Openers

Rubicon People in Torbay

Sarah Hunt from Rubicon, a highly successful South West recruitment consultancy, is the new face of the service for businesses and candidates based in Torbay. After working with Rubicon in Dorset for some years, Sarah has continued to work for the business remotely since she moved to Paignton two years ago. Having achieved many significant successes working with employers to find, interview and place high quality candidates, in both permanent and temporary-to-permanent positions across the South West, she will now focus more closely on Torbay

Get Your Sparkle Back!

Conroy Couch Jewellers, an independent and family-owned jewellers, has been taking care of fine jewellery in Torquay since 1864. They know just how it important it is to look after and clean jewellery on a regular basis to keep it sparkling like new. Jewellery is often one of our most valued possessions, and not just in monetary terms. Protecting and looking after heirlooms and preciously sentimental items shouldn’t be something we forget to do. Think about it, how often do you clean your jewellery? Once a week? Once a month? Once a year? Ever? But you clean and sanitise your hands regularly throughout the day. And you do the washing up, the cooking, the cleaning and surrounding areas. Sarah’s fiancé Simon comes from Paignton and their daughter Mia will attend Curledge Street Primary. They live close to Paignton Seafront and feel that it’s a wonderful place to raise children. Sarah explains, “You’ve got everything in Torbay; you can visit a different beach every day, enjoy watersports, go to the zoo, enjoy the countryside, coast path, woodland walks and places like Cockington.” Sarah says, “I love working at Rubicon - It has always felt different from other agencies - more like a consultancy; we form strong relationships with businesses, understanding their culture and their specific ‘people’ requirements. She explains that they also spend lots of time getting to know candidates so they can ensure a great fit for the candidate and with the organisation’s needs and values. The net result is a happier and more productive working environment, which can really change people’s lives for the better. With a professional team at Rubicon providing a wide range of support across engineering, industrial, office and specialist positions, Sarah is looking forward to building relationships with Torbay businesses and tracking down their perfect candidates. She feels confident that the wellestablished Rubicon brand will be well received in the Bay because it has been so popular and successful in Dorset and across the South West.   rubiconpeople.co.uk

etc. All of these everyday actions result in a build up of dirt and grime collecting in the claws of your rings and obscuring the sparkle of your beautiful gemstones. Conroy Couch is now offering a free ring cleaning service so if your rings are lacking a bit of sparkle, get in touch today. They will ensure that dried soap, dirt and debris is carefully and safely removed from around any gemstones, and that the gold is polished back to its gleaming best. This offer is limited to two rings per customer and available from reopening until end of May 2021.   conroycouch.co.uk f @conroy.couch Conroy Couch Jewellers

Backing up the ‘Copters

Devon Air Ambulance now has two rapid response Critical Care Cars to back up their helicopter rescue service, saving more lives in the process. In their first year they have been tasked to over 470 missions (considerably more than the expected 200). The cars are based at the Trust’s airbases, one at Exeter Airport and one at Eaglescott Airfield in North Devon. This means that crews can use the vehicles at short notice

Sleepy Lizards

Staff members at Paignton Zoo have celebrated the successful birth of two litters of endangered Chinese crocodile lizards. Scientists believe that there may be less than 1,000 of these lizards left in the wild in China, with habitat loss, climate change and over collection posing a serious threat to their continued survival. As well as being one of Paignton Zoo’s most unique-looking reptile residents, they are also one of the most unusual in terms of their behaviour. In their native range, they are known as the ‘lizard of great sleepiness’ after their habit of lying motionless on branches overhanging water and hibernating in cool weather. In the past, this behaviour also led to them being captured for use in traditional medicine as a supposed cure for insomnia! As well as being a bit sleepy, they’re also semi aquatic and spend a lot of time in the water. They are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for long periods of time. Steve Nash, Curator of Birds, Lower Vertebrates and Invertebrates says, “Guests will should adverse weather or mechanical fault mean they can’t respond to an emergency by helicopter. If the patient is located near to an airbase, it may be quicker to respond to a patient by car rather than by deploying the aircraft. The two Volvo XC90s have high-performance powerful hybrid engines, which offer good handling at speeds over rough road surfaces. They are 4-wheel drive, so they can get safely off-road and into the Devon countryside when needed.   daat.org.uk

be able to see some of our new arrivals when Tropical Trail, the new name for Reptile Tropics reopens later this year. Our reptile team are busy planning their new home and we look forward to showing off these incredible lizards.”  paigntonzoo.org

