I'm sending "Tidings of Comfort and Joy" to you all. Thank you so much for visiting and liking the pictures, reels and posts on my North Devon Focus Website, Blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram & Youtube. Thank you for sharing your news and local events. Cheers Pat Adams
🎄🎄🎅🎅Merry Christmas🎅🎅 🎄🎄
Here's to a happy, colour full, peaceful 2026
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Edenmore Nursing Home in Ilfracombe, North Devon, have been overwhelmed by an outpouring of generosity this Christmas, after receiving over £500 worth of Christmas gifts for its residents (fondly known as family members), through a TikTok campaign run by a relative of a person living in the care home.
The campaign was started by Charmain Lovett, whose dad, Harry, lives at Edenmore.
In early November, Charmain shared a short video on TikTok, inviting anyone who
was able to donate a small gift to the family members via an Amazon wish list
she had put together.
While Edenmore Nursing Home ensures each family member receive a
personalised Christmas gift from the team, Charmain wanted to set up her own
initiative so the home might receive a collection of shared gifts, activities
and treats for everyone to enjoy together. The idea was inspired in part by an
online friend of Charmain’s, who had previously run a similar campaign for her
nan, Beryl, called Beryl’s Christmas.
The response to the campaign was immediate. Charmain shared: ‘Literally
within the first 24 hours, all of it had been sold almost, so I just kept
topping it up [the wish list] with little bits and pieces. People are just
amazing. I can’t wrap my head around it.’
For Charmain, the campaign was deeply personal: ‘It's a bit of a
different one for us this Christmas, because my mum passed away earlier on in
the year. Gayle, the home manager at Edenmore, was just brilliant and really
supportive of me, my brother Will, and dad in that time. So I just thought it'd
be a really nice thing to do something nice back for them.’
Harry has lived at Edenmore since April this year. Described as ‘a
proper London boy’ by his daughter, Harry was a chauffeur and worked for
Rolls-Royce for a time.
Charmain shared: ‘One thing that he's always been almost obsessive about
is making sure that he knows where his car keys are. So Gayle's husband made
him a little set with a tag saying Harry's keys. So he's always got his keys in
his pocket.’
Harry also worked in construction and labouring, and loves fixing
things, so the home also got him a plastic toolbox set to tinker with around
the home.
‘It was those sorts of things that made a big difference to dad's
happiness there. So when I was doing the wish list, I was making sure that I
was putting activity items in as well. So it wasn't all just about chocolates
and body spray!’
The gifts have now been dropped off at the home, along with notes from
the senders, to be sorted for Christmas Day.
Gayle, Home Manager, shared: ‘It means everything to the team and I that
Charmain thought of us. We are all truly touched by the kindness and generosity
of everyone who sent a gift. Thank you from all of us at Edenmore.’
The home’s team and family members have been busy preparing for the festive celebrations over the last few weeks, painting decorations, writing their Christmas cards and hosting their own carols-by-candlelight.
Edenmore Nursing Home offers the reassurance of 24-hour nursing care so
that help is always available when needed, without delays or waiting for
support to arrive. To find out more, visit https://www.edenmorenursinghome.com/
The Burton at Bideford has been awarded £50,000 from Art Fund, the national charity of museums and galleries, to reimagine how its collections are used and shared over the next two-years.
The funding is part of a total of £1.3 million awarded to 29 museums and galleries through the latest round of Art Fund’s Reimagine programme, supporting innovative collections projects in museums and galleries across the UK.
Burton 2101: Collections for the Future will use the backdrop of The Burton’s 75th birthday in 2026 to reimagine the role of its collections for future generations in Torridge. It will pilot projects with schools, community groups and in the public realm to find new ways to connect residents to the stories of their past, present and future.
Launched in 2020 in response to the pandemic, Reimagine was developed to address the most urgent challenges facing UK museums. This latest round focuses on collections – a cornerstone of Art Fund’s mission and one of the areas of museum practice with the greatest demand for funding.
The UK is home to some of the world’s most remarkable collections, yet the resources required to care for and interpret them are increasingly strained. Art Fund’s Museum Directors Survey in 2024 found that 56% of museums cite a lack of funding for collections as a major barrier to essential work such as digitisation, collections reviews and acquisitions.
