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Situations Vacant - range of immediate vacancies - click for details Local Events Calendar for 2005.... click here You could be forgiven for thinking that (yet) another well intentioned local initiative had floundered – but not so ! We are strongly committed to developing the PositivelyIlfracombe website but, as we’re doing this in addition to coping with our normal, growing workloads, covering for staff holidays etc.., spare time has been hard to find. Many of the people who had volunteered to assist in researching and assembling content are also now up to their eyes with the influx of visitors .... so it has been quite a challenge to maintain the impetus. However the next few weeks will see a lot of new material added to our content including a series of articles for local businesses, and voluntary groups seeking to raise funds, on low cost marketing techniques – and a further series for local hoteliers, B&B and campsite owners on meeting the demands of today’s much more discerning visitors. There has been a deal of negative publicity in the local press regarding the poor state of some of the key areas of the town which, sadly, we have to accept as valid. There are areas crying out for improvement – whether the results of long term dilapidation caused by absolute neglect on the part of property owners or by the mindless actions of those residents who persist in dumping rubbish, discarding litter and allowing their dogs to foul walkways and open ground. If we hear one more parent telling their children to “chuck their rubbish on the floor” (sic) we will explode. No matter where you are in the country, or the world, the better the general environment is the less likely it is that people will abuse it. If our streets, lanes and footpaths were pristine they’d stand a good chance of staying that way. For now though, the never-ending task of cleaning up falls to the staff and/or contractors employed by the local authority together with the few locals that care enough to accept the mostly thankless task of clearing up after others. Some of the sterling High Street shopkeepers lead the way in this with their daily washing down of the pavements outside their shops and removal of the litter that is strewn overnight by humans and by the seagulls (because of the opportunities presented to them by humans). It is a shame that there are not more community minded people “doing their bit” and that more residents don’t take the care they should in “seagull proofing” their rubbish while it awaits collection. It is also high time that all operators of take-aways accepted responsibility for cleaning up the mess that their customers leave strewn in the streets. The sight of the dozens of polystyrene food trays and chip papers carelessly or willfully thrown into the harbour or dropped on the pavements is categorically unacceptable. It may seem to some that those that are making the effort are fighting a losing battle but, little by little, the example they are setting is encouraging others and challenging those who don’t care less. Is it really so difficult to act responsibly, to teach children to respect the environment, to pick up and properly dispose of the litter that others discard, to keep dogs under supervision and on leads in built up areas and clean up after them ??? Local campaigns to name and shame eyesores in the region will invariably include some of Ilfracombe’s blackspots and could well deter many would-be visitors from coming to the town. Is that what we want ? We think not. A high proportion of Ilfracombe residents are entirely reliant on the tourist trade and need the cumulative spend of more visitors, not less. Can we, that is you and I, do anything about it ? Yes we can, by reporting persistent offenders to the local authority, by helping elderly neighbours to tidy their gardens and maintain their properties, and by expressing our pride in Ilfracombe in action as well as in words. With the school summer holidays here, it would be encouraging to see more activities made available for children. It has been suggested that many would jump at the opportunity to get involved in local projects. If the children themselves were, for example, involved in beach clean ups or litter collecting blitzes they’d learn to take more pride in their surroundings. Is anyone organizing anything that we can publicise or help to raise sponsorship for ? email us Progress What has been less reported on are the myriad improvements that have been and continue to be made by caring residents, local businesses and volunteers. Like all regeneration of areas that have suffered decades of neglect, progress is understandably slow especially when the work required goes far beyond a simple facelift. Sometimes hampered by the planning process, the availability of trades people or shortage of funds, certain projects take a significant amount of time to progress. But one only has to reflect on what has taken place in the past five years in areas like Fore Street, St James Place, The Quay and with the re-opening of The Pendle Stairway cinema to fully appreciate what can be achieved. Little by little all areas can be improved beyond recognition. Sadly the town centre supermarket planning debacle has yet to be resolved but our newly elected town councillors are not letting the matter rest. The Farmers Market initiative which has been operating at The Lantern is receiving good support and providing local smallholders and farmers with an important new outlet for their produce. It would nice to see this expand over time and move to different venues. The new owners of The Tunnels Beach must also be credited for their efforts in transforming this key Ilfracombe asset and are, we understand, attracting good numbers of residents with their economic seasonal pass scheme as well as a growing number of visitors. Ditto Ilfracombe Aquarium which has brought a much needed all weather attraction to The Quay.
