Focus on Ilfracombe Community News Magazine November 2018

November 2018—Vol 33 No 11

FOCUS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT www.focusonilfracombe.co.uk

Cover: Grant Stringer Photography, Weddings-Portraits-Family Photo-shoots - Events 07835026749 Design and IT Derek Woodcock and

ILFRACOMBE MUSEUM As we enter November 2018, we felt at the Museum that it would be good to look again at a First World War story. This month we will remember 100 years since the end of the war, and our story today looks at not only one man’s service but also at the life he had after he returned from that terrible conflict. This is appropriate because as a Museum we want to start looking beyond 1918 at the legacy of the First World War and the long-term impact it had on our town and its people.

Photo courtesy of Graham Wills This amusing photo shows four of the Ilfracombe men of the Royal Army Medical Corps at training camp in late 1915 before they were posted to Mesopotamia ( modern day Iraq ) in 1917. Although not part of a mounted regiment, the lads seem to have found a wooden cavalry ‘practice horse’ to sit on! Photos like these emphasise the camaraderie that existed between soldiers, made stronger in this case because, unusually for Ilfracombe, a group of local men all signed up together for the same division of the RAMC. In 1915 twelve men from Ilfracombe joined the 1/1 Wessex Division of the RAMC Sanitary Company, and here, four of them stop briefly from larking around to pose for a photo. The second man from the left is Herbert Karslake, and it is his grandson Graham who has kindly just sent us this photograph, along with many others of Herbert’s time in Iraq. Graham has also given us plenty of new information, not only about Herbert’s achievements during the war but also about his life back in Ilfracombe afterwards.

The RAMC had been created to care for the wounded, and to ensure cleanliness in soldier’s quarters. Many of the officers were chosen for the RAMC if they had a suitably skilled background, and Herbert Karslake had been a sanitary inspector for Ilfracombe Urban District Council prior to enlisting. Born in Mortehoe in 1881, aged 18 he was apprenticed as a plumber. In 1910 he got a job as a sanitary inspector for the council here, an important job as Ilfracombe traded upon its motto ‘Ilfracombe Strong for Health’. Herbert seems to have been one of those men who made a difference wherever he went; as soon as he arrived in the sweltering heat of the city of Amarah, he realised that the unbearable temperatures – up to 110C in the summer – were going to pose a problem to the health of the army, unused as they were to anything like this. He had been put in charge of sanitation of the city so quickly got to work. There were sick and wounded crowding the city hospitals, and Herbert noticed that a supply of fresh milk and clean water was needed – so he invented two devices to provide them. The distilled water device he made helped give those suffering with cholera some clean water. He also invented a portable shower bath to help cool those suffering from heatstroke, and a huge flytrap that was the first to be effective there, for which he got an award. However he himself fell dangerously ill whilst serving here, and it’s likely that this experience affected his health for the rest of his life.

After the war ended, Herbert returned to his wife and four children in Ilfracombe. Photos of them together after the war show what a close and loving family they were. Herbert returned to his post as sanitary officer; one of the first things he did was to recommend in 1919 that the Water Street area of Ilfracombe, notorious for its poor housing, be earmarked for demolition. He also set up an annual trip of the town’s dairymen to visit grade A milk-producing farms, again to improve standards. On the inventions front Herbert was still active; he invented and made a gas-powered teas-made, and an electrically powered model train set. Unfortunately the years he spent in the heat and disease of Mesopotamia had a longterm effect, and aged only 47, Herbert died. He is buried in Score cemetery alongside his elder brother Harry, who was killed on the Western Front in 1917. At his funeral it is touching to note that almost all the Ilfracombe ‘old boys’ of the RAMC attended, and his widow Linda was sent a letter of condolence from the medical officer of health in Baghdad. His family are immensely proud of the humanitarian work he carried out during the war and of his long service to Ilfracombe Town Council.

Sara Hodson, Museum Manager

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EVENTS 4 ILFRACOMBE If anyone has picked up their copy of Focus before the end of October don’t forget Spooks & Sparks at Ilfracombe Rugby Club on Friday 26th October from 6.30pm at The Rugby Club.

Then from midday on Saturday 10th November our one off event to to mark the 100 year anniversary of the end of the First World War. This event ‘World War One Celebrate and Commemorate’ will take place in Ilfracombe over the afternoon and evening of Saturday 10th November, the day before Remembrance Sunday. The schedule for World War One Celebrate & Commemorate is as follows: 12-5.00pm Stalls, displays and exhibitions in The Landmark foyer including a recreation of the ‘Soldier Wall’ from 2014.

2.30pm Living Letters photo on Capstone Hill. Be there by 12.15 at the latest.

1.00pm onwards Activities in the Landmark Pavilion including themed arts and crafts for children of all ages (free and all materials provided), ‘Mend and Make Do’, ‘Waste Not Want Not’, soup kitchen (free soup but a donation always welcome), waste not recipe exchange, learn to knit a poppy and more.

