The Exeter Bach Choir are set to offer a concert of music on Saturday, December 18th at St David’s Church, Exeter. The event is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m and will feature a variety of seasonal works, including Vivaldi Gloria, R Vaughan Williams O be joyful in the Lord (The Hundredth Psalm);Fantasia on Christmas Carols, Adolphe Adam O Holy Night and a selection of Christmas music and carols. We are delighted to continue to support this event and are very much looking forward to it!
The Exeter Bach Society was founded on 21 March 1995, the anniversary of J S Bach’s birth, at a meeting in The Guildhall, Exeter by Alderman Ramon Yeo, an accomplished organist and admirer of J S Bach’s many compositions.
Since its formation the Society has delved deep into J S Bach’s repertoire, hosting numerous performances of his cantatas, Lutheran masses and instrumental works. It’s choral performances over the past few years have included J S Bach’s Missa Brevis in F, Christmas Oratorio, St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, and his iconic Mass in B Minor. Major concerts and cantatas feature professional musicians and soloists from Devon and further afield.
The upcoming performance will see Stephen Tanner as conductor and Julian Rippon as Bariton.
This is set to be a wonderful concert for all in attendance!
Tickets: £12.50 in advance; £15 on the door
Find out further information and book your tickets here
Gilbert Stephens Solicitors are hosting a Christmas Jumper Day on 10th December to raise funds for FORCE, the local cancer charity. For just £2, participants will be able to enter into the Christmas spirit by wearing an unforgettable Christmas jumper! All monies raised will go towards providing vital support for people living with cancer in our community.
There will also be some delicious cakes available for a donation to help raise additional funds.
The event is taking place throughout Gilbert Stephens’ 6 branch offices in Exeter, Sidmouth, Ottery St Mary, Crediton, Budleigh Salterton and Okehampton and additionally in the Exeter and Crediton offices of Veitch Penny, who Gilbert Stephens have recently merged with.
We hope everyone has a fun day taking part in this charitable initiative and we can’t wait to see the colourful and sparkly jumpers!
If you would like to join in with our fundraising you can donate to FORCE here
We are keen to support our staff in their continued professional development and are delighted that Abby Munday is currently studying for her LPC alongside the MSc Business Masters. Abby is studying part-time at weekends with the University of Law, Exeter. The qualification will take 2 years to complete whilst Abby continues working with us at Gilbert Stephens as a Litigation Paralegal, and so building on her hands on experience at the same time. Abby said:
“I love working in litigation because it covers such a broad area of the law. One day I will be working on a Personal Injury case then the next I could be working on a Contentious Probate case. Everyone in my department has allowed me to develop my skills and knowledge by allowing me to sit in on meetings, read through large case files and explain complex matters to me in great detail. I am enjoying my role as a Paralegal because it is giving me good understanding of what would be expected of me once I qualify.”
It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to take this educational journey and it is a testament to Abby ‘s personality that she is not only able to balance this alongside her day job but also continue with the social side of life, including hiking and learning to surf. Abby’s biggest inspiration comes from Michelle Obama, someone who I think we’d all agree is an extremely talented, hardworking woman who has achieved great things and is a brilliant role model for women everywhere. Abby said:
“My biggest inspiration has to be Michelle Obama. She is one of the biggest female leaders and started out in law I hope to qualify as a Solicitor in the Southwest, though I haven’t decided what specific area of law I want to go down, I feel that it will be down the litigation route”.
We are very proud of Abby here at Gilbert Stephens Solicitors as she embarks on this next step in her career journey. We wish her the best of luck with everything and are grateful to have her on our team!
It’s that time of year again where the cold winds are blowing, people are wearing extra layers to keep warm and most people are busy preparing for Christmas. Gilbert Stephens Solicitors are continuing their annual tradition of donating Christmas shoeboxes to the Christian Response to Eastern Europe Appeal (CR2EE) in order to bring some cheer and happiness into the lives of those less fortunate than us at this time of year.
CR2EE are a Christian based charity who offer support & relief to disadvantaged and vulnerable people living in Eastern Europe, this includes giving support to families, churches and medical organisations through financial gifts, taking humanitarian aid and medical supplies and setting up projects to provide long term benefits and independence. One of their annual campaigns is the Christmas Shoebox Appeal where people are encouraged to fill a shoebox with suitable gifts for families, this could be children, adults and even grandparents because Christmas isn’t just for children!
The shoeboxes are then sent to Eastern Europe and distributed by CR2EE. Gilbert Stephens Solicitors are donating their Christmas Shoeboxes along with many other companies who recognise the important work carried out by Christian Response to Eastern Europe Appeal.
You can find out more details about the Christian Response to Eastern Europe Appeal here
And watch this video for the smiles these shoeboxes bring here
We are pleased to announce that Martin Justice, based at our Okehampton Office, has become a partner in the firm. Martin offers advice over a broad range of Private Client work including Wills, LPAs, Trusts and Inheritance Tax Planning, in addition to the administration of estates, trusts and Deputyships. He specialises in advising farmers, rural business owners and high net worth individuals on inheritance tax and succession planning which is often daunting for individuals and, in the case of Inheritance Tax, with the various reliefs and exemptions, can seem a minefield.