Sports Enthusiast Cleans Up

Local sports enthusiast Martin Simpson has launched his own oven cleaning business as part of the Oven Wizards franchise. He has lived in the Bay for a number of years and came across the oven cleaning business when looking for something new that he would enjoy. Martin met Mark Abbott, owner of the Oven Wizards business and realised that with support and comprehensive training from this established brand he would be able to offer a great local service whilst being able to enjoy his work. With oven cleaning one of the most hated household chores and growing demand for professional cleaning, Martin’s new service is likely to be popular. As well as Torbay, Martin will also cover Totnes, Newton Abbot, Dartmouth, Kingsbridge, South Brent and Ashburton. Martin is offering a 20% introductory discount on his first 20 bookings. 07446 281521/ 01803 446062   ovenwizards.com/oven-cleaning/South-East-Devon

Adopting with Pride

Local adoption charity Families for Children has seen a marked increase in approved adopters from the LGBT+ community providing a new home to children. Families for Children, based in Devon, ran a hugely successful campaign last year in encouraging LGBT+ people to come forward to adopt. This resulted in an increase in LGBT+ adopters being approved by them to 1 in 3 adopters overall. The charity wants to continue its success in supporting LGBT+ people in their decision to build a family through adoption. Joe and Reece adopted a sibling group of three through Families for Children and say, “Adoption for us has been a life changing experience so much so that we want to do it again! We do know as we get older there will be different challenges that will come up and certain situations, but the main thing is we have the support from our adoption agency, our families and friends and other adoptive families. You know you’re not alone and that’s the fundamental thing for us, especially adopting a sibling group.” Tor Docherty, New Family Social Chief Executive says, “Record numbers of LGBT+ people now adopt or foster. The urgent need for more to do so hasn’t disappeared in the pandemic. The assessment process can still take place, despite lockdown and restrictions.”   familiesforchildren.org.uk/lgbtqadoption

Baby Monkey for Paignton Zoo

A tiny Goeldi’s monkey was born at Paignton Zoo in late January to first-time parents, Eva and Rio. The parents have been taking it in turns to care for the tiny creature with the baby riding on mum or dad’s back. The pairing of Eva and Rio is an important part of a European breeding programme to protect these small New World Monkeys. They are native to the upper Amazon regions of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia, and take their name from their discoverer, the Swiss naturalist Emil August Goeldi. Goeldi’s monkeys have shaggy black hair, claw-like nails and long tails. Numbers in the wild are thought to be decreasing mainly due to habitat loss. Lisa Britton, Curator of Mammals said, “This new arrival is important for the species as they are classed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.”   paigntonzoo.org

Torquay £1,500,000 Freehold

With exceptional living space, a unique setting and established gardens, the property o ers a detached home of 1930’s origins, signi cantly improved creating a desirable home for generational living. It has garaging for 5 cars, parking and a sunny southerly aspect. Individually accessed and self contained, each apartment has excellent space, with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. The gardens incorporate a fabulous area for outdoor relaxation and dining. EPC’s C and D

Torquay

£795,000 Freehold

With panoramic south/westerly sea and coastal views, the property enjoys a prominent location at the head of a quiet close. The property would bene t from a programme of modernisation. The accommodation has a sitting room, sun lounge, dining room, kitchen, rear vestibule, 3 bedrooms, balcony, shower room, cloakroom. Gardens, garage. EPC D

Preston Paignton

£615,000 Freehold

The property o ers a new home with outstanding views looking into Tor Bay. The entrance level has a cloakroom, open plan living area with a balcony capturing the views and incorporates the kitchen. The middle oor has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, the ground oor a further bedroom, en-suite, family room/bedroom 5, utility, cloakroom. Parking, landscaped gardens. EPC – B

01803 296500 • mail@johncouch.co.uk

43 Ilsham Road • Wellswood • Torquay • TQ1 2JG

johncouch.co.uk