4.00pm onwards Recitals and music of the day from Small Pond Productions and La La Voices Community Choir.

6.30pm Homage to the Animals – outside Landmark Theatre, projected onto Landmark tower (viewing point as far away as Capstone Hill).

7.00-8.00pm Ilfracombe Remembers - A sound and visual show projected onto the Landmark tower. Unique, spectacular and not to be repeated. Warning contains loud explosions! Viewing areas along The Seafront & Capstone.

Wheelchair area next to Wildersmouth Beach (by the flags).

Ilfracombe Museum will also be open from 1.00pm to 5.00pm with their connected exhibition ‘Ilfracombe’s Faces of War’ together with a display of all of the archive living letters photos. Entry to the museum free for this day only.

Whatever the weather this will be a one off event not to be repeated. So if you want to experience it you have to be there. This event is supported by grants from Ilfracombe Rotary, Ilfracombe Lions, Ilfracombe Town Council, North Devon Council, Devon County Council and a major grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. There is therefore NO CHARGE to attend this event…it’s all free! For more information check out our Facebook page events4ilfracombe or look at the posters in the window of The Ilfracombe Centre.

Don’t forget on Sunday 11th November the 100 year anniversary of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Please observe the 2 minutes silence at 11.00am wherever you are. Muster outside The Landmark for the parade from 10.00am. Ilfracombe will once again say Thank You in Runnymede Gardens at 10.10am. The Remembrance Day Parade will leave the Landmark at 10.30am followed by a blessing at The War Memorial and the service at Holy Trinity church. All welcome. At 7.06pm Ilfracombe Town Crier Roy Goodwin will call ‘The Cry for Peace’ at The War Memorial.

This is the time that the guns finally went silent in 1918 and this cry will be performed all over the world at 7.06pm local time starting in New Zealand.

Then over the weekend of 23rd to 25th November it’s Combe Christmas! Starting on Friday 23rd November from 6.30pm on the High Street/Church Street with Lighting of the Lights including Santa and his merry band of elves on their sleigh, songs from the cast of The Sound of Music and a yet to be announced lights ‘switch-er on-er’ at The War Memorial. Everything kicks off with the lantern parade and continues into the evening with late night shopping and goodwill. This year an additional £5,000 of lights have been purchased by the Combe Christmas committee and installed by a gang of trade volunteers. Over the weekend of 24th and 2th November it’s a double sized Combe Christmas Market on Ropery Road Car Park. Over the weekend there is plenty to see and do including a large number of vendors, children’s entertainment, a free Santa’s Grotto, live music, a community carol concert plus a new addition for this year, the switch on of the new lights in and around St James Place which takes place on the Sunday evening.

For updates and ongoing news about the Combe Christmas Weekend, please visit www.facebook.com/ combechristmas More information on Ilfracombe events will be announced on an ongoing basis on www.facebook.com/ events4ilfracombe and you can also find event information on www.visitilfracombe.co.uk (go to what’s on then events) or call in to the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) in the Landmark. You can call the TIC on 01271 863001. You can contact Events 4 Ilfracombe on events@visitilfracombe.co.uk

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FOCUS YOUR TRULY LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE PRODUCED IN ILFRACOMBE 2018 SOUTH WEST IN BLOOM RESULTS! Ilfracombe in Bloom – Gold Award & the Preece Cup

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Berrynarbor in Bloom – Gold Pennant It’s Your Neighbourhood Awards Cow Green Community Garden - Thriving Cairn Nature Reserve – Thriving Community Resources – Outstanding and the Gordon Ford Trophy for the best It's Your Neighbourhood entry Business Leisure & Tourism Hele Valley Holiday Park - Gold South West Tourism Salver for the Best Judges Portfolio Ilfracombe in Bloom

The In Bloom team has done it again this is our 5th in a row of gold awards and we are one of the oldest entry for South west in bloom.

For us to achieve gold an exceptionally high standard demonstrated throughout a consistent approach which demonstrates best practice and sustainable effort. the town looked good this year on the day of judging in July and very clean and tidy.

A very big thank to all who helped this year with displays and donations without your help we would be unable to give Ilfracombe that “Feel good factor!"

Ivan Francis

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FOCUS YOUR TRULY LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE PRODUCED IN ILFRACOMBE

Our new Chef and in-house DJ will be delighted to cater for your office / Club / family event, be it mid-week – quiet or at the weekend and lively.

Also available for Christmas Day Lunch Please call for further details and prices

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PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ADVERTISERS TLC COMMUNITY SHOP

EVANS BODYSHOP Car Body Repairs est.1949 6a Northfield Road 01271 862889 Insurance repairs MOT and rust repairs Low bake oven facilities—No VAT

Trustees and volunteers from TLC Charity Shop in Ilfracombe presented ‘Transform 4 Work’ Community Support Service with a cheque for £3,000.

The charitable groups work together to provide muchneeded help and free facilities to our community.