It is encouraging to see that the former bus garage is being marketed for redevelopment and that many of the formerly empty High Street shops are undergoing refurbishment for new tenants. Similarly with work now progressing on the development of the former Hotel Cecil site and the former petrol station in Church Street, further prominent eyesores are gradually being erased. The refurbishment of the exterior of The Britannia Hotel has greatly improved the “gateway” to the harbour and elsewhere new and established business owners are investing in bringing many of the town’s restaurants, cafes and pubs up to a higher standard. Most notable, of course, are the extensive renovations taking place in the former White Hart public house premises on The Quay virtue of Damien Hirst and his group of investors. When The Quay Restaurant is unveiled this Autumn it will bring much needed positive publicity to Ilfracombe and deliver far greater opportunities for other businesses in the town. The “Damien” effect is already being felt as the national press picks up on his new venture. Profile pieces on Ilfracombe are appearing in publications like the London Evening Standard, The Times and The Telegraph – mostly of a positive nature too thought one did warn of the dangers of a town like Ilfracombe being taken over by “media types”. There’s a lot more that can be done in Ilfracombe, of course, and a lot more that will be done over time as more people seize the opportunity to invest in Ilfracombe. The outlook has not been better since the town’s heyday and everyone should benefit. Added to our website this week Feedback: We thank you all for making contact with us over the past few months. Here is a selection of your emails.
Blessed to live in IlfracombeWe have just returned home after our fifth visit this year. There is nowhere else we would rather come and we deeply envy all the lucky people who are blessed to be able to live there. Whether out walking our dog to Lee or Combe Martin, taking boat trips from the harbour, strolling across to Larkstone or Rapparee, rain or shine, Ilfracombe is perfect. We always receive a warm welcome and it is lovely to be greeted by name by many of the shopkeepers, café owners and bar staff, something that rarely happens in our neck of the woods where we have lived for years. Ilfracombe feels more like home should with every visit. The prices, by and large, are fair, the food is good, the B&Bs we’ve stayed in are lovely and the scenery is breathtaking. What more could anyone ask ? Ilfracombe has a very special place in our hearts and whenever we get the chance we tell everyone who is planning a break to try a long weekend in Ilfracombe. P. Myers, Coventry Great town, shame about the parkingWhilst the charm of Ilfracombe is that much of it has gone unchanged over the years, we do think that more thought should be given to the parking problems in the town. Obviously most of Ilfracombe’s streets were laid out long before everyone had cars but these days most people do and need somewhere to park. A lot of the hotels, b&b's and houses have no car parks of their own and the cost to use a public car park for a week’s stay is excessive, that is assuming you can find a space. It seems daft that the old bus station hasn’t been compulsorily purchased by the Town or District Council for resident and long stay parking. With a bit of landscaping and possibly even some outdoor seating it would be a whole lot better than the tatty old buildings that are there now. Surely residents and accommodation providers would gladly pay an annual fee to secure their spaces. It also seems ridiculous to have a car park at the end of The Quay when the access to it is always teeming with pedestrians. To us The Quay should be wholly pedestrianised other than for a limited time each day for deliveries to the shops, pubs and cafes, and the little “train” that operates from the seafront to the harbour. There could then be more seating and more visitor attractions where people expect to find them. A park and ride scheme for day trippers – perhaps out at Mullacott Estate - would also make a huge difference to the levels of traffic and ease the parking problem. None of this is rocket science and surely some of your councillors should be pressing to see it happen. A Edwards, Bristol Bravo Victorian WeekI wanted to say thank you to everyone who played a part in the Victorian Week festivities. We didn’t know anything about it until we arrived for our holiday and nor did many of the other hotel guests we spoke with. This seems such a pity as I am sure that many hundreds more people would want to come during this special week and would make the effort to bring along costumes and join in. My sister and I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and were delighted by the parade, the town criers, the suffragettes, the bands at the seafront and the fireworks. It was lovely, good old fashioned fun and such a marvelous change from the usual seaside amusements. Bravo to everyone involved, we’ll be back next year with our friends. Mrs Pinkerton, Leicester
More could be made of Victorian WeekI had heard something of Ilfracombe’s Victorian Week from a friend who lives in Barnstaple but found it very difficult to obtain advance information about it. All the hotel I booked with could do was confirm the dates and the tourist information office had little more to add. Admittedly this was in March but as most people book their holidays well ahead it would surely benefit the organizers if all the hotels were fully informed in advance. I met several people who had arrived in Ilfracombe unaware that Victorian Week was taking place including some that arrived on the final day. They would have moved their booking forward had they known, as would others. Whilst not wishing to criticize the volunteers behind Victorian Week, the further ahead these events are publicized, the better the support will be. If it is all about giving the hotels an early boost to trade then surely the hotel owners will help to get the message out. Miss Allsop, Cambs
Shortage of decent accommodation to rentMy partner and I have been looking for a small house or flat to rent for three months since our last rented flat was sold by the owner. We are living with relatives and have most of our possessions stored with friends as we haven’t been able to find anywhere permanent to rent. We both work full time, have good references, a deposit, no pets or children, and can afford to pay up to £400 a month. All we have been shown so far are tatty poorly converted places that are riddled with damp and mould, or are slap bang in the noisiest parts of High Street or next to what look like squats. Surely there are landlords that have better places and want reliable tenants that can pay their own way? S Wilson, Ilfracombe
Power boats were brilliantI just wanted to say thank you to the people behind bringing the power boat races to Ilfracombe. My visiting grandchildren really enjoyed seeing them and judging by the crowds hundreds of others were equally appreciative. This is just kind of activity that we need in the town and I hope there will be many more such events held here in the future. C Evans, Ilfracombe |
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