Harriet Cooper, Director at The Burton at Bideford said:
“It has been a challenging few years for the museum sector and as The Burton at Bideford enters its 75th year in 2026 we are excited to think about the role we can play in the next 75-years of culture in Torridge. Our rich collections are at the heart of this and this vital funding from Art Fund will help us to reimagine how they are used over the next two years. ‘Burton 2101: Collections for the Future’ will see us pilot expansive collections projects, consult more closely with our local community, learn from innovative organisations across the UK, and build a long-term strategy to support art and artists in North Devon to thrive.”
Jenny Waldman, Director at Art Fund, said:
“At the core of Art Fund’s purpose is supporting museums to develop, care for and share the collections that enrich people’s lives. I'm delighted we've been able to support The Burton at Bideford through our final round of Reimagine funding, enabling museums to explore their collections, connect with communities and ensure that works of art, objects and their stories are shared and preserved for future generations.”
The Burton at Bideford was originally established in 1951 to house the collection of artist Hubert Coop RBA, gifted to the town of Bideford. The permanent collection now holds a rich array of objects and artworks that vividly capture the history of Bideford and its surrounding area.
Highlights include work by artists including Gillian Ayres, Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA FRS, Aubrey Hunt, Bertram Prance and James Ravilious; alongside one of the leading ceramics collections in the South West and the archive of Mary Stella Edwards and Judith Ackland.
This funding has been made possible thanks to support from The Kirby Laing Foundation, Art Fund members and supporters of Art Fund's Expanding Horizons appeal.
If you would like to find out more about Burton 2101: Collections for the Future and how you can get involved, please sign up to The Burton’s newsletter at www.theburton.org or get in touch at info@theburton.org.
Sundial Care Home, located in the heart of Tipton St John near Sidmouth, Devon, recently welcomed loved ones, friends, and both familiar and new faces for their Christmas Mingle. The afternoon featured a delicious festive spread prepared by the home’s Kitchen Team, alongside homemade goods brought in by team members, some of who came in specially on their days off to enjoy the event.
Zara
King, gave a wonderful performance in the home’s lounge’s, whilst family
members (residents) enjoyed an optional glass of bubbly and sang along with
loved ones and the team. Gus, a Shetland Pony from Tiny Hooves Therapy Ponies
Devon, made a special visit, spending time with family members individually and
even going in the lift to visit those who preferred to remain in the comfort of
their rooms. Mikyla, the home’s Administrator, shared, “Everyone loved it—
family member Pauline, was in tears of joy!”.
The
home also welcomed Father Christmas to the party, (Maintenance Man, Matthew) who
took time to visit each family member, chatting and handing out gifts. It was
said a lot of the ladies liked the texture of his beard and family member Joan,
even asked to try it on! With everybody n the home beautifully set for
Christmas, the event created a warm and festive experience for family members
and visitors.
Sundial Care Home, near Sidmouth, Devon, continues to nurture connections within its care community. By welcoming relatives of both current and former family members to events, the home offers a sense of familiarity and comfort, particularly during the festive season. Events such as the Christmas Mingle reflect Sundial’s caring, community-focused approach, ensuring everyone feels welcome and supported.
If you would like to learn more about
Sundial Care Home, please visit https://www.sundialcare.com/lifes-journey-continued/
For more information about Edenmore Nursing Home, visit www.edenmorenursinghome.com
Grief is not a single
moment. It isn’t just the final breath, the last phone call, or the quiet
closing of a door. Grief can begin long before goodbye, long before we
even have the words to name it.
For many, grief arrives as a slow
unravelling, not a sudden strike, but a quiet, physical breaking that aches
through the body long before the heart understands why. It comes in waves that
feel confusing and lonely, the shock that something is changing, the denial
that whispers maybe it’s not as bad as it seems, the anger that flares
at the unfairness of it all, the bargaining with life, doctors, hope itself.
Then come the heavy days of depression, the weary acceptance, and eventually,
gently the integration, when grief becomes something we fold into our lives
instead of fight against. These seven stages don’t follow rules or order. They
loop, repeat, collide. Grief is messy because love is messy.
And nowhere is this more true
than in dementia.
The grief of losing someone
who is still here
When someone we love is living
with a Dementia, we lose them in pieces.