Mike Edmunds, Trustee of TLC, explained that TLC wanted to support local, independent, front line services in difficult times. Wendy Butler, volunteer co-ordinator at Transform 4 Work, said that such local support was invaluable. Both groups are led by community volunteers, without whom such services could not continue.

TLC also donated £1,000 to N Devon Samaritans.

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PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ADVERTISERS

CONFUSED ABOUT YOUR FLU VACCINATION? For patients who are at risk the best action is to have a flu vaccination every year.

We offer influenza vaccination to the following groups: • • • • • • • •

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Patients aged 65 or over or Patients aged who are aged under 65 with any of the following problems: Asthma or another chronic chest complaint Heart problems Diabetes Kidney disease Liver Disease Neurological Disease A pregnant woman A carer If you suffer from a serious illness and have a reduced ability to fight infection The good news is that we have quadrivalent vaccine in stock now and appointments available to book – ask at reception for available appointments at our flu clinics!

COMBE COASTAL PRACTICE 01271 863119 or 01271 863840 or 01271 882406 or 01271 870276 7

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PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ADVERTISERS

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Community Reports ILFRACOMBE & DISTRICT COMMUNITY MINIBUSES is looking for minibus drivers for paid work. You need to have D1 on your driving licence, hours to suit. Please contact Allan Day on 07966599757 for a chat. For a list of our minibus services contact 01271 863630 for a leaflet. Please continue to support our Town Bus, services 33, 34, 35 and 36, to show how necessary it is.

TORRS LADIES

We had a busy afternoon at our last meeting, Vida was in charge as Shirley was not well. We made a collection for the wreath for Remembrance Day and asked members if they would like to meet at the war memorial on Sunday 11th to lay they wreath on behalf of the Club. Vida took bookings for our Christmas lunch. Tickets will be available at the November meeting, also the community bus is booked for those who require transport. Tickets for the lunch are £11 for members, £16 for guests. The fare for the bus is £5.

Vida made a plea for members to come forward to help run the Club or think about whether the Club should close. We will discuss this at the next meeting.

Vida then introduced our speaker for the afternoon Sara Hodson from Ilfracombe Museum. Sara had brought along eight items from the Museum collection and told us about them and their connection to Ilfracombe. The Vice Chairman thanked her for a very interesting talk.

Next month Paul Carpenter will be our guest and he will be talking to us about the group of people who provide a Christmas lunch for those on their own. The meeting is at Brookdale church Hall on 12th November starting at 2pm.

Jenny Hodson WELCOME TO THE ARTS SOCIETY NORTH DEVON www.theartssocietysw.org.uk The Arts Society is an international charity whose main objective is Education and Conservation in the arts.

The December lecture will start at 2pm on Tuesday 11 th December at the Durrant House Hotel, Bideford. It will be preceded by the Society’s Annual General Meeting at 1.30pm.

Adam Busiakiewicz’s lecture is entitled “The Queen of Instruments – the Lute in Old Master Paintings”. The lute holds a special place in the history of art - the lecture looks at the lute and other musical instruments as devices to express various aspects of the human character through the ages. Adam is an art historian, flautist and lecturer, with a BA in history and a Master’s Degree in Fine Art and Decorative Art. He was also the youngest Guide Lecturer at the Wallace Collection.

Visitors are always welcome - a small donation of £5 will be requested. For more information about joining, or our programme, please contact: Pamela Selman 01271 866661 or Lornie Yewdall 01271 858206. Judy Keyworth North Devon Relate Barnstaple by appointment Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday daytime and evenings. Contact 0300 7729 681 or via the website www.relate-ed.org.uk HELP WITH FOOD COLLECTION The food bank has a Tesco South West collection slot and we desperately need volunteers to man the local store. The days are Thursday 29th, Friday 30th and Saturday 1st December, daily slots from 9.30am–5 pm. If you could spare even one hour it would be appreciated, or more of course! The only thing you have to do is stand by the box to receive gifts of food and give out a leaflet to all customers as they go in the shop. If you are able to help please contact Sheila on Tel: 863350 for further details.

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Dates for your Diary MONDAY Befriender Coffee Mornings 10.30am-12noon for over 65s at Encounter Church. Drop in for tea, coffee and homemade cake.

Ilfracombe Bridge Club meets at West Down Parish Hall every Monday 2pm-5pm. Cost £2 per session including tea, coffee and biscuits. Contact 01271 889393.

St John Ambulance Badgers aged 7-10 years meet Mondays in the Trinity Rooms 6pm -7.30pm. Contact Chrissie Morrison 07932 441 602 for details.

Ilfracombe Chess Club meets at the Wellington Arms in Ilfracombe High Street from 7pm. All welcome. Contact Bob Lock 01271 862662 for details.

Second Monday of every month Sunflowers Book Reading Group meet at Grass Roots Café, Ilfracombe High Street from 10.30-11.30am. Collect your book then talk about it the following month and pick up a new title.

