Tag Archives: babbacombe

Sizzling Fundraising for Rowcroft at the Babbacombe Inn

Wednesday 4 February was a chilly night but there was plenty of warm spirit at the Babbacombe Inn where a fabulous evening was in full swing raising funds for Rowcroft Hospice. The event was organised by Rowcroft fundraisers Nigel and Elizabeth Timbrell who packed out the Restaurant with over 100 people all enjoying a special 2-course menu featuring the famous Babbacombe Inn Sizzlers.

Nigel said “We had a really wonderful evening. We raised an incredible £833.05 and want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along and especially to Martyn Strange and his team at the Babbacombe Inn who pulled out all the stops to make this a fantastic fundraising event. It was a lovely way to spend a very cold winter’s evening and we would also like to thank all of the companies that supported us, Friends and non-members and hope to see them again soon. Nigel added “We were also presented with a cheque for £3000 by Hamish Turner, a representative from the Eric’s Sparks Trust. So, all in all, it really was an excellent evening.”

Martyn said “The Rowcroft fundraising evening is always a popular one and with over 100 people coming this year it really was a full house in our Restaurant. We’re always happy to help Rowcroft activities where we can and Nigel and Elizabeth do a great job of organising this event. I’m delighted that they raised such a great amount of money and no doubt we’ll do it all again next year again!”

The Babbacombe Inn entertainment line-up is always full and varied and this year sees the introduction of two “Lunch and Laughter” events. Book in for either Wednesday 3 April or Wednesday 22 March and enjoy a scrumptious 3-course meal in the Babbacombe Inn Restaurant followed by an afternoon of fabulous music and laughs with the superb Steve Laister in the Lounge. All for just £19.95 per person. Call 01803 316200 to book.

Meanwhile Nigel and Elizabeth are also hard at work planning their next event which is a table top sale on Thursday 26 March in the Union Square Shopping Centre in Torquay. There will be all sorts of great things to buy and this will also be the place to find out about all the other amazing charity day trips the couple have planned which include a coach trip to Otterton Mill and Burrow Farm and Gardens in April, an evening picnic cruise by steam railway, ferry and paddle steamer in July and a trip to Seaton Tram and the Donkey Sanctuary in September. More on these and other Rowcroft events can be found at http://www.rowcrofthospice.org.uk/supporting-rowcroft/events/

Sparkling Sundays at Babbacombe Cliff Railway

Take the little ones for a ride on Babbacombe Cliff Railway this year and visit the Station down at Oddicombe Beach where they can write their letter to Father Christmas. With elves, a singing polar bear and plenty of festive spirit this lovely event is something a little bit different from what’s on offer elsewhere in the bay.

Both stations and the carriages will be decorated, sparkling and ready for lots of Christmas cheer and the Top Station will once again feature the spectacular Cliff Railway Sleigh and Reindeer, ideal for some very festive photo opportunities before travelling down to the beach.

On arrival at the bottom the children will have a chance to write and post their letter Santa with plenty of help. There will be mulled wine and mince pies for accompanying adults and some special little gifts for the children to take home. The event is being run with the much appreciated support of the Friends of Babbacombe Cliff Railway and the St Marychurch branch of Sainsbury’s.

This special event in the run up to Christmas will run on the three Sundays in the December, the 7th, 14th and 21st from 11am to 3pm. Tickets are just £2.50 per child and the normal £2 return price per adult. The Cliff Railway team look forward to seeing you soon. Oh, and don’t forget your camera for some pictures of the children with the wonderful sleigh. For more information visit www.babbacombecliffrailway.co.uk or www.facebook.com/babbcliffrail

Historic Attraction looks to the Future

August was a very busy month for historic, local attraction, Babbacombe Cliff Railway. Although it was built in1926 it has been owned and run by a specially set up Community Interest Company (CIC) for the past five years. The Company is made up of a Board of voluntary Directors who in turn employ just 6 members of staff to ensure that the 100,000 people who travel on the Cliff Railway each year do so safely and happily.

In August there were two special events to mark the first five years of CIC ownership. The first was an evening Reception held at the Bay Trecarn Hotel to thank all the many volunteers, local businesses and groups who have helped make the railway the success it now is. The Trecarn Hotel is the latest local business to link up with the Cliff Railway and is now holding regular fundraising events and supporting operations wherever possible. In fact, Hotel Manager, Steve King, has just joined the Board of Directors of the Railway. Steve said “I am delighted to be so involved with Babbacombe Cliff Railway, both personally and on behalf of the hotel. It’s an amazing local attraction and I believe it’s vital that it is looked after and treasured for future generations. To be part of a group so dedicated to ensuring that happens is very inspiring and I’m looking forward to getting more involved.”

