Everybody’s talking about…
RIDING HIGH Exeter has been declared the second best city in the UK for cyclists, with 21 per cent of Exeter’s population regularly cycling more than once a week. The new survey by law firm True Solicitors also revealed that Exeter scored highly for good air quality, and walking statistics. Exeter was pipped to the top spot by Lancaster but fared much better than big cities London and Manchester, who came bottom of the rankings. Both Lancaster and Exeter were one of six locations in England selected to promote cycling as a mode of transport back in 2005. “It’s great to see that people in the city are turning to alternative
Wheely good fun
methods of transport and doing their bit for the environment,” says Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor for Climate & Culture. “However we recognise that there is still much to do to make cycling in Exeter safer and more accessible to everyone and we will be working closely with our partners to achieve this.” For more: www.true.co.uk
Miniature marvels
Festival
FEST IS BEST Gemfest, Exeter’s indoor music and performance fundraising festival is set to return in 2020. Taking place at Exeter Phoenix on Easter Sunday (12 April) Gemfest is a festival of two halves. The daytime (11am-4pm) is a free, family-orientated event for children of all ages, with arts and crafts, workshops, sports, games, competitions, and live music provided by local youth musicians and singers, Teenagers for Hospiscare.
Come the evening there will be an eclectic mix of live music over two stages and a silent disco. Gemfest raises funds for The Brain Tumour Charity Trust and local hospice charity, Hospiscare and this year is the sixth year of festival fundraising. For more Facebook: @gemfestexeter, Instagram: gemfest_exeter; or Twitter: @gemfestexeter
© SHAUN PICKET T
Gemfest organisers Lewis, Gemma and Suzie (dressed in black) with Hospiscare fundraisers and supporters
6 I EXETER LIVING I www.mediaclash.co.uk
The happy couple
Exhibition
DOMESTIC BLISS
What do you see when you look at the images above? Intimacy? Dry humour? Exhibiting until 17 May at the The Café at RAMM is A Different Story, an exhibition by artist John Paul Evans showing images of himself and his partner. he pictures offer a wry take on traditional family portraiture and gender relations, while paying an affectionate tribute to their enduring relationship. “As an academic, I was always critical of what the ‘family album’ represented in terms of normality and ‘otherness’, so there is little photographic evidence to represent the 30 years that Peter and I have now spent together,” says John. “As Peter is now in his 80s there seemed to be an urgency to make work together exploring concepts of the family album and the couple or wedding portrait. “The series was initially a response to the introduction of same sex marriage in the United Kingdom. The style, or particular mode of representation, was inspired by examples from art history. an van Eyck s portrait of iovanni rnolfini and Giovanna Cenami in the National Gallery is probably the most famous depiction of a wedding portrait in the history of Western rt. hese wax-like figures fro en in the moment evoke a sense of uncanniness.” For more: www.rammuseum.org.uk