TUESDAY 361 Energy CIC Clinic 10am-1pm Transform4Work, Unit 1 The Candar, Ilfracombe 01271 599361.

Ladies who enjoy singing meet Thursdays in the Guild Room beneath Emmanuel Church 2-3pm. Contact Beryl for details 01271 866582.

Games Galore Is a social group for people who enjoy playing board games. Meet Tuesdays in the Lantern Centre Club Room 1.30pm until 3.30pm. Cost £2 per session. Call Irene 07588 359 834 for more details or just pop in.

Musical Memories is a social singing group for people with Alzheimer's, dementia and memory difficulties plus their carer/companion. We meet every 1st and 3rd Tuesday in the month at the Vision Centre, Slade from 2-4pm.

Come and join us for a singsong and some fun. Ample parking. Contact Hazel 01271 863944 or Margaret 882927.

St John Ambulance Cadets aged 10-18 years meet Tuesdays in the Parish Church Trinity Rooms, 7-8.30pm.

Contact Sue Ayre 07980 182 317.

Ilfracombe Male Voice Choir for gentlemen who enjoy singing, meet every Tuesday at 7.15pm in the Guild Room Emmanuel Church on the seafront. Contact Jan Cross 01271 866215.

Games Galore the expansion! Table top games, Thursdays 5.30-9.30pm at the Naked Cake Café, The Promenade, Ilfracombe. £1 per head. Contact Irene 07588 359 834.

FRIDAY Ilfracombe Model Railway Club meet every Friday 810pm above Pearce’s Undertakers, Wilder Road. £2.50 pw. New members welcome. Various gauges. Contact David Watts 01271 864677.

SATURDAY HOLY TRINITY GRAVEYARD GROUP meet in the graveyard from 10am weather permitting for gardening.

Contact Erica 07984 282 442. All are welcome to come. along and see what we do.

Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes Capstone Lodge 4027 (Buffs) meet in the Lodge Room at 7.45pm.

Lapsed members especially welcomed back. Contact Brian (Secretary) 01271 373137.

WEDNESDAY Ilfracombe U3A Bridge Group meet at Brookdale Church Hall on alternate Wednesday’s 6.30pm-8.30pm. Call 01271 889393 for actual dates. Cost £2 per session including tea, coffee and biscuits.

Watercolour Workshop every 2nd Wednesday of the month at Lee Memorial Hall, Lee EX34 8LN. Refreshments provided. Bring your own lunch. Contact Brenda Keeble 01271 267583 for details.

Ilfracombe Church Bellingers Holy Trinity Church ringing practice 7-8.15pm Wednesdays. Contact Tony Watts Tower Captain 01271 867350. New members welcome.

THURSDAY Befrienders Activity Afternoon for the over 65s meet Thursdays at Encounter Church 2.30-4pm.Teacakes and tea to finish. Contact Rachel for a programme 07818 650 566.

Table Tennis Friendly Group for the slightly more mature meet Thursdays 2pm-4pm at Ilfracombe Table Tennis Club, Fore Street. Bats etc provided.

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Dates for your Diary Ilfracombe Food Network Weekly Pop-up Store intervening goods and products which would otherwise be disposed of every Saturday 9-10am at Belle’s Place, Lee Place, Ilfracombe. Bring a carrier bag and pay as you choose. Volunteer your time, skills or pop a monetary donation in the bucket to Belle’s Place. All welcome.

Waste Not Café every 2nd Saturday of the month at Belle’s Place 11.30-1.30pm. Pay as you can. Food is donated from local supermarkets and shops which would otherwise go to waste.

Saturday 3rd November and Saturday 1st December Ilfracombe Farmers Market at the Lantern Centre, High Street. 10am-12.30. Fresh, local and organic produce and craft. Refreshments. New traders welcome. 01271 864621 for information.

Monday 5th November Ilfracombe Baptist Church Women’s Fellowship. 2.30pm Crafts. Contact 01271 864052.

Saturday 10th November Shammick Acoustic Open Night, Pack o’ Cards, High Street, Combe Martin 8pm.

Sunday 11th November Cairn Conservation Carers meet at 10am for 2-3 hours. Meet at the Walks notice board, Cairn Road for clearing on Baileys Cleave or pathways. Tools provided.

Monday 12th November Ilfracombe Baptist Church Women’s Fellowship. 2.30pm Study - Divine Guidance.

Contact 01271 864052 Wednesday 14th November Ilfracombe Pensioners Social Club meet in the Club Room at The Lantern 2-4 pm. Today John Kinsman will show more slides of old Ilfracombe and the area. Entrance is £2 to cover refreshments and raffle. All welcome. Community minibus is available door to door for people with mobility difficulties, £2.50 return. Contact Shirley on 01271 863630.

Monday 19th November Ilfracombe Baptist Church Women’s Fellowship. 2.30pm Crafts. Contact 01271 864052.

