The Ilfracombe Magazine - April 2023 edition

Ilfracombe

April 2023

TOPOLICEDESK REOPEN-P8

main image: coastal Drones

THIS MONTH...

Line of Enquiry

P8 - Ilfracombe Police Station’s enquiry desk set to reopen

Pub Praise

P12 - Town’s oldest pub shortlisted for prestigious national award

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“In England, when you want to know how the people are feeling, you always go to the pubs.”

P5 - Word From The Editor

P6 - Win a Roast

P8 & 12 - Local News

P22 - The View

Martha Gellhorn

A word from the editor

Welcome to the April edition of your free, monthly magazine and business directory. This month, as well as listing some of the best local services available in the town, we also bring you two really good news stories. Firstly, after years of closure, we can reveal that the enquiry office at the town’s police station is to reopen to the public. Many stations saw their front desks closed in 2014 due to funding cuts,

much to the dismay of the public. But the Police & Crime Commissioner is on a mission to reverse those closures, with Ilfracombe’s station added to the list recently. We also bring you the amazing news that the George and Dragon pub, officially Ilfracombe’s oldest boozer, has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award. The 14th century pub run by landlord Jon Quinn is one of just 15 pubs across the country

to make it to the finals of the Community Pub Hero Awards. Anyone who has ever attended one of Jon’s legendary quizzes will know exactly why the pub and landlord have made it to these finals. Check out the full story on page 12and if it makes you thirsty, get yourself down there for a nice pint!

pic: coastal drones

ilfracombe police station enquiry office to reopen

The enquiry desk at Ilfracombe Police Station is set to reopen in the next 12 months, it has been revealed. The station is one of six across Devon & Cornwall to have enquiry desks reopened as part of a project by Police & Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez. A total of 17 front desks are being reopened under the project, taking the total number of PEOs across the force area to 26. The force was among those to close ‘front desks’ during public sector cuts following the 2009 financial crisis. Across Devon and Cornwall 11 shut their doors to the public in 2014, although the stations remained in use as operational bases. However, the Commissioner

has made connectivity with the public a cornerstone of her Police and Crime Plans, arguing that face to face contact with the public helps victims and provides a long-term solution to rebuilding confidence in policing. So far £1.5m has been earmarked for investment in reopening public enquiry offices. Ms Hernandez said: “Thanks to investment from our residents Devon and Cornwall Police now has record police officer numbers. Having accessible police stations close to our communities is the missing part of the jigsaw in providing the neighbourhood model of policing that the Chief Constable and I support. Although we experience some of the lowest crime

levels in the country, drugs and antisocial behaviour are considerable issues for our communities. We want people to feel confident in telling us about the problems and challenges they experience before these issues escalate so preventative action can be taken. Already crimes including non-recent historic offences have been reported at one of our reopened police enquiry desks, demonstrating that some people prefer talking to an officer in confidence and in person.” The station enquiry office will be accessible to the public six days a week. You can find more information by visiting the Devon & Cornwall Police website.

police & Crime commissioner alison hernandez with sgt dave thubron and Sector Inspector Sean Pepper outside Ilfracombe police station

town’s oldest pub shortlisted for award

The George and Dragon on Fore Street has been shortlisted for the Community Pub Hero Awards for being a focal point for its neighbourhood and raising thousands for charity. The 14th century pub run by landlord Jon Quinn is one of just 15 pubs across the country to make it into the finals of the awards, which are organised by PubAid and The AllParty Parliamentary Beer Group, sponsored by Matthew Clark. It is well known in Ilfracombe for its fundraising events, especially the popular weekly pub quiz, compiled by Jon and it has helped raise more than £170,000 over the years for charities and local good causes. The George was

nominated for the award by North Devon MP Selaine Saxby, who said she was delighted to see it shortlisted in recognition of the fantastic work Jon and his team do. She added: “They are a real hub of support for the community and have provided continued support to many groups and charities in Ilfracombe for many years.” Jon runs the pub with his wife Linda, who also works as a nurse and the couple will have been there for 19 years this June. His sister had been running the pub and when she wanted to move on, he bought it from her and moved to Ilfracombe from his home town of Stockport. Jon said they were thrilled

to be in the Community Pub Hero finals, picked from among 200 entries: “We received the email last week while we were on holiday in Gran Canaria, and it made coming back to the grey of England a lot more bearable! We’ve worked hard to put the George and Dragon at the heart of the Ilfracombe community, so if anyone wants to raise funds for a local cause, they come to us and we’ll try to put on a quiz for them. At one point before lockdown, we had charities booked in for quizzes every week for 17 months! But without the support and generosity of our local residents, we wouldn’t be able to raise money.”