community
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Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour get more things done by partnering with others. At national level that’s by being part of the Maritime Heritage Trust. Locally, other heritage organisations are obvious collaborators, and the River Torridge Heritage Group brings together twelve local organisations from along the estuary with a common interest in heritage. For…
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Among the most significant changes the switch to digital has brought in recent years is the change in use of libraries. Once focussed only on book lending, they are now hubs for everything from baby weigh ins to memory cafés. Now Devon County Council has put out a consultation on the best ways to maintain…
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It is a shame that last year’s highly successful Frost Fair in Bideford is not going to be repeated this year. However, the good folks at Bideford Archive had a search through their collection of the Bideford Gazette newspapers and found some interesting snippets from Christmas past. It is interesting to note that some successful…
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Heritage organisations like ours are vitally dependent on the voluntary sector but, like everyone else, they are finding the current economic environment very tough. The heritage voluntary sector is a diverse ecosystem dominated by large charities like National Trust and an enormous number of smaller community groups where volunteers contribute to a wide range of activities. In…
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With so much heritage surrounding us, it was disappointing that last year there were only two local organisations taking part in the annual celebration of England’s history and culture known as Heritage Open Days (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own). This year, Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour has stepped in to ensure that more events…
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We have had some hot weather recently which has given great pleasure to locals and holidaymakers. But it’s not only the weather that has been steaming. One of the visitors who came from Kent was returning to Bideford for the first time in some 80 years. In the 1930s, when the builders merchant Devon Trading…
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As the summer season approaches, it is good to recall that the quays, wharves and banks of the river Torridge have always been the focus for regattas, galas, markets and celebrations. Generations of children learned to swim by Bideford Bridge and there was even horse racing on the sand exposed at low tide along the…
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Regeneration of our town centres is high on everyone’s wish list, so it was interesting to see a new report just published that sets out twelve principles for reviving our town centres. It is of particular interest to the River Torridge Heritage Group as it strongly advocates celebrating local history and culture. The report is entitled…
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Stuart has been blind since he was a young man. He and his black retriever guide dog are regular walkers along the Tarka Trail. Guide dogs stop working at about eight years old and, as his dog is nearing that age, Stuart has recently heard that he should be prepared for his dog to go…
Bideford and River Torridge Heritage Harbour 