Tuesday 20th November N Devon Archaeological Society meet at the Castle Centre, Castle Street, Barnstaple for a talk by Emily Wapshott (Archaeologist and Historic Buildings Specialist) The Archaeology of Buildings.

Members no charge, visitors £2.50.

Saturday 24th November Shammick Acoustic Moira Craig & Carolyn Robson in concert, Pack o’ Cards, High Street, Combe Martin 8pm.

Sunday 25th November 2.30pm Cairn Conservation Carers meet at the Walks notice board, Cairn Road for clearing on Baileys Cleave or pathways. Tools provided.

Monday 26th November Ilfracombe Baptist Church Women’s Fellowship. 2.30pm Study - Divine Protection.

Contact 01271 864052.

Wednesday 28th November Ilfracombe Pensioners Social Club meet for a fun game of Bingo - see 14 November for more details.

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Encounter Church, Ilfracombe High Street has recently refurbished rooms to hire for meetings, business functions etc. Modern, efficient folding doors enable both large rooms to be divided into 4 for multi-use.

Facilities include own entrance, toilets and a drink making station. Also Large TV screen for presentations and audio facilities. Rates: £10 per hour plus opening and lock-up fee. Further information and bookings phone 01271 862426

‘COMBE FERN COLLECTING BOOM by Neil Holloway Photos courtesy Ilfracombe Museum The British Isles has seen differing types of collecting enthusiasm, some verging on obsession. Centuries ago The Tulip Mania saw the rarer darker flowering bulbs changing hands for sums equivalent to a town house. Ilfracombe is unlikely to have benefitted from Tulip Mania but a couple of hundred years later it was in the prime position to earn reward from the Victorian craze for collecting rare plants.

The warm moist air of the town is an environment that furthered one of the most highly sought after plant families in late Victorian/Edwardian times, the fern, even now you can find a selection of ferns growing wild around the town.

There were two distinct phases of fern collection and selling in Ilfracombe, the first ‘the unsustainable ‘Find and dig out’ era, indiscriminate scavenging across the town and especially the cliff tops, the salt loving varieties being so much rarer were highly prized and priced accordingly. It wasn’t long before stocks were at the point of collapse; this is when it was realised that ferns would thrive in greenhouse conditions where they could be propagated, protected and produce a steady supply of plants for sale. Soon family owned ferneries were established in a number of locations right across the town providing niche market returns and an additional work sector.

The Lewis family operated a fernery just beyond the ‘Thatch’, behind Chambercombe Terrace, the Roberts family from Langleigh Lane, the house is still called the Fernery.

In the west The Gammon’s had large greenhouses on the opposite side of the slipway beside The Dorchester on St Brannock’s Road.

More fernery glasshouses were further up St Brannock’s based in the nursery between Cairn House and Cairnside, next to the walkway from St Brannock’s to the Cairn. For a number of generations, the nursery and Cairnside were owned by the Jemmett family.

John Jemmet, now 97, the oldest living Old Issian, a little slower on his pins nowadays but still wonderfully sharp and funny, advises me, one of the fernery era glasshouses from their former nursery, now housing Arbour Close, was dismantled three or four decades ago and re-assembled behind Cairnside, it appears to be still in stiu, a real survivor.

Central Ilfracombe was not left out. A large set of greenhouses were built in Oxford Park, now the Oxford Grove car park.

These were rented by a number of growers for not just ferns but other local specialities such as fuchsia.

The fern business was lucrative enough for once a week, sometimes twice, the goods van on the direct Ilfracombe – Waterloo train to be completely booked for ferns, to be offloaded at Clapham Junction and then to Covent Garden. Ferns lost popularity in the inter war years but flower arrangers still use them and until the early sixties there was one fern supplier, thought to be named Rogers, each week with a staff at the east end of the Market Hall, now DJ’s Sports Bar, to supply local demand.

Over the years Ilfracombe families have proved adept at identifying and supplying niche markets for substantial reward.

Andy Hodge with ‘Drinklink’ and The Vince brothers with ‘Kangaroo Poo’ are recent success stories, who’s next?

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FOCUS YOUR TRULY LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE PRODUCED IN ILFRACOMBE

CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH 2018 Thanks to the generosity of people and groups in Ilfracombe, we are able once again to provide lunch on Christmas Day for people in our community who are on their own or housebound and may not otherwise have a hot meal on Christmas Day. It is a ‘meals on wheels’ service for anyone who would appreciate it. Please complete this form and take it to Paul Carpenter at Hairport,114 High Street, Ilfracombe EX34 9ET by MONDAY, 10TH DECEMBER 2018 ILFRACOMBE COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH 2018 Name

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Address

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

…………………………………………………………………………………...

No of persons requiring a meal ………………………………

Any special dietary requirements (ie diabetes) ……………………………………………………….

Meals are prepared and delivered to individual homes by friends and members of Ilfracombe Compass and Ilfracombe Rotary Club between 12noon and 1pm.

Signed …….………………………………………….

