The Ilfracombe Magazine - January 2022 edition

The

Ilfracombe January 2022

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ANN CLEEVES Best-selling author talks about her love of Ilfracombe ahead of Landmark show P8&9

NEW NURSERY OPENING IN ILFRACOMBE!

MONTESSORI KINDERGARTEN

Opening early 2022 at Trinity Rooms - More details on Page 2

MONTESSORI KINDERGARTEN ILFRACOMBE “Play is the work of the child” Maria Montessori

A new Montessori nursery is coming to Ilfracombe early 2022 at the beautifully restored Trinity Rooms in the heart of town.

Taking children ages 2-5 years old, offering a small group size with a maximum of 16 children in attendance each day.

WHAT IS MONTESSORI?

Montessori is a worldwide teaching approach following the method created by Dr Maria Montessori. The Montessori environment is carefully prepared with the aim to support children’s individual learning in a holistic way that enables them to fully explore & learn at their own pace, guiding children to be confident learners, building independence & self-esteem. The foundation for lifelong learning.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

There are also opportunities for qualified staff who would like to be a part of this new exciting venture

For more information about our exciting new nursery please email montessorikindyilf@gmail.com or call Karen on 07555 074899

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THIS MONTH...

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Author in Town

P8 - The Long Call author Ann Cleeves tells us why she loves Ilfracombe

Housing Crisis

P10 - How North Devon Council aims to tackle a lack of housing in Ilfracombe

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P5 - Word From The Editor P6 - Win a Roast P10 - Local News P12 - From The Archives P20 - The View

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A word from the editor First things first - here’s wishing you the very best for the New Year! I hope the festive period was everything you hoped it would be (at the time of typing covid restrictions are starting to be slightly tightened so who knows what’s in store)!

I’m absolutely delighted to have a real scoop for the magazine this month - an interview with none other than crime novelist Ann Cleeves. For those who don’t know of Ann’s work where have you been? Ann is most famous for penning the Shetland and Vera books which have been turned into hugely successful television series. So why has she chosen to speak to our humble magazine?

Well, not only did Ann grow up in this area, but her latest novels - the Two Rivers series - are set right here in Ilfracombe. Many of you will have seen the adaptation of her book The Long Call on ITV recently, in which our fair town looked absolutely amazing! Her next book in the series, The Heron’s Cry, is also set in the area and, to celebrate its release in paperback, Ann is heading to Ilfracombe for a very special event at the Landmark Theatre, more details on that in our special feature on pages 8 and 9. We also

have another fantastic new feature this month.

Ilfracombe Museum will be providing us with a wonderfully nostalgic image each month as well as some fascinating details and context with which to view it. This month it looks at the various and numerous pubs of the town from years gone by including some fascinating information about why beer was much more readily consumed back in the

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1800s (something many of us will be able to relate to with the covid lockdowns just a recent memory)!

This walk down memory lane is something I have been keen to include in the magazine for some time now and I’m delighted to finally have the museum and their collective expertise on board. See you next month!

Leo

The Ilfracombe Magazine

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6 COMpetition - win a delicious roast dinner!

You could win a delicious Sunday roast dinner at the Lakeside Restaurant at Hidden Valley Holiday Park All you have to do is correctly identify the Ilfracombe street In this picture from Google Street View. Email your answer, name and full address to be in with a chance to win. Send it to us at: theilfracombemagazine@outlook.com

WIN!

WIN! The winner of last month’s competition is John Pearce who correctly identified Broad Park Avenue. Congratulations!

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Sunday Lunches With stunning views across the lake, the Lakeside Cafe & Restaurant has a varied menus include vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options, serving high-quality local food at reasonable prices. Enjoy delicious Sunday roasts, sumptuous Devonshire cream tea & mouthwatering steaks as well as daily specials with locally sourced ingredients.

