A Taste of the Sea. Down along Clovelly

Make a date in your diary for the Clovelly Seaweed Festival in aid of the North Devon Hospice.  Its launch in 2015 was a great success and the fun will be repeated this year on the 12th June. Clovelly's Seaweed Festival is held to promote seaweed for its immense health and nutritional benefits as it is hugely versatile. The Quay kitchens down along Clovelly Harbour will be preparing a surprising variety of dishes and stalls will be selling a range of seaweed products along with demonstrations, crafts and talks.

There will also be plenty of entertainment for both adults and children to enjoy, such as Seaweed foot spa's and massage, Sciency workshops with Sarah Hotchkiss from CyberColloids exploring the types and uses of seaweeds, The National Trust & North Cornwall seaweeds craft activities (bring your own plastic bottle to make an under the sea miniatuere garden), Facepainting & Henna tattoo's. The Seaweed Health Foundation will provide information on the benefits of human food quality seaweed for food and health. Also Emma Gunn will be doing talks, providing tasters and the chance to buy a signed copy of her book.

There’ll be street entertainers and live music throughout the day which is included in the admission charges. 

You will be amazed at the world of seaweed. Bring your own and ask the experts what is the best use for your particular selection.

Also from 3pm the New Inn will be hosting an afternoon street tea-party, in celebration of the Queens 90th! With Cream teas, sandwiches, "make your own bunting" arts & crafts and live music! 

A Taste of the Sea. A selection of photos from Clovelly Seaweed Festival 2015 by P. Adams

Clovelly Seaweed Festival, Sunday 12th June 2016
Clovelly Harbour,
10 am to 5 pm
For further details contact Clovelly Visitor Centre. 

Tel: 01237 431781.- www.clovelly.co.uk
Clovelly News and Events

Seaton Jurassic to open doors for first time on Saturday 26th March

A £4million visitor attraction is set to open its doors to visitors for the first time this Easter.

Seaton Jurassic is based in the East Devon coastal resort of Seaton. It hopes to attract thousands of visitors to experience its unique telling of the story of life and particularly how it has evolved on the Jurassic Coast over the past 250 million years ago.

Mike Ruiter, Seaton Jurassic's manager said:
'We are very excited about the prospect of opening. Our staff and local volunteers can't wait to greet the first visitors when we open our doors at 10am on Saturday 26th March. We think Seaton Jurassic offers a unique experience for visitors. They can certainly expect something very different to what already exists along the Jurassic Coast.'
 
In the past weeks trial sessions with invited guests have already proved Seaton Jurassic own take on local natural and geological history to be a hit with people of all ages.

Mike Ruiter said:
'We've had people tell us they were amazed by our interactive exhibits, wowed by the detail of them and what we've managed to fit into the space available.' Seaton Jurassic promises to take people on an adventure back across 250 million years to the beginnings of the Mesozoic period. It charts the struggles of local life to adapt and survive in changing and often hostile environments. Visitors are being promised 'time travel' and the prospect of coming face-to-face with the creatures and characters who have been part of the Jurassic Coast's story. But there's a more tranquil side to Seaton Jurassic. Visitors can also expect a café with two huge palm trees at their centre along with a menu of good food and drink sourced using local suppliers. A shop and wildlife garden completes the experience. Seaton Jurassic is marking its opening with a packed programme of entertainments and events. On Saturday 26th March there will be storytellers, face painters and more. Sunday 27th March sees a Jurassic-themed Easter Egg Hunt. While on Easter Monday 28th March a special expert-led guided walk will unlock the secrets held in the rocks of the local landscape. These events signal a spring and summer programme the full details of which people can see at www.seatonjurassic.org 

Seaton Jurassic is owned by East Devon District Council. Councillor Paul Diviani, Leader of East Devon District Council, said that the centre - at the very heart of the world-renowned Jurassic Coast - marks another step in the regeneration of the town. He said: 

'Seaton Jurassic is a top attraction which will bring in thousands of visitors and, in turn, will boost the economy of Seaton and East Devon too.' 'We're very proud to be the main funder of such a unique project and we believe it will be a catalyst for the further regeneration of the town itself.' The operator of Seaton Jurassic is Devon Wildlife Trust. 
The charity's Chief Executive Officer, Harry Barton, said: 
'Seaton Jurassic is a project that has been more than a decade in the making. Seeing it for real, brand new, dramatic and sparkling in the spring sunshine, is an absolute thrill. And like all great treasures, the best bits are inside! I am just so grateful for all the support from the local community. I really hope they are as proud of the end result as I am.' 

