BWhat’sEENGoing


Have you been away this past month or do you visit Dartmouth only occasionally? If so, then By The Dart will each month bring you a brief round-up of the key news stories.


Words and photos by Phil Scoble


FORMER DARTMOUTH STUDENT ABBIE GIBBS “INSPIRATION FOR OTHERS” AS SHE SIGNS SIX-FIGURE BOOK DEAL


Abbie started writing her Vampire novel “The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire” when she was a GCSE student at Dartmouth Community College. Using the online writing community Wattpad, she posted chapters online as she wrote them and found thousands of dedicated followers - and more than 16million page views. Her story quickly got her noticed and she has now signed a two-book deal with Harper Collins, one of the UK’s powerhouse publishers. Although an eBook edition is already available, the novel is published traditionally in paperback on October 11. It’s been a good year for Abbie and her Brixham-based family: as well as being published abbie aced her a-Levels at Churston, got into oxford on their English Literature course and her brother Ben – a student at Dartmouth Academy – has also done very well in his GCSEs, and will study A-levels at Dartmouth too. Dartmouth Academy Principal Nick Hindmarsh said: “We are all so delighted for Abbie – she has done so much in her young life, and everyone who taught her here knew she was destined for great things! She is living proof of what we tell all our pupils and students: you can achieve anything if you work hard and remain focussed. “Abbie’s achievements are absolutely exceptional – she should be very proud of herself and she is an inspiration for others that follow her.


Picture Felix Clay


TOUR OF BRITAIN ROARS HOME IN DARTMOUTH


ON?


Dartmouth became the focus of the world of cycling for a day when the Tour of Britain rolled into town. Dartmouth hosted the finishing line for the penultimate stage of the tour – which included star rider Mark Cavendish – on Saturday September 15. And though national hero Bradley Wiggins did not make it to Dartmouth, having been taken ill the day before, the town embraced the event incredibly enthusiastically. Hundreds turned out to line the finishing straight on the Embankment and the excitement built to hysteria levels before the riders raced into town just before 3pm. The stage was won by Pablo Urtasun, with Marc De Maar and Ivan Basso in second and third respectfully. Race leader Jonathan Tiernon-Locke finished eighth, maintaining his overall lead. He won the competition as it finished in Guildford the next day: the first Briton to do so for 19 years.


Whatever the final standings the big winner on the day was Dart- mouth itself; praised in virtually all the coverage of the event as a beautiful venue that provided the ‘perfect’ finish for racers.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148