A MEMORIAL concert paying tribute to two Exmouth Shanty Men John Nettleton and town crier Garth Gibson, who both died in the spring, will be staged in October.

A MEMORIAL concert paying tribute to two Exmouth Shanty Men John Nettleton and town crier Garth Gibson, who both died in the spring, will be staged in October.

John died in April, and ideas for a permanent memorial to Garth, who died in May, have been flooding in from members of the public - and include a bronze statue and scholarships for local children.

A fund has been set up by the town council to pay for a lasting tribute - and members of the public can contribute by logging on to the town council website or post any contributions to the Town Hall, or drop them into the reception.

Town clerk John Wokersien has said that ideas and contributions this week have been flowing thick and fast and will be ultimately decided by a panel of councillors and family members.

He said: "Ideas so far include a bronze statue, planting of an oak tree, creation of a trust fund or a children's scholarship.

"The favourite location for a memorial is the Manor Gardens. Alternatively by the town clock in the Magnolia Centre where Garth used to give his Saturday morning 'shout'.

"To ensure that the memorial to be provided is the best it can be, we still have a long way to go and it is hoped that contributions will continue to flow in through to the end of October."

To contribute you can also go to www.exmouth.gov.uk where you will find a link to the memorial page from the Home Page and you can donate on line.

And tickets are now on sale for a memorial concert on October 2 at Exmouth Pavilion which will remember Exmouth Shanty Men John Nettleton and Garth Gibson.

You can buy on line or buy the tickets direct from the Pavilion. The Concert is called 'Heaven's a Bar' - a sea shanty which John Nettleton used to sing and is recorded on the new Exmouth Shantymen CD which is now available and is dedicated to John.