It is a grief that feels almost
invisible, because the world often expects grief to follow death. But here,
death has not come, only the quiet, painful vanishing of the person you
remember. And that raises a question many carry in their hearts - is this grief
any different from the grief that follows death?
In truth, it isn’t.
The pain is real. The loss is
real. The longing is real.
As National Grief Awareness Week approaches, it encourages us to recognise this quieter
grief for what it is. The theme “Growing with Grief” reminds us that grief
doesn’t fade just because someone is still here. Instead, we grow around the
ache. We adjust our hearts, reshape our routines, and learn to love the person
in front of us while mourning the person they used to be.
In the everyday moments, grief
lies quietly
In social care, grief isn’t rare
or loud, it lives quietly in the day-to-day. It appears in the trembling smile
of a son who repeats himself again and again, trying to hold back the grief of
knowing his Dad no longer remembers the world they once shared. In the
soft sigh of a wife watching the person she married drift further into a world
she cannot enter. In the long pause before a carer answers the same
question again, and again, and again - with kindness, because they know it
isn’t really the question that matters, but the reassurance behind it.
These moments rarely make
headlines, but they shape the days of those who love, and those who care.
Within this grief, something else
grows too. A tenderness that wasn’t there before. A fierce patience. A
love that holds on, even through the cracks and the hurt.
Families learn to hold on to the
moments that are still left - a warm hand held tightly, a flicker of
recognition, a shared song that somehow still reaches the heart. They are small
moments, but they become everything.
You don’t have to carry grief
alone
National Grief Awareness Week is
a reminder that grief isn’t something we should carry alone. When we talk about
it, it becomes a little lighter. Stories connect us. Sharing brings comfort.
The Good Grief Trust continues to
shine a light for anyone walking through loss, whether that loss is sudden,
expected, complicated, or stretched across years of dementia. No one
should feel isolated in their grief, especially when their heart feels fragile.
This week is a chance to reach out, to talk, to really listen, and to give your grief some room, not to fix it or make it disappear, but to let a little hope grow alongside it.
National Grief Awareness Week runs from 2nd–8th December 2025
November marks the start of the annual tree planting season when thousands of trees and hedgerows are planted by nature conservationists and tree-lovers.
Today let's focus on Bideford's iconic Wonky Conker which still stands tall with a little helping hand. It is perfectly positioned on Kinglsey Road just beyond the Burton Art Gallery and Museum by the entrance to Victoria Park beside the Charles Kingsley Statue on Bideford Quay.
The Wonky Conker ‘The Helping Hand’, by local artist and wood carver John Butler , was commissioned by Torridge District Council some 20 years ago. The metal prop is covered to look like a log wrist, with oak used to carve the hand & fingers. John Butler was also the curator at Bideford's Burton Art Gallery for 30 years and now continues his art from Bideford Pannier Market.
🌲🌳🌴
National Tree Week runs from 22nd November – 30th November
"National Tree Week, brought to you by The Tree Council and partners, brings together the conservation sector, volunteers and tree-lovers to mark the start of the annual tree planting season by planting thousands of trees and hedgerows and celebrating these magnificent mainstays of our landscapes." (tree council.org.uk)
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Read all about >NORTH DEVON FOCUS ON BIDEFORD
Pat Adams' North Devon Focus. My North Devon Coast & Country Chronicle
At Heanton Nursing Home in Braunton, music isn’t just background noise, it’s a source of comfort and connection.
For family members living with a Dementia, the right song can create a sense of calm, familiarity and belonging, moments that lift the atmosphere and bring people together. Robin Mitchell, who leads regular sing-alongs at the home, has seen first-hand how powerful music can be, and how important it is to get it right.
The music filling the lounge at Heanton might surprise people. Rather than relying on traditional wartime tunes, the playlists are shaped around the eras that today’s older adults grew up with - the 1960s and 70s.
Research into dementia and the brain has shown that the music people listen to in their teens and twenties tends to stay with them throughout life. According to Dementia UK, those years form strong emotional connections in the brain, meaning familiar songs from that period can create a sense of comfort and recognition, even decades later.
For Heanton’s family members, that means the sound of Sweet Caroline (released in 1969), ABBA, or Tom Jones is often what gets toes tapping and faces lighting up. Music from that era isn’t just nostalgic, it’s part of peoples lived experience, connected to the times they were working, raising families or even dancing at the weekend.