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8 Ann CleEves exclusive: author of the long call

While many won’t recognise the name Ann Cleeves, you will almost certainly know her work. The award-winning author of the popular Shetland and Vera books (and consequent TV hits) has reached a huge audience both in the UK and abroad with her fiendishly penned and typically British murder mysteries. But her latest work – the Two Rivers series – sees her return to her childhood home of North Devon, with a large chunk of the action set right here in Ilfracombe. The first of this series, The Long

Call, has already been turned into a hit ITV series, portraying the town in a glorious light. The second book, The Heron’s Cry, is soon to be issued in paperback and will see Ann head to the Landmark Theatre for a special Q&A event in February. We caught up with Ann ahead of her Ilfracombe date to find out why she loves this little corner of the world. Ann said she hadn’t envisaged ever writing a book set in the South West. She said: “In the crime writing world, setting a book in the Westcountry

is a bit cosy. People expect it to be all cream teas and thatched cottages, and although I write traditional crime fiction, I don’t write that sort of book. I decided I wasn’t going to write any more about Shetland – eight books was enough really for islands that are that small.

My husband died quite unexpectedly and I came down to stay with an old school friend in Barnstaple.

We would chat about people we used to know there and visit some of the places where I’d had a brilliant time growing up. It was the best place to be a teenager at that particular time – the music of the sixties and seventies, beach parties before quite so many tourists were here and it certainly wasn’t the cool surfing place that it is now. If there were surfers they were hippies, it was certainly not public school boys coming to celebrate the end of exams.” Although Ann lived in Barnstaple, she recalls spending time in Ilfracombe and visiting her uncle who had a butcher’s shop in the town. She said: “I have very fond memories of spending Christmas there with my aunt and uncle and cousins. When I was at school we would also come over and do joint things like drama in Ilfracombe.” Ann

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r d a i a s e i i a a w D t “ t d f a t a s t B t w c o r b p w T n l l A T a V g a T

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returned to North Devon during the filming of the TV adaptation of The Long Call, including visiting the scene at Oxford Grove which she said she had very firmly envisaged in her head. She is looking forward to coming back to Ilfracombe for an ‘in conversation’ event at the Landmark Theatre, which will also feature Angie Daniell who produced the television series. She said: “Everybody there is so interested in the show. I came down to watch the filming for a couple of days in May and watched the conversation between Neil Morrissey and Pearl Mackie on the sea front. I also watched them filming the shots of Ben Aldridge swimming in the sea. It was beautiful weather and the cast and crew loved every minute of it, it was ice creams all round. Neil Morrissey had been into one of the local pubs and was raving about what a good time he’d had.

The landlord had recognised him and given him lots of free drinks. They all loved being in Ilfracombe.”

Ann said the sexuality of The Long Call’s main character, Detective Matthew Venn, was inspired by two gay friends who had looked after her after her husband Tim died. She said: “They

are quite a bit younger than me but we are really great friends. They were rattling round in my head and I thought it would be great for the plot. If you have a gay son and you have that sort of faith, reconciliation is always going to be hard.

So that’s how it started and that’s how Matthew Venn was born.” And there is a possibility of more filming in Ilfracombe as Ann says she plans to continue writing more books in the Two Rivers series. She said: “I’m already working on book three. The Long Call did very well on Britbox in the US, I think it had the highest

viewing figures for any of their first series dramas. I’m not sure if the Heron’s Cry will be made into a television series yet, it all depends on the commissioners at ITV – but I know the cast and crew would very much like to make it.”

• Ann Cleeves will appear ‘In Conversation’ at the Landmark Theatre on February 19, 2022. The event will be a fundraiser for the RNLI. Tickets will be available at www.landmark-ilfracombe.com. The Heron’s Cry is out now and will be released on paperback on February 17.

Ann Cleaves with actor Ben Aldridge who plays Detective Matthew Venn

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10 Opportunities for exhibitors and Vendors

A Coastal Garden Festival is being launched next May (21st / 22nd). Ilfracombe Compass Rotary are organising the event to promote the physical and mental benefits of gardening and involvement with our wonderful local environment. It also aims to explore how

we can become greener and more sustainable, provide a ‘shop window’ for local businesses and organisations involved in these areas and promote local food and drink. The event will also boast a wide range of family friendly activities.

