Do you like competitions?

Our new prize game UNSCRAMBLE starts today.

You could win a fabulous bottle of Exeter Gin by solving a simple and fun word puzzle each week during March.

And I’m pleased say that you’re 450,000 times more likely to win compared to the National Lottery!

Enter below 👇️ 

P.S. Good luck!

The mystery of the captain’s chamber pot

When the 90-gun British warship HMS Coronation went down with most of her crew off Rame Head in 1691 she took with her a curious object.

334 years later a pewtor chamber pot, probably the property of the captain, was discovered at the wreck site, one of only a handful of known similar objects.

But did it really belong to the Coronation’s skipper, Captain Skelton, and why did he not use “the heads” like other officers?

Or was it the property of a high-ranking guest or another senior officer who insisted on a privacy for his ablutions? We will never know, which only adds to the intrigue.

• The well-preserved pot is among several maritime displays upgraded for 2026 at the Devonport Naval Heritage Centre, which reopens to the public on 25th March.

• You can see a new exhibit about the Polish Navy operating from Devonport during WW2, and an upgraded Battle of Jutland display to mark the 110th anniversary.

No entry fee, just make a donation. For opening times visit the website.

A real beerlovers paradise

The annual celebration of “real” beers at Maltingsfest has been going strong for more than 30 years.

It’s the place to sample and see what’s new in cask ales, keg beers, lagers and ciders from independent West country brewers.

Known for its lively, friendly atmostphere, with street food and live music, it’s a tasting playground for enthusiasts and industry folk alike.

Thursday 16th to Saturday 18th April, Osborne Park, Newton Abbot. £8-£12. Entry payable on the door only. More details

NEW! Play UNSCRAMBLE to win a bottle of Exeter Gin

New Go Devon! competitions start today, all with a high chance of winning for those that enter.

This month: UNSCRAMBLE.

Unscramble the letters below to find the name of a Devon town.

C O M B I F L A R E

To enter simply REPLY to this email with your full name and your answer.

• Answer all 4 UNSCRAMBLES correctly during March (number 2 next week) for a chance to win. The winner will be selected randomly and notified by email before 31st March

• Entries only available by email reply, not the website post.

Mindfulness, nature and the pencil

Author and artist Alex Boon is a professional observer of nature’s details.

Inspired by Edith Holden, Beatrix Potter, and naturalists such as Gilbert White, Alex has turned a hobby into courses and workshops for others.

His 1-day Introduction to Nature Journaling workshop shows you the fundamentals of connecting nature with mindfulness with fun prompts and exercises suitable for anyone.

10am to 4pm, Sunday 12th April, Studio KIND, Pan­nier Mar­ket, Barn­sta­ple.

Tickets: £60

An evening with Kevin Sinfield

Who can forget the heart-breaking story of rugby league player Rob Burrows and the devastating effect of motor neurone disease on his life and career.

A story brought to millions more people by Kevin Sinfield with his dedication to raise money help his friend and raise awareness of the disease.

Kevin Sinfield has been triple-honoured for contributions on and off the pitch, an MBE for services to rugby league, an OBE for services to charity fundraising, and a CBE for services to motor neurone disease awareness.

Kevin is telling his inspirational and motivational story The Extra Mile at The Great Hall Exeter, part of Exeter Northcutt Theatre on 2nd April

Tickets: from £34.50

Devon Curiosities #97: Exeter Book Cycle

No list of Devon Curiosities is complete without mention of my favourite bookshop.

At Exeter Book Cycle the books have no prices and the buyer decides what to pay.

Booklovers, me included, end up paying more than they might at a charity shop or car boot fair, because of the quality and range, and to support such a good cause.

You can buy up to 3 books a day.

More than 1 million titles have passed through the doors on their journey to fulfil the charity’s motto: “From tree to book and back again.”

Profits go to plant fruit trees at Devon schools and help build libraries overseas.

Doesn’t that give you a warm feeling?

Exeter Book Cycle, West Street, Exeter.

MEMBER POLL

Last week’s result

If you had to pick one event, what would it be?

• Community seed swap - 31%

• Behind the scenes theatre tour - 31%

• Raunchy film night - 19%

• Metal welding workshop - 13%

• Drag show chaos - 6%

Laura and Teena selected community seed swap. Laura said: “Nurturing a plant from seed brings so much joy.”

Teena said: “I've seen the film, don't like dragshows and not interested in driving to the other events”

Kippertie, saabtwo and hookierichard selected metal welding workshop. Kippertie wrote: “It’s a skill taster session that could lead to more, the rest are fun but fleeting one-off's.”

saabtwo said: “Purely for a brand new experience.” hookierichard added: “It interests me as I am a welder, don’t like period movies and have a window box, not into drag stuff it bores me.”

WHAT ELSE IS ON?

🌊 North Devon 

🐬 South Devon

🏆️ Get lucky! Win Devon leisure prizes

FEATURED: A day out in Exeter including games at Boom Battle Bar, a £100 gift card and free bus travel for 5 people. (7th Mar)

♨️ A thermal spa experience Mother’s Day giveaway in Exeter (8th Mar)

NEW!  🌹 A Mother’s Day country escape on Dartmoor including a 1-night stay for 2, tea and cake on arrival, 4-course dinner and breakfast, plus a £500 luxury clothing gift voucher (15th Mar)

🌊 A 2-night luxury stay in a pet-friendly South Devon cliff-top hideaway worth £1,000 (18th Mar)

👪️ A family ticket to Kent’s Cavern in Torquay (22nd Mar)

NEW!  🏡 A £1.2m modern 4-bed family home in 10 acres of mid-Devon countryside. (90p entry cost). (31st Mar)

NEW!  🌺 A pair of VIP tickets to Toby’s Garden Festival at Powderham Castle, Exeter worth £200 (31st Mar).

Enter 6 more competitions here

Did you win something? Let me know

New member? Catch up here

🌱 5,000 free packets of seeds

🎭️ High drama in wide open spaces

🎨 Spring arts & crafts near you

🌞 Hooray. Daffodil Day!

That’s all for this week. Thanks for being a member.

NEXT ISSUE   Devon Food Festivals 2026 - Free Calendar

Andy, Esme and Lara