“When the right song comes on, you can see the change,” says Robin. “Someone who’s quiet might start tapping their feet, moving with the rhythm or joining in with a few words. It’s like the music gives everyone a lift.”
Studies by the NHS, Dementia UK and Alzheimer’s Society have long supported this approach, showing that familiar, preferred music can help reduce anxiety, encourage communication and social interaction, and promote a sense of wellbeing. It can also offer peace and comfort at more reflective moments.
Robin adds, “Even a song that brings a tear can be a positive thing, it helps people express how they feel. Everyone connects to music in their own way, and that’s what makes it special.”
Music plays an important role at Heanton. As a complex care home, someone’s feelings is an important part of truly understanding each person they support. Noticing the small things, tuning into emotions, and anticipating needs long before they’re expressed. Robin’s singalongs are a perfect example of this approach, using music to reach family members on an emotional level, helping them create moments of connection and enjoyment that feel familiar, personal and real.
To find out more
about the care and support offered at Heanton Nursing Home, visit Dementia, Complex, Respite, and
Residential Care in Devon
A new report published today reveals that the South West of England could support a reintroduction of European wildcats after more than a 100-year absence from the area, marking a vital next step in helping to secure the future of the UK’s most critically endangered mammal.
The study finds that a sustainable population of wildcats could flourish in the South West and that 80% of people surveyed in the region were positive about their reintroduction.
The comprehensive two-year investigation, undertaken by the South West Wildcat Project – a partnership of organisations led by Devon Wildlife Trust which includes Forestry England and the Derek Gow Consultancy – concentrated its analysis on four main aspects of wildcat reintroduction: 1) impacts on people and communities; 2) impacts on other wildlife; 3) impacts on farming livestock and pets; and 4) the long-term sustainability of a wildcat population after reintroduction. The report’s full findings can be read at www.devonwildlifetrust.org/south-west-wildcat-project
European wildcats – historically also known as ‘woodcats’ – were once widespread in the South West, along with many other parts of England, Scotland and Wales. However, centuries of persecution, plus the loss and fragmentation of their favoured woodland and rough grassland habitats saw them disappear across much of their range. The South West’s last wildcats are thought to have survived until the mid-nineteenth century.
Devon Wildlife Trust’s Cath Jeffs is South West Wildcat Project lead. Cath said:
“It’s exciting that this report suggests wildcats could be part of the region’s nature once again. The return of this critically endangered species would be another step in the restoration of our native wildlife and will help re-balance local ecosystems.
Wildcats were once a widespread part of our countryside and today they remain an important part of woodlands throughout continental Europe including Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
A lot of work remains to be done before the first wildcats could be released in the South West. Honest and open dialogue with stakeholders will be key to making sure the species and local communities could thrive alongside one another in the future.”
Today the UK’s only remaining wildcats live in the Highlands of Scotland. Despite being given protected status in 1988 wildcats are now classed as ‘critically endangered’ and at risk of extinction with as few as 115 individuals remaining in the wild. The Saving Wildcats project was established in 2020 to reinforce the animal’s numbers in Scotland.
In response to the animal’s precarious situation, previous preliminary research into restoring wildcats beyond their Scottish base by the Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) concluded that the South West may provide the best combination of conditions needed to re-establish the native animal in England.
The South West Wildcat Project was therefore established in 2023 to investigate the feasibility of a reintroduction to the region. Its report, published today, concludes:
The report also identifies two areas which a future reintroduction project should address to ensure success:
While there are no immediate plans to release wildcats, Devon Wildlife Trust and its partners are committed to developing plans for reintroduction. This includes securing funding to ensure the best chance of success.
Abby Parravani is Forest Planner at Forestry England. Abby said:
“Forestry England is proud to be a partner in the pioneering South West Wildcat Project. I’m thrilled that the feasibility report shows the suitability of South West England to reintroduce this missing native species, contributing to the restoration of ecosystems across this landscape.
We’re looking forward to the next phase of the project as we move one step closer to returning wildcats to the South West.”
Independent research into public attitudes towards wildcats and their reintroduction in the South West of England was undertaken by Dr Roger Auster, Lecturer in Environmental Social Science, based in the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste, University of Exeter. Roger said:
“From both in-person research with stakeholder representatives and public surveys, we found there to be broad support for the idea of wildcat reintroduction, yet with need to understand more about wildcats and the role they play in local ecosystems. With the meaningful involvement of stakeholders during planning, we conclude that wildcat reintroduction is socially viable."
