In a record-breaking year for the Green Flag Award, Bicclescombe Park in Ilfracombe and Yeo Valley Community is celebrating award success again this year.The news that Ilfracombe’s green space has achieved the Green Flag Award is testament to the hard work and dedication of those who look after them. 2021 is the 17th consecutive year that Bicclescombe Park – owned and managed by North Devon Council with help from the Bicclescombe Park User Group – has achieved Green Flag status.The Green Flag Award scheme, managed by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy under licence from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of green spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.Ward member for Ilfracombe West, Councillor Geoffrey Fowler, says: “In yet another difficult year where outside space has been a haven for a lot of people, Bicclescombe has come up trumps once again.The limited staff, all credit to them, have maintained the park in extremely good condition under the circumstances, as several of our late influx of visitors have testified. Well done to all concerned.” Local News – The Ilfracombe Magazine…

Whilst Ilfracombe and North Devon Sub Aqua club celebrated it’s 60th anniversary in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that members could only get together and celebrate in style this November.Old members and new came together to commemorate the club’s big birthday and to remember founder members and friends. Club president, Brian Watts, has been associated with the club since its inception and only gave up diving in the last couple of years.Current club members benefit from the fundraising and pioneer spirit of former members. Club assets include a clubhouse on Ropery Road complete with compressors and a training facility, and two boats – Neptune which sits on a mooring in Ilfracombe harbour and Combe Diver, a RIB which is used for local diving and trips away.ILFSAC is part of the British Sub Aqua Club and was formed when BSAC had only being going for four years. It is one of the oldest BSAC dive clubs in the country, has been consistently active all those years and remains a vibrant SCUBA diving club for members in Ilfracombe and beyond.The North Devon coast boasts world beating diving with historic shipwrecks, reefs and wildlife. If you’re interested in learning to dive in a club environment, or in joining as an established diver, get in touch by emailing us on ilfracombediveclub@gmail.com or you can make contact through the Club’s Facebook page by visiting www.facebook.com/ilfracombeandnorthdevonsubaquaclubLocal News – The Ilfracombe Magazine…