winter soups!
Will yours look as good?

Soups are great to keep out the winter chill and sneak loads of healthiness into your alcohol strung out student body. Furthermore, soups are a fantastic way to keep the cost down of student eating – this is because the ingredients are normally very cheap, especially if you buy from a greengrocer or market, but also because you inevitably end up making a lot all in one go. This means that soup is a fantastic flatmate food – one batch is normally enough to feed at least four student stomachs. However, if your flatmates are more into pizza and refuse to touch anything remotely nutritious and you’ll be cooking just for yourself: fear not! In the vast majority of cases you can freeze the leftovers in portion-sized batches.

We were inspired by the fantastic A Soup for Every Day by the New Covent Garden Food Co, which is the basis for most of our recipes. We adapted them to make them more student friendly by tweaking the ingredients and providing simple and easy to understand instructions..

Maybe our special on soups will inspire you to pursue soup further – this book is a winner!

We did most of our vegetable shopping at Eat your Greens, Sidwell Street’s newest greengrocer. The fantastic central location and attractive pricing means it’s never been easier (or cheaper) to hit your five a day.

Google maps shows just how central Eat your Greens is!

Soups are easy to make and incredibly forgiving if something goes pear shaped. They don’t require much equipment, the most technical thing being a hand blender (which are cheaper than you think – check out Argos) so no excuses! Even if your main culinary accomplishment is beans on toast, don’t be afraid to get stuck in!

Look for our first recipe – Leave your Roots.