The South West Wildcat’s full report is available to read on the Devon Wildlife Trust website, along with a summary report and FAQs about wildcats www.devonwildlifetrust.org/south-west-wildcat-project
👀👀👀
Devon Wildlife Trust’s Cath Jeffs will be giving an on-line talk ‘Wildcats: could the UK’s rarest mammal make a return to Devon?’ at 6pm on Thursday 4th December. To register for free go to www.devonwildlifetrust.org/events
By the time the first firework burst above the trees at Heanton Nursing Home, the grounds were filled with families, children in bright coats and people arriving with umbrellas. There was laughter, conversation and that unmistakable sense of community.
Residents (who they fondly refer to as family members) were wrapped in blankets and supported outside so they could be part of it all. Seeing them among the crowd, smiling as the fireworks lit up the sky, was one of the highlights of the evening. Many visitors commented on how special it was to see everyone, young and old, sharing the night side by side.
The BBQ ran non-stop, with people queueing for hot food made on-site using locally sourced meats from Reeds Butchers in Braunton, the same butcher that provides the meals enjoyed by family members every day. “You can taste when something’s local,” one visitor said.
Several people mentioned they hadn’t planned to do anything for Bonfire Night this year but decided to come along after seeing Heanton’s invitation. What might have been an ordinary evening at home instead became a night filled with laughter and conversation. Local councillor Graham Bell attended with his family and spoke with team members and visitors throughout the evening, sharing that sense of community that filled the grounds.
By the end of the night, £226 had been raised, which will go directly towards making Christmas special for the family members who call Heanton home. As people began to leave, almost everyone said the same thing, that they hoped this would happen again next year.
Although Heanton is known in the community as a complex nursing home, evenings like this show there’s so much more to it than that. It is a home full of life, laughter and connection, a place where family members are supported to take part, and where the community is always welcome to join in.
It’s a reminder that complex care doesn’t mean life has to be lived apart.
One of the 20th century’s most influential and recognisable artists, Joan Miró’s highly individual style placed him at the forefront of Surrealism and Dadaism. Primarily known as a painter and sculptor, Miró was also a celebrated and dynamic printmaker. Within this practice the artist produced a remarkable and extensive output of book illustrations, often created for artists, writers and poets associated with the Surrealist movement.
The first prints Miró ever made were illustrations for a book of poems, and literary sources would prove a constant inspiration for the artist. Miró never considered his involvement in these books to be strictly that of an illustrator. He worked from the free expression of what the text suggested to him and embraced the process of finding the image through experiment and accident.
The exhibition will shine light on Miró’s prints and how they are not only an excellent example of the richness and variety of his print production, but also his famous experimentation with vivid colours and abstract shapes.
Harriet Cooper, Director of The Burton at Bideford, says:
“The Burton is excited to present the work of internationally celebrated artist Joan Miró this autumn. The South West of England is home to a thriving creative community working in print, and this exhibition showcases Miró’s vibrant and playful approach to the artform. Our collaboration with Hayward Gallery Touring on this project recognises The Burton’s ongoing role in bringing world-class art to North Devon, inspiring audiences young and old.”
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Edenmore Nursing Home in Ilfracombe, North Devon honoured Remembrance Day with a week of meaningful activities designed to encourage reflection, creativity, and connection.
Family members – the home’s affectionate term for residents – took part in poppy-themed arts and crafts, painting and decorating handmade tributes which are now displayed throughout the home. On Remembrance Sunday, the home gathered together to watch the televised national service, offering a shared moment for those wishing to pay their respects.
Home Manager Gayle
Cooper shared:
‘Remembrance Day holds deep significance for many of our family members – whether through personal memories, relatives who served, or simply the wish to pay tribute to those who gave so much. It is an emotional day for many, and we make sure to honour it in every way we can.’
Edenmore Nursing Home is the only nursing home in Ilfracombe, offering the reassurance of 24-hour nursing care so that help is always available when needed, without delays or waiting for support to arrive.
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To read the full story please visit Honouring Identity in Dementia: A Devon Veteran’s Story - HeantonNursing Home