Seaton Jurassic will open its doors for the first time at 10am on Saturday 26th March. Entry costs £8 for adults and £5 for children, with family tickets priced at £18. The entry fee covers return visits for a year. Seaton Jurassic can be found on the Underfleet, Seaton, EX12 2WD, next to the Seaton Tramway. It has a pay and display car park just 100 metres from its entrance and excellent public transport links with the X53 Jurassic Coast bus stopping at its door! 

Young people enjoy Seaton Jurassic's interactive displays at a recent trial day  

Photos copyright Matt Austin (All rights reserved)

 Further details about making a visit to Seaton Jurassic can be found at www.seatonjurassic.org Seaton Jurassic has received generous support from Devon County Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, Coastal Communities Fund, Seaton Town Council, Garfield Weston Foundation, Fine Family Foundation, Seaton Visitor Centre Trust, Blue Marine Foundation and Jurassic Coast Trust.

Troubadours Come to Town. Wildwood Jack to play at St Anne's Arts and Community Centre in Barnstaple

The travelling acoustic guitar and ukulele duo Wildwood Jack will be playing at St Anne's Arts and Community Centre in Barnstaple on Tuesday 22nd March as part of their UK tour.

Described by Netrythms as “genuinely uplifting” with “intensely adept acoustic guitar stylings” the duo showcase a unique blend of fingerstyle guitar and ukulele that draws influences from folk, country and world music. Over the last two years they've played as far afield as Bangkok, Hanoi and New Zealand. European dates have taken them from street festivals in Croatia, Germany and Italy to a circus tent in Austria as well as two tours of Denmark.

Adam says “'Wildwood Jack' is our name for the independent spirit of music that knows no boundaries and that's very much reflected in both our music and our troubadour lifestyle”.

Their sound has been described as a mix of Paul Simon, Ry Cooder and Nanci Griffiths and their wide repertoire draws from an eclectic songbook as well as instrumentals and original songs.

Tickets are £6 and available from the Heritage Centre shop on the Strand in Barnstaple or from 01271 373003. Also online with a small booking fee www.ticketsource.co.uk/StAnnesArtsCentre

Wildwood Jack,

St Annes Arts and Community Centre 

Paternoster Row, Barnstaple EX31 1SX 

Tuesday 22nd March

----------------

Wildwood Jack
Inventive Acoustic Folk and Roots
"Engaging, uplifting and filled with memorable melodies and clever hooks" R2 Magazine
www.wildwoodjack.com
www.twitter.com/wildwoodjack
www.facebook.com/wildwoodjack

Funding for community projects.

If you’re looking to get a community project off the ground, the North Devon Coast AONB’s Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) is now open to applications for grant funding. 

A total of £25,000 is available this financial year, with up to a £5,000 grant for individual projects. The priority themes for this year are for projects which will help provide a greater understanding and knowledge of the coastal and inland geology of the North Devon AONB and its biodiversity, including all wildlife, plants and habitats. In addition to this, other projects which meet the priorities of the AONB Management Plan 2014/19 are also very welcome. 

The North Devon Coast AONB Sustainable Development Fund is a regional grants scheme, funded by Defra for projects of all sizes. It is available to individuals, charities, community groups and businesses that have a project idea that will improve or benefit the North Devon Coast AONB both now and in the future. 

Over the last few years, the SDF has helped fund a variety of projects including the installation of solar panels on a community centre, a cycle/recycle scheme, a Bioblitz, coastal educational opportunities for schools and the ‘Glorious Oyster’ seafood shack, recently nominated as a finalist for BBC Food and Farming Award. 