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FOCUS YOUR TRULY LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE PRODUCED IN ILFRACOMBE Diary by Mayoress of Ilfracombe Amanda Gartshore

voluntary services and to raise what turned out to be a considerable sum of money for his chosen charity.

Celebrations and proclamations

It’s been all celebrations and proclamations in the Mayoress’s diary this month. Last week we celebrated with the Petroc graduates at their graduation ceremony. Unlike some higher education establishments, cheering and whooping was encouraged and it was a joyously noisy affair. From my front row seat in the Queen’s Theatre I was in an ideal place to observe a diverse selection of shoes in all colours, and I felt considerable shoe envy by the end of the event.

There was more cheering and whooping yesterday when we celebrated with the Ilfracombe in Bloom volunteers. It was revealed that they had swept the board in all the categories entered in this year’s South West in Bloom competition, winning gold awards and the coveted Preece Cup. I’ve been known to enter a few horticultural competitions in my time so I know this is a serious business and that this year was a difficult year for growing anything. Remember how in just a few months it was cold, then hot and dry, and then very wet? The green fingered volunteers turned a difficult year into a highly successful one. Well done everyone and I hope you feel inspired to do it all again next year.

At 10.00am on a weekday in mid-September, the Mayor and Mayoress could be seen drinking gin and tonic with other local dignitaries in the Mayor of Barnstaple’s parlour.

That’s not strictly true. The Mayor was designated driver for the day and stuck to orange juice. Keen readers will be pleased to know that your Mayoress did her best to show her gratitude for the Mayor of Barnstaple’s kind hospitality by drinking two quite large G+T’s before 11.00am. The gathering was part of the Barnstaple Proclamation of the Ancient Fair. This is a fixed annual point in the town’s calendar which announces the start of an annual fair which has existed for over 1,000 years. At fairs of today we enjoy dodgems and walzers. In years gone by, Barnstaple fair has boasted Prince Samouda’s Egyptian Mystery Show, Jack Harvey’s Freak Show and W. Lennard’s Indian Fakir.

As well as offering amusements, the fair was held for the serious business of selling livestock and local goods up until the 1950’s. Now an annual fun fare the roots of the event live on with the proclamation and procession, a ceremony in the Guildhall and the floral hand of friendship which is extended from the Guildhall to the town.

Next month the focus changes to commemoration with the hundredth anniversary of the end of the Great War. I do It was a privilege to be hope everyone is planning to join the town for events invited to take part in an taking place on 10th and 11th November. It will event which underlies the commemorate the sacrifice made by Ilfracombe men and long history and traditions of North Devon. It was also women of the time, and is set to be a fitting tribute to the enthusiasm and vision of the late Sue Garwood. Look out chance for Barnstaple’s Mayor to thank members of for information about the weekend. There are going to be a few surprises. the emergency and

GOODBYE KINGSLEY PRINTERS Focus magazine started in the 1970’s an Ilfracombe community project. If anyone has any memories of our history, please get in touch.

Kingsley Print has been printing Focus on Ilfracombe since 1985 and printing and publishing for the last few years. Assuming the sale of Kingsley Print goes through, December will be our last issue. Hopefully January onwards will continue with a new publisher, we certainly hope so. Thank you to all our advertisers and contributors especially Evans Body Shop, an original advertiser.

Dave Lane Partner Kingsley Printers 15

FOCUS YOUR TRULY LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE PRODUCED IN ILFRACOMBE REGEN LINK SERVICES FOR PEOPLE 65+

Regen Link has been running for five years now.

Everything we do is about trying to reduce isolation, linking folk together and supporting older people so they know that they don’t have to cope alone.

There is a Coffee Morning group every Monday from 10.30am-2pm for people to pop in have a natter, make friends and enjoy home-made cakes and a cuppa.

Every Thursday afternoon from 2.30pm-4pm we hold an Activity Afternoon where we have a constantly changing programme of meaningful, educational, interesting ideas for people to take part in and enjoy something new.

everyone special time and attention. However, due to a few folk needing to move into long-term care, unusually we have a few vacant slots for our Wednesday group – so if you are managing at home caring for someone with a diagnosed dementia, in or around the Ilfracombe area…… we understand how tough this is so please allow us to help, by giving you some time to yourself for a few hours each week.

We also have a member of the Social Services team and an Alzheimer’s Society worker who come in once a month to offer any professional support and advice to carers, which they have found really helpful.

We are a charity and a voluntary organisation working as part of Encounter Church [opposite the co-op] and all these activities are held there, supported by other local churches who also want to give this practical help in the town.

As such all our services are free, so we rely on individual donations and larger donations from groups such as the Charity Bookshop, The Lions Club and Ilfracombe Arts group, among others we have gratefully received help from.

We continue to give our one to one ‘Befriending at home’ visits for those people who are housebound as well as providing a weekly Carers Break Day every Wednesday 10am–3pm for those people who look after a loved one living with a dementia full time and the NHS locally and the Alzheimer’s Society support us in this.

