November Newsletter

Hello from Barnstaple Town Council!

A warm welcome to all. This is the second of our regular monthly Newsletters, aimed at keeping everyone informed of all matters pertaining to Barnstaple Town Council. Firstly, thanks to those who responded so positively to our first. It’s always encouraging to get feedback.

Recent Events

October saw the conclusion of our Town Clerk’s epic cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats. This amazing achievement, organised by Rob Ward’s family, turned into an ideal opportunity to raise some charity funds, with, at last count, an extra £400 being donated. Many of us are in awe that he cycled over a thousand miles over a 20 day period. Well done Rob!

There were two Community Café events at The Shambles early last month. They were well attended, with a number of issues raised by residents and addressed by some of our Councillors and partner advisors. Our Community Café events provide an ideal opportunity for our residents to discuss matters with their local representatives. The next event is 1^st November, from 10am until 12pm, and then after that 6^th December. As a rule these events take place on the first Wednesday of every month. Please see our website and facebook page for further details.

November is traditionally a busy time, and this year is no exception.

First and foremost, it’s a time for remembrance, when as a community we can pay our respects to all those who lost their lives in conflicts past. Sunday 12^th November will see the remembrance service and parade in Rock Park. Friday 10^th sees the Children’s Remembrance from 10.30am.

At the end of the month thoughts will turn to the festive period which will soon be upon us. The big Christmas Lights Switch-On and Fayre is scheduled for Thursday 30^th November. We hope the weather stays kind, but in any event it would be fabulous to see a bumper turn-out for what has always been an enjoyable seasonal event.

During the coming month, the Heritage team will be developing our learning offer for local schools, with free visits for classes to the Guildhall and St Anne’s Chapel. Plans are also well underway for another major event at The Guildhall. Akin to the Maritime Exhibition, this time we will be celebrating Barnstaple’s railway heritage. The Railway Exhibition, over 4 days from 16^th to 20^th December should be both engaging and educational. Further details to follow in the December Newsletter.

November sees the return of the annual Really Big Quiz. Word is, our Mayor is busy forming her own ‘superteam’ and they are likely to be amongst the favourites. We are also entering an office team from BTC, but the bookies probably have us as long-shot outsiders! In any event it’s always an enjoyable evening, well organised by local firm Simpkins Edwards, and a welcome opportunity to raise further funds for the Mayor’s charities.

I’m hoping to do a regular column for our newsletter, of which this is the first.

It’s pleasing to see all the activities that have been taking place this last month, and good to hear about the ones to come, in what will be a busy month for us. I won’t repeat all that has been going on here, as it’s well covered in the rest of the newsletter. This month, I’d just like to briefly mention our overall vision and strategy, as well as highlight two of our valuable assets.

We serve approximately 24,000 residents and have 24 elected Councillors. Our overarching goal is to ensure that Barnstaple remains a thriving, healthy, inclusive and attractive place in which to work, live and visit.

If you are ever unsure which tier of local government to contact, please visit the website, where links will inform you of the responsibilities and activities covered by North Devon Council and Devon County Council. We are always happy to help and guide you to the best resource for your enquiry.

I’m glad to be able to confirm that a fuller version of my Town Clerk Chronicles will now be published in the Gazette on the first Wednesday of every month. That will give me an opportunity to summarise what’s in our newsletter, comment generally on BTC matters and give those who find online access challenging a chance to keep in touch with events. Communication is key to us fulfilling our role locally, so it’s something I’m pleased to be able to do.

This month, amongst other things, I’ve mentioned two of our prize assets, The Guildhall and Rock Park. The latter remains a key facility and an important focal point for the town. We invest a lot of time and effort in looking after it and welcome suggestions and ideas on maintaining and improving it. We know many hundreds of people visit the park each week.

Historically, The Guildhall has always been a vital asset for the town, and it remains so to this day. We will be embarking on some major refurbishment in due course, and I’ll talk more about that when further details become available. In addition to the regular Town Council meetings held there, it is also used for a number of public activities and events.

Lastly for now, I must conclude by thanking everyone for their tremendous support for my bike ride. I set off with my son Daniel and daughter Rebecca from Land’s End on 16^th September and we arrived at John O’Groats on 5^th October as scheduled. It didn’t start out as a charity bike ride, but it became an opportunity to raise funds for the Mayor’s charities, and I’m thrilled we could do so.

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