“SDF grants enable the AONB to support community projects which have a positive and direct local impact, and which meet local needs” said Terry Green, SDF Panel Chairman. “The fund aims to encourage and support community based projects with particular focus on the environment, community and/or local economy. This year we hope once again that SDF funding will provide the financial stimulus without which worthwhile and deserving projects might not get off the ground.” 

You do not have to live or work within the AONB to be eligible for the SDF grant, but you will need to be able to demonstrate that your project will have a positive impact within the North Devon Coast AONB. There is a short application form for grants up to £500, and a full application for projects requesting over £500, which must also provide match funding of cash or in-kind contributions. Applications are invited from now until December 2016 with spend and project delivery completed by the end of January 2017. 

For guidance and application forms:

 http://www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk/grants_and_projects/grants-for-local-communities 

Or contact: 

Gigha Klinkenborg on 01271 388647 or gigha.klinkenborg@devon.gov.uk

The Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) supports projects that bring environmental, social and economic benefits to the North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The fund aims to support projects which develop and test new methods of achieving a more sustainable way of life in this area of great beauty and diversity. North Devon receives this money from Defra because this area is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

 This spectacular coastal area, which covers some 66 square miles from the boundary of Exmoor National Park at Combe Martin to Marsland Mouth on the Cornish border, was designated as an AONB in 1959

 Further information about the North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty can be found on www.northdevon-aonb.org.uk or www.explorethecoast.org

Rosa Rebecka in Barnstaple this weekend

Rosa Rebecka is currently touring her one-woman show Travel’s With My Grandmothers’ Guitar which tells the story of her great grandmother’s guitar, an extraordinary 110 year-old instrument that she has recently inherited. Storytelling, newly composed songs and family favourites, heartfelt singing and numerous instruments tell a universal story of love and loss spanning four generations. The concert at St Anne’s Arts Centre in Barnstaple on Saturday will feature original acoustic material and Swedish folk music, performed with warmth and passion on voice, guitar, and other instruments... beautiful music in an ancient setting.

Born to a Swedish mother and an American father, Rosa Rebecka grew up among the lakes and forests of southern Sweden. Coming from a musical family, she sang with her parents and siblings from an early age. She began to write songs and poetry at the age of five, and later learned to play the flute and guitar. She left Sweden for Devon in 1998 and spent three years at Dartington studying music, composing songs and playing with her fellow students.

Not only an outstanding vocalist but also a truly original and innovative songwriter, Rosa Rebecka continues to produce finely crafted songs which mix haunting narrative storytelling with a playful lyricism and sublime musicality. While her Swedish roots are never far below the surface, and she acknowledges the folk tradition of her adopted land, she has a timeless sensibility all her own. Her music owes as much to female singer-songwriters of her parents’ generation, such as Joni Mitchell, as it does to the centuries-old troubadours she loves.

Rosa’s performances are sometimes unusual, often intimate, always memorable. She writes for a bewildering array of instruments, which she sometimes makes her audience play for her. She loves to engage with an audience, whether drawing them into a story with song or getting them clapping and stamping to the exhilarating rhythm of a Swedish polska. “I think being a performer is an art in and of itself,” she says “it’s in meeting with an audience that the songs come to life.”
Tickets are £8 in advance from the Heritage Centre shop on the Strand in Barnstaple or from 01271 373003. Also www.ticketsource.co.uk/StAnnesArtsCentre
There isn’t a bar but you can bring along your own drinks.

Rosa Rebecka
St Anne's Arts and Community Centre, Barnstaple on Saturday 12 March 2016
Doors Open at 7:30pm Music Starts at 8:00pm
Ticket Price: £8.00* via www.ticketsource.co.uk/StAnnesartscentre
*small booking admin fee of 50p applied by the website 

Or can be purchased in person from Barnstaple Heritage Centre open Tuesday – Saturday 9.30am – 4.30pm or 01271 373003 without a booking fee Or on the door for £9 
--------------
Tap here for Rosa Rebecka Website
Tap here to listen to Rosa Rebecka