For more information about our Wednesday group of any other The Wednesday group is provided by volunteers who as support we offer please ring well as being police checked, either have experience of Rachel Holmes on working with these kind of needs or have received 07818 650 566. specialised training. So we are able to engage people in different ways to provide stimulation and moments of fun!

We limit the numbers in this group so we can give

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FOCUS YOUR TRULY LOCAL COMMUNITY MAGAZINE PRODUCED IN ILFRACOMBE Robson has long been a professional singer and musician specialising in traditional folk song and dance. With a November’s Open Night happens on Saturday 10 in the number of albums to her name, Carolyn also has a wealth intimate and informal surroundings of the ‘museum’ at the of singing and teaching experience, has made countless Pack o’ Cards, well away from the noise of the bar. Open club and festival appearances, featured on radio and TV, Nights are about anyone and everyone having a chance to and is widely ‘sing, say or play’ whatever takes their fancy, or just to recognised as one of listen and join in with the odd chorus if you prefer. If you’re the country’s finest a musician and you don’t want to play solo, there’s often a female singers. chance during the break for a bit of a jam session. Anyone is welcome, and although encouraged to participate, they These two could charm won’t be pressurised to do so. Inevitably, this month, there the birds off the trees, and will have no will be some songs and poems reminding us of the wars, difficulty in enthralling but there’s usually plenty of levity as well. There’s no the audience at admission fee, although the pot is passed around for Shammick Acoustic. contributions to the club’s expenses. th A number of local or For our concert on the 24 , we’re delighted to welcome back Moira Craig and Carolyn Robson as our guest artists. visiting performers will, as usual, be there as Previously two-thirds of the much-loved harmony trio support artists, as well Craig; Morgan; Robson until the sad passing of Sarah Morgan, these stunningly fine singers have kept the music as enjoying being part of the audience. alive, mainly concentrating on their native songs of Scotland and Northumbria.

Shammick Acoustic Moira Craig is from East Kilbride, where music and singing takes place at The Pack o’ Cards, High Street, Combe was at the heart of family life, and although she left to work Martin from 8pm with doors opening at 7.30. Tickets for the concert are £7 in advance from Shammick Acoustic, as a nurse in South East England more than thirty years from the Pack o’ Cards, or Pets’ Pantry, High Street, ago, singing has still taken up most of her free time. She has long been recognised for her superb interpretations of Combe Martin, online via www.wegottickets.com/ ShammickAcoustic, or £8 at the door. traditional songs and ballads, winning Sidmouth International Folk Festival’s ‘Sidmouth Singer of the Year’ Shammick Acoustic is a not-for-profit organisation. More award, and contributing to the CDs produced by the information can be found on the website Pastimes shop, and performing in Britain, Germany and at www.shammickacoustic.org.uk, or the USA. contact Tom or Barbara Brown on 01271 882366, or by e-mail at Originally from the North East border country, Carolyn contact@shammickacoustic.org.uk.

SHAMMIC ACOUSTIC

th

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PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ADVERTISERS News from the Exmoor Pony Centre, Ashwick, Dulverton TA22 9QE Tel 01398 323093 Exmoor Pony Centre achieved top place in Minehead Tesco Bags of Help scheme in August which means we will receive ÂŁ4,000.

This will enable us to re-surface and weatherproof our interactive pony area so people of all ages and abilities, including wheelchair users, will be able to enjoy contact with an Exmoor Pony.

One of the most popular activities is petting and grooming ponies but our existing interactive pony area is currently open to the elements and gets extremely muddy (as anyone who has visited us will know!) making it difficult for older or disabled visitors and impossible for wheelchair users. Our staff and volunteers spend a lot of time talking to visitors and it is clear this is one area where we need to make improvements so no-one is excluded because of poor access. Now we will be able to do it. So a very big thank you to all of you who voted for us and also, of course, a big thank you to Tesco.

The Centre is open to visitors until 2nd November. Then we will be closing for the winter while we concentrate on handling the new intake of foals.

Website www.exmoorponycentre.org.uk Facebook:www.facebook.com/TheExmoorPonyCentre Email: info@exmoorponycentre.org.uk

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26th January 1854. The Church Robbery:--We mentioned last week that our policeman had gone to Bristol, in quest of Edward Blunt, the boy who appears to have been the principal of the juvenile gang engaged in this robbery. He arrived in Bristol on Tuesday morning to pick this “needle out of a bundle of straw” without any knowledge of whereabouts of mother, father, or child, in the midst of its hundred and forty thousand inhabitants. He proceeded, however, as good detectives best know how, and before the end of a winter’s day he was in possession of the object of his search. It would appear that those who had the care of him knew that there was something amiss; he had consequently been kept close and not allowed to go out of doors—not at least since it had been noised abroad that he was implicated in a robbery. That afternoon, unfortunately, he had been sent for some penny errand, and, although his “mother knew he was out,” whose eye should light upon him but that of Policeman Snell? He had been considerably metamorphosed in appearance by alterations of dress, &c., which made his identity somewhat doubtful, but Snell made his acquaintance, inquired his name, which, as if as schooled beforehand in a catechism of falsehoods, he gave as John Reed, said his father was a sailor and not a tailor, that he came from Swansea, not from Ilfracombe, never saw our policeman in his life, and was now living with his aunt.

his rake struck out a glove, which was found to contain a half crown piece, just by he also picked up a shilling lying loose and a knife. The man very properly made known his discovery, when the glove, knife and coin, were deposited in the hands of the Vicar. The glove is said to belong to Blackmore, one of the boys implicated in the theft. These articles will yield very likely further evidence in this particular case.