The two-day festival will be

held on the five-acre site at Mullacott Riding Centre which includes a large indoor arena, lots of room for exhibitors and ample free parking. Compass want to ensure there is a wide range of exhibitors and vendors at the festival, including nursery growers, garden designers, gardening products, arts/crafts/ gifts, food & drink producers, organisations involved with any aspect of our environment including mental health, wellbeing, conservation & recycling. Email coastalgardenfestival@ gmail.com or visit www. coastalgardenfestival.org.

council aims to tackle local housing crisis A new group that aims to tackle the housing crisis in North Devon has been set up by North Devon Council.

Made up of officers from North Devon Council’s Housing, Planning and Regeneration teams, as well as key councillors, the North Devon Housing Panel was established to gain a true picture of the housing crisis - and to set about addressing it. The group first met in October when they invited a number of national and North Devon agencies, employers, contractors and landlords to discuss the crisis as part of

the council’s rapid housing needs assessment. The Panel presented a series of recommendations on the issues identified as contributing to a lack of housing in the district. They include bringing more empty homes into use, providing more housing for people who are working in North Devon or want to move to the area for work and developing a “place-based” approach for providing more housing options for people in Ilfracombe. North Devon Council leader David Worden said: “We are acutely aware of how the local

housing market is making it extremely difficult for local people, and people who wish to move to the area to work, to find suitable accommodation. Our council has always been - and will continue to be - active and passionate in its efforts to keep people housed. Real change will require a joined up approach from local and national government and, where there are opportunities for change that are outside of our control, we will be lobbying on behalf of our residents.” For more details visit www.northdevon. gov.uk.

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The Bygone Pubs of Ilfracombe This photo shows one of the many old pubs that used to be in Ilfracombe - The Old Gander Inn at the bottom of Fore St which took its name from the landlady’s goose that used to strut around outside the premises. Many pubs had colourful names such as the ‘Red Cow’ and the ‘The Antelope’. In the High Street we had the ‘Sun Inn‘, the ‘Moon Inn’ and the ‘Star Inn’ all close to one another. Quay Road alone had six pubs, the Britannia being the

only one left today. Pubs were more popular because beer was safer to drink than water. In the 1850s Ilfracombe had a cholera outbreak because drinking water from wells became contaminated. ‘Small beer’, a much weaker beer than we drink today, was perfectly acceptable for children to drink and workers could drink several pints without being affected. By the 1870s the Temperance Movement and popularity of tea meant that many pubs began to close.

DR GLAZING AND HANDYMAN SERVICES I am a handyman and window specialist recently moved to the area.

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Tree Works Stump Grinding Fencing Jeremy Phillips Tel: 01271 325429 Mob: 07429 149984 Email: jphillips0826@gmail.com

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The view with COMBEBIRD

Each month we share a beautiful image of Ilfracombe from local photography blogger Combebird. This month, a fresh morning glow over the town’s beautiful pier.

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For all your printing needs.

Still Here, Still Local on your High Street

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Cat of the month!

Rosie Barnstaple Meet 10 year old Rosie, a real good looker who knows it! A much loved pet since kittenhood she has found herself homeless as her original owners new home is not suitable for her. Although generally friendly she is a bit of a diva with 'catitude' - a grown up cat who knows her likes and dislikes. She will come to greet you with friendly body language, enjoy a little stroke and sit next to you while she grooms her silky coat into tip top condition. She doesn't like too much fussing though and will let you know when she's had enough.

Rosie does get worried by things surprising or unfamiliar, so would be happiest in a quiet home with no other pets or children. She loves the great outdoors, so free access to this would be essential. She would benefit from living with an experienced cat owner who can take the time to understand her nature, and give her the time and space she needs to gain confidence and trust in her new environment.

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Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) SC037711 (Scotland)

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ILFRACOMBE YACHT CLUB new g n pti 22 cce for 20 a Now mbers me

One of Ilfracombe’s best kept secrets, with Harbour views to the front & the Bristol channel & Welsh coast from our rear patio. New members always welcome, both sailing & social members. This gives you full access to the club, discounts on drinks & a lively social calendar. We welcome non-members (before 8pm.) Come along and see for yourself - you wont regret it!

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GUTTERS NORTH DEVON Gutter specialist at your service

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