ON OUR RADAR

Fore Street festive celebration

Independent traders host a late night shopping event including Sacred Grounds Winter Fayre and Bookbag’s third birthday party.

Leigh Curtis

Fore Street traders are hosting a late night shopping event on Thursday 7 December with an indie art market, street food and live music while also celebrating three years of independent bookshop Bookbag.

Vegan cafe Sacred Grounds is hosting a Winter Fayre in McCoys Arcade with jewellery, ceramics, skincare products, art prints and cards for sale.

Plant-based food, hot toddies and mulled wine will be available while jazz duo Blush play live music.

Fore Street festive celebration Thursday 7 December 2023 Fore Street Mccoys Arcade Sacred Grounds Bookbag

Independent bookshop Bookbag will also celebrate its third birthday with music from a live DJ.

Opened by Charlie and Malcolm Richards in McCoys Arcade in December 2020, the shop hosts community events throughout the year including readings and book signings.

It stocks books from mainstream and independent publishers that are focussed on art, music, environmental and art writing and stories by LGBTQ+ writers and writers of colour.

It also stocks some vinyl records.

Subscribe to The Exeter Digest - Exeter Observer's essential free email newsletter

Your personal information will be processed and stored in accordance with our Privacy Policy

The Fore Street festive celebration is from 6.30-9.30pm on Thursday 7 December 2023.

The Sacred Grounds Winter Fayre and Bookbag’s third birthday celebration are taking place in McCoys Arcade and other Fore Street shops will also stay open into the evening.

Democracy doesn't work when people don't know who is deciding what on whose behalf and what the costs and consequences of those decisions will be.

Exeter Observer is proving that reader-funded media can deliver the independent public interest journalism our local democracy needs.

Upgrade to a paid Exeter Observer subscription to support our work and get access to exclusive premium content and more.

More stories
Devon five-a-day fruit & vegetable consumption by district 2023-24

Exeter residents eat lowest proportion of 5-a-day fruit and vegetables in Devon with only South Hams above England average

Public health report also finds three in ten Devon residents are physically inactive and nearly two-thirds overweight with new countywide health and well-being strategy due in autumn.

Save Northbrook Pool campaigners dressed in black outside Exeter City Council's offices on 24 June 2025

Labour councillors dive deeper into denial in decision to abandon Northbrook pool

Exeter residents mourn as council suppresses destructive consequences of creating St Sidwell’s Point complex that looms in leisure service shadows like a leviathan.

Devon & Torbay Combined County Authority draft local growth plan infographic

Devon & Torbay CCA keeps quiet about 2025-35 Local Growth Plan as it takes charge of regional development agenda

Combined County Authority privately selects unspecified stakeholders to co-author document setting out strategic priorities but with little of substance to say on addressing region’s structural challenges.

Northbrook pool

Exeter City Council fields false prospectus in determination to close Northbrook pool

Ian Collinson reports double down on misrepresentation, material omission and flat denial as council plans to rend more of city’s fabric from its roots.

Clifton Hill sports centre redevelopment site

Second undervalue sale of Clifton Hill sports centre site after buyback loss leaves city with £3m less than initial market value

Council sold land for £2.14m – at £2.11m discount – then bought it back for £3.037m before selling again for £3.375m at £425,000 discount with £225,000 sweetener after also agreeing to spend net £600,000 on preparation, marketing and disposal costs.

Mary Arches car parks redevelopment site aerial view

300-bed “co-living” blocks to trump social housing vision for Mary Arches car parks

More people could be crammed into Eutopia Homes complex than current car parking spaces after Exeter City Council commits to “homes for the people of Exeter” on Liveable Exeter North Gate site.