“Take Care of the Candle” is a parental injunction “familiar as a household word,” and as necessary as familiar. One of the little daughters of Mr. John Scamp, the crier, was going to bed with a candle, by herself, between seven and eight o’clock on Friday evening last, when, by carelessness, or accident, the valance of the bed caught fire, and spread with such rapidity that alarming consequences were threatened. Very providentially the mischief was discovered, and, ready assistance being obtained the flames were extinguished, but not before enough furniture was destroyed to require £3 to replace it—a sad loss for a poor man. However, it is well, indeed, that it is no worse. A house burnt down would be a strange thing in this town, what there may be in the memory of the “oldest inhabitants” we cannot say, but we have never heard of such a casualty occurring here.

Highfield Road:--It has been determined by the committee managing the work that it is “henceforth to be called The boy, though delivering all these falsehoods, knew who HIGHFIELD ROAD.” This narrow useless mud gully, the was talking to him as well as he knew his own father, and it ancient way by which our great grandfathers approached so happened that a woman came up while the talk was on, the Town of Ilfracombe, has been long obsolete as a who proved to be the boy’s mother, in quest of him, as he road—rendered unnecessary first by what is now called the had stayed longer on his errand than he ought. The fact of old Barnstaple Road, and that in its turn having had to yield his being the identical object of his search being now put to two others since the day of Macadam—one going out at beyond doubt, he was taken into custody and brought to the east, and the other at the west end of the town.

Ilfracombe. On Saturday he was placed before the Bench, when the evidence previously given by his partners in the Births. 8th inst., at Adelaide Terrace, the lady of Major crime received an addition or two from other sources. A Savary, H.E.I.C.S. of a son. boy called Litson, having questioned the accused as to th how he became possessed of so much money, was told by Deaths. 12 at Horn Place, Ilfracombe, the infant son of Captain Robert Brown.

Blunt that he had taken it from the donation boxes in the church. The accused had also himself told the policeman, 23rd February 1854. The Baptists:--The North Devon although cautioned by him as to the use which could be Association of Baptists Ministers met here on Wednesday made of his communication, that he had taken three night. Business was transacted in the afternoon, and in the sovereigns from the box, and told the other boys they were evening a public meeting was held in the Baptist Chapel in half-sovereigns, and that to each of them he gave ten Portland-street, where several able addresses were shillings. The magistrates committed Blunt to the County delivered to a good congregation.

Gaol to take his trial at the next Assizes. There were two of Board of Health:--it is at last a fact that the long prepared these donation boxes in the church, one at the south for drainage operations are commenced. On Monday entrance, and the other at the chancel, both were broken open, but it cannot be ascertained with any precision what morning, near the Rope Walk, the first turf was turned. A amount of money was in them. The Vicar is the prosecutor vessel load of earthenware pipes were received the other as treasurer of the New Church Building Fund, to which the week, which will now be brought into use. The Tunnel contents of these boxes were devoted—no doubt care will through Compass Hill promises to be a tough job—hard be taken in future not to allow three or four months or more rocks and springs of water interrupting the operations. to elapse before removing their contents.

Another harassment is said to be in contemplation by some Deaths. 23rd inst., at the house of his aunt, Madame Von party claiming to own the hill in the shape of a Chancery Schoultz, Montpelier Terrace, Ilfracombe, Master Hannay, suit to try the right of boring under the property. That will be son of Major Hannay, of the Indian Service, Assam. worse than springs of water or rocks of adamant.

24th February 1854. Professional:--Mr. Wilking Stabb, son of Thos. Stabb, Esq., surgeon, Montpelier Terrace, has passed his examination at the Apothecaries Hall.

Did you know? THE FIRST ILFRACOMBE MAN TO DIE in WW1 was Able Seaman John Lourine Tavnor Weller of 9th February 1854. Relic of the Church Robbery:--Since the Royal Navy, HMS Aboukir. He was the son of Walter the committal of the unhappy youth charged as the Edmund and Harriet Weller of 3 Langleigh Terrace, principal in robbing the donation boxes in the church, a Ilfracombe. He died on 22 September 1914, aged 36. portion of the money has been found in a plantation in Sandy Lane, belonging to Thomas Tordiffe, Esq., a workman was employed in raking among the trees, when

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