25/05/2026
Just to let you know that while you were all enjoying a sea breeze at the excellent B**r Festival, the IBTA spent a rather hotter three days in Exeter at the Devon County Show.
Our mission this year was to promote the arts, crafts and creativity of Ilfracombe, as well as the more familiar coastal attractions, and we had an excellent 3 days, giving out over 1500 Visit Ilfracombe leaflets to interested visitors, as well as several hundred Ilfracombe Art Trail leaflets. Hopefully this will result in additional business in the coming year, and certainly reminded a lot of Devon residents how much they had enjoyed previous visits to Ilfracombe and encouraged them to return.
We also won a Bronze Award for our stand, which is a tribute to all our very creative contributors!
Thanks then to all those who helped on the stand - Steve and Wendy from Wildwood who helped with assembly and display; Kara, Laura, Mary and June from Ilfracombe Town Council, demonstrating a co-ordinated commitment to promoting our town; Steve Saxton, our talented and dedicated Town Crier; Juliet from North Devon Resort and The Billy and Betty Beachball puppets from Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks. And especially Stacey, who I used to work with, who helped me disassemble on a very hot and late Saturday evening! You are all absolute stars
Thanks also to all the Galleries who trusted me with their beautiful creations - hand:plant and Helen Weedon; The Pier Gallery (Emily Graham Wright and Margaret Taylor especially); Ilfracombe Art and Craft Society for their various unique arts and crafts; Jeanette at the Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium for loan of tables and a wonderful display of handmade chocolates; and Adrift Ocean for the very much admired tee shirts.
The arts posters were created by Buzz signs with help from, and thanks to, contributing artists Sarah Jackson; Lesley Ennis; Mary Taylor; Jennie Cousins; Ted Childs; Helen Weedon; Joshua Day; Sarah Cox; Alison Rowe; Alix Hazell; Fiona Bates and Katie Rees. They are beautiful posters and I hope with your permission to repurpose them for one of the empty High Street windows, as they are certainly more attractive than a blank space.....
Look forward to many of those we spoke to bringing additional business to our town, and will be asking you all for support again for the North Devon Show on August 5th. Very many thanks
Alison Sanders
IBTA Committee Member