Farmers in the UK are increasingly looking for legal assistance to help them navigate the complexities of agricultural law. Agriculture is a growing business across the world, and there is much at stake when it comes to ensuring that farmers have the correct up to date legal knowledge and adequate resources. Gilbert Stephens offers expert advice on all aspects of agriculture law including:
Martin said: “I am really proud to have been made a partner of the firm. Since the firm opened an office in Okehampton nearly 4 years ago it has gone from strength to strength thanks to the hard work of all the team here and the support of our clients. I am looking forward to helping continue the growth of the firm in Okehampton and to serving the community in West Devon in the months and years ahead.”
As a result of ever changing agricultural policy, farmers are experiencing many rapid developments. They must keep pace with a wide range of changes such as reforms in CAP, the impact of planning and environmental policy and reforms to the law of agricultural holdings. There is also the ever present need to arrange their affairs in a tax efficient manner.
Whether buying or selling a farm or farmland, dealing with farming assets, letting your property or considering what happens to a farming business in the future, it is important that you are given the correct legal advice. Through our experience in agricultural matters we understand the pressures on the rural community and are well placed to give practical and realistic advice.
Contact us for more information or to book an appointment. Tel: 01837 512100
The Okehampton Round Table Santa Sleigh is coming to town, and Gilbert Stephens Solicitors are sponsoring it! Santa and his elves will be blasting out the Christmas music when they visit Okehampton on Friday the 3rd of December, Saturday the 4th of December and Sunday the 5th of December to deliver pre-ordered Christmas trees to the local residents.
Additionally, Okehampton Round Table are offering a Christmas Tree pick up service, this will be £5 or if a tree was purchased from them £4. As many of us will have experienced removing a Christmas tree with falling needles and getting it to the recycling centre can be challenging! With this service you avoid all the hassle whilst raising money for a local charity. The Christmas Tree collection service will be on the 8th and 9th of January.
All profits from this fundraiser go to the Okehampton Round Table who do sterling work supporting the Okehampton District communities.
We can’t wait to see the happy smiley faces of the residents of Okehampton when Santa and his elves visit.
Follow Santa and his Elves on the Roundtable Facebook page here.
The Women’s Institute in Sidmouth has organised a Christmas Fayre to take place on 27th November between 10am-12pm at the All Saints Church Hall, All Saints Road, Sidmouth. There will be a raffle to which Gilbert Stephens Solicitors have donated a Greendale hamper as one of the prizes.
Managing Partner Terry Bastyan said “We hope that our donation will help to make this event a success and we wish the WI all the best for their Christmas Fayre.”
There is free entry to the event and they’ll be various stalls selling a variety of festive and other items.
The WI set out in 1915 to give women a voice and be a force of good for the community, to this date the organisation just keeps growing and is now the largest women’s organisation network in the UK. You can read more about the WI here
Sidmouth Women’s Institute has monthly meetings which include a speaker, social time, bring and buy stall and a competition. They meet at St Teresa’s Hall, Connaught Road on the third Wednesday of the month. Follow their Facebook page here.
Around 50 local groups, including Gilbert Stephens Solicitors, will soon be decorating their Christmas trees at Ottery St Mary Parish Church ready for the Christmas Tree Festival which is running between 24th and 27th November 2021. The Ottery Saint Mary Parish Church will be open each day between 11am and 5pm for the public to view the trees, and perhaps get some inspiration for their own decorations!
This annual festival is a great opportunity for local schools, clubs, organisations and businesses to decorate their own trees for display at the church and Gilbert Stephens are happy to be able to continue with their support of this iconic local event once again this year.
Managing Partner Terry Bastyan said “We love seeing all the colourful designs that are created by our local community and it’s great to see people enjoying the festive fun which this event always brings.”
The free event encourages and inspires all ages and abilities to get involved and showcase their creativity, and the Christmas Tree Festival also offers a wonderful setting to get into the Christmas spirit, all within the beautiful setting of Ottery Saint Mary.
Take a look at the Autumn/Winter 2021 edition of Inspire Magazine from Wilkinson Grant. There’s some beautiful properties, delicious Rockfish recipes and if you’re considering downsizing you’ll find some great tips in their “Is it time to downsize” feature. Read the full magazine here.
If you’re considering moving our Property Team are here for you, we have offices in Exeter, Crediton, Okehampton, Ottery St Mary, Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth. We offer clients considerable expertise in all residential property matters for both personal sales and purchases or as part of an investment portfolio. Our aim is to make the buying of property as easy and quick as possible and we will work to the highest standards to achieve this for you.
Sidmouth Musical Theatre opened their production of Sister Act on Sunday night and we were excited to be there to enjoy the performance! The theatre was full and the audience were thrilled to see this beloved musical come to life on stage. The story of a Reno lounge singer, who witnesses a murder and hides out in the convent where her mother once taught is one that has captured people’s hearts since it appeared on Broadway back in 2010.
Jonathan Cave & Laura Newbery-Butcher from our Sidmouth office were at the performance and thoroughly enjoyed it: “It was an excellent show, especially considering it was opening night. Sammy Ottaway, who starred as Deloris was truly exceptional”
It was great to see people having a really good time and we are delighted to have sponsored the show.
Sister Act runs until 30th October, including a Saturday matinee. Find out more here
Here are a couple of photos taken by Laura who attended the opening night with her family:
This information does not constitute legal or financial advice and you are advised to seek the guidance of a lawyer or financial advisor to discuss your individual requirements.
