Telling Our Stories: Devon's Multicultural History

13/04/2025

We’re delighted to introduce the Telling Our Stories walking tour for Exeter. You can download a copy from the website

https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/locations/exeter/exeter-walking-tour

09/04/2025

We’re delighted to introduce the Telling Our Stories heritage trail for Ilfracombe. You can download a copy from the website

https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/locations/ilfracombe/ilfracombe-heritage-trail

06/04/2025

We’re delighted to introduce the Telling Our Stories heritage trail for Honiton. You can download a copy from the website

https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/locations/honiton/honiton-heritage-trail

03/04/2025

We’re delighted to share our updated TOSFOR website with stories from Honiton and Ilfracombe

https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/

17/01/2025

Our Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots self-guided heritage trails for Honiton and Ilfracombe are now live on the website.
You can find a pdf of the heritage trail for Honiton here by clicking on the link:
https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/locations/honiton/honiton-heritage-trail
And for Ilfracombe here:
https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/locations/ilfracombe/ilfracombe-heritage-trail
In the Spring some of our volunteers will be leading the tours as they recount the many multicultural heritage stories that have been unearthed as a result of the project.

13/01/2025

Tonight at 6pm ...

Umbrella makers in Honiton and the Swiss Café in Ilfracombe – just two of the stories uncovered by local researchers as part of DDE’s Multicultural History project.

Join us on Zoom to hear more from Hilda Kalap (Project Coordinator).

https://www.globalcentredevon.org.uk/events/local-history-talk/

We rely on donations to make our work possible. In a truly multi-cultural world, mutual understanding is vital to instil a sense of community and co-operation across all cultures, as we face the unique problems of our time.

10/01/2025

Our multicultural exhibitions are now digital!

Our Telling Our Stories, Finding Our Roots exhibitions are now digital.

As this round of the multicultural history project comes to an end later this month all of the resources created over the past 18 months will come live onto our website.

You can see the diverse stories of the two focus towns of Ilfracombe and Honiton and the exhibitions here:

https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/locations/ilfracombe/ilfracombe-digital-exhibition

https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/locations/honiton/honiton-digital-exhibition

This latest development follows two very successful in-person exhibitions at Ilfracombe Museum and the Thelma Hulbert Gallery Gallery in Honiton last year.

Just some of Honiton’s multicultural stories include that of 13-year-old Egon Silbernagel who arrived from Germany on the Kindertransport scheme. Although Catholic, the N***s treated him as Jewish due to his ancestry. After turning 14, he worked for a Honiton stonemason and delivered library books by bicycle. Post-war, he reunited with his mother, a Holocaust survivor.

In Ilfracombe find out more about the synagogue and the life of the Fainlight family during World War II and the story of mixed heritage football star Thornton Thomas.

08/01/2025

Menagerie’s and Black Lion Tamers in Honiton, Coco the Clown in Ilfracombe – these and other stories have been uncovered by local researchers as part of DDE’s Multicultural History project. Join us on Zoom to hear more from Hilda Kalap (Project Coordinator).

Further details on the Events page of the DDE website https://www.globalcentredevon.org.uk/

06/01/2025

As the project comes to an end, Hilda Kalap (Project Coordinator) will talk about the stories the volunteers have uncovered in Honiton and Ilfracombe.

Further details on the Events page the DDE website https://www.globalcentredevon.org.uk/

20/12/2024

Catch us while you can!

Our multicultural history exhibitions are on in Honiton and Ilfracombe for a limited time only.

Tomorrow (21st) is the last day to catch Honiton.

We’d very much love to see you there to enjoy the breadth of diverse heritage stories in each town and to have your feedback.
Our teams of dedicated volunteers have meticulously researched and written these stories. Many have recorded their personal histories too.

Just some of Honiton’s multicultural stories: the town’s anti-slavery movement, the life of Albert Abid and the magnificent silver trophy he bequeathed the town, Antonio Rodrigo, the Portuguese umbrella maker who ran The White Horse Inn and Robert and Sarah Hughes, one of several Romany Gypsy families who considered Honiton their home.

In Ilfracombe discover more about the life of Nikolai Poliakoff, aka Coco the Clown, World War 2 volunteer soldier in the British Armed Forces and entertainer to the masses keeping morale riding high during the war, learn too about mixed heritage sporting hero Thornton Thomas who was one of the team to bring electricity to North Devon and hear the family story of Stephen Palmer, whose father Mervyn was the founder of Ilfracombe museum and its first public library.

In Honiton the exhibition runs till this Saturday from 10 to 5 pm at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Dowell Street, EX14 1LX.

In Ilfracombe venue is the Ilfracombe Museum, Wilder Road, Ilfracombe EX34 8AF

And the opening times are Tuesdays to Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm. Ilfracombe’s exhibition runs till the end of December.

This is a project of Devon Development Education, a global education charity based in Exeter.

More details here:
https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/news/2024/honiton-and-ilfracombe-exhibitions-open-in-november

13/12/2024

Catch us while you can!

Our multicultural history exhibitions are on in Honiton and Ilfracombe for a limited time only.

We’d very much love to see you there to enjoy the breadth of diverse heritage stories in each town and to have your feedback.
Our teams of dedicated volunteers have meticulously researched and written these stories. Many have recorded their personal histories too.

Just some of Honiton’s multicultural stories: the town’s anti-slavery movement, the life of Albert Abid and the magnificent silver trophy he bequeathed the town, Antonio Rodrigo, the Portuguese umbrella maker who ran The White Horse Inn and Robert and Sarah Hughes, one of several Romany Gypsy families who considered Honiton their home.

In Ilfracombe find out more about the life of Nikolai Poliakoff, aka Coco the Clown, World War 2 volunteer soldier in the British Armed Forces and entertainer to the masses keeping morale riding high during the war, learn too about mixed heritage sporting hero Thornton Thomas who was one of the team to bring electricity to North Devon and hear the family story of Stephen Palmer, whose father Mervyn was the founder of Ilfracombe museum.

In Honiton the exhibition runs till 21st December Tuesdays to Saturdays 10 to 5 pm at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Dowell Street, EX14 1LX.

In Ilfracombe venue is the Ilfracombe Museum, Wilder Road, Ilfracombe EX34 8AF

And the opening times are Tuesdays to Saturdays 10 am to 4 pm.

More details here:
https://www.tellingourstoriesdevon.org.uk/news/2024/honiton-and-ilfracombe-exhibitions-open-in-november

12/12/2024

Ilfracombe Museum preparing for a visit from the local Junior School as part of our project which will leave a wealth of educational resources for local school children in years 5 and 6.

During the visit the children took part in a multiple choice quiz based on the archive stories about the town and the two World Wars.

Many soldiers came from Belgium, Austria and other European countries to contribute to this country's war effort. Some are buried in the local cemetery.

Abi, our Community Coordinator, recently spoke to Headteachers in North Devon about the project.