Board Chairman, John Ayres, said “We are absolutely thrilled that Steve has joined the Board. We are lucky enough to have a great bunch of people both on the Board and as volunteers. The mix of skills and experience within the group is what makes the Cliff Railway the success it is. We take the business of running Babbacombe Cliff Railway very seriously but we also get along very well and respect each other’s opinions. Between us I believe we are doing a great job of taking care of the Cliff Railway and running it in a way that ensures it will continue to prosper for many years to come.” He added “It was wonderful to have our special fifth anniversary Reception as it gave us an opportunity to show everyone who has contributed how important they all are to the Cliff Railway”.

In fact, John was so keen to ensure that he thanked everyone that, instead of the usual speeches one would expect at such an occasion, he read a poem that he had written specially for the event and which can be read in full on the Cliff Railway website.

After an evening of merry-making, a family party day took place down on Oddicombe Beach in the form of the first ever Babbacombe Ukulele Festival with performances by ukulele bands from Babbacombe, Hatherleigh, Torbay, Marldon and Newton Abbot. On the Saturday morning, a large marquee was put up on the promenade and for over four hours live music was enjoyed by lots of people on a day of spectacular sunshine. John said “One of the reasons for having a marquee was so that there would be shelter if the weather was bad. In the end it was used as much-needed shade as we were treated to a glorious sunny day. The whole event was a huge success and I’m very much hoping it was the first of many ukulele festivals to come so watch this space.”

As well as the Board and staff the Cliff Railway has lots of volunteers who help run the Visitor Centre down on Oddicombe Beach. The Visitor Centre opened in April 2012. It’s free to look around and has proved extremely popular with locals and holidaymakers alike. Badly damaged in the storms this February, it was redecorated, re-stocked and open in time for Easter. The Cliff Railway is always keen to hear from anyone who may like to volunteer in the Visitor Centre even for just a few hours a week. So, if you are interested in being part of the future of Babbacombe Cliff Railway e-mail info@babbacombecliffrailway.co.uk or pop into the Visitor Centre and see Sarah Foley, who co-ordinates all the volunteers.

Babbacombe Cliff Railway is open every day from 9.30am and their next special event is a mystery to solve as part of the Agatha Christie Festival. On Saturday 20 September the team will take you back to the 1920s and ask you to help solve the “Flight of the Babbacombe Smuggler”. With suspects to question and live music from High Society the fun starts at midday and is totally free to take part although usual Cliff Railway travel charges apply. For more information visit www.babbacombecliffrailway.co.uk or follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

Festival Fundraising Total Tops £10,000

The annual Hanbury’s Fish and Chips on the Downs Music Festival event in the Babbacombe Festival Marquee this June raised a staggering £10,480.81. David Hanbury, who organises the event said “I am absolutely delighted with the amount of money that was raised this year. As always, this is a team effort and we’ve had enormous support from sponsors, groups and individuals without whom we couldn’t hope to reach such an amazing total.”

All the money raised has gone to David’s chosen charity, the Torbay Holiday Helpers Network (THHN) which is a Babbacombe based charity. The THHN gives free holidays to families who have seriously ill and bereaved children, recently bereaved families, couples who have lost a child and to families who have a terminally ill parent and it is a charity that David is particularly keen to support. He said “The work that Luke Tillen and his team do is so important and I’m only too pleased to help provide holidays for more wonderful families here in South Devon. The team at THHN are lovely to work with and their Fundraising Manager, Brian Lewis, deserves special mention for his tireless work helping make the day a success co-ordinating all the volunteers, attending planning meetings and generally helping out wherever required.”

Hundreds of people attended this year’s event and were treated to a line-up that included the Stone Angels, Land of the Giants, Shamrock, Ollie Stephens, a special appearance by the Krankies and headline act, Mama Stones House Band, featuring Phoebe Ions.

Sponsors of this year’s event included Boyce Hatton Solicitors, Babbacombe Garage, Riviera Mortgages, The Babbacombe Inn, The Buccaneer Inn, Angels Tea Rooms, The Rotary Club of Babbacombe and St Marychurch and Child Friendly Matters. The event itself consisted of ten hours of fantastic live music. David said “I thought the line-up we had this year was really fantastic and I have to thank Anais Hay who handled all of the bookings and finer details behind the scenes. I’m also incredibly grateful, of course, to all the Hanbury’s staff who worked so hard serving over one thousand portions of fish and chips on the day. I’m very lucky to have such a great team here at Hanbury’s.”

Hanbury’s Fish and Chips on the Downs was the finale of this year’s five days of Babbacombe Festival Marquee activities which, as well as supporting the THHN, also had events which raised money for Rowcroft Hospice, CLIC Sargent, the Poppy Appeal and End Polio Now. David added “Particular thanks must go to Martyn Strange who, for many years now, has provided the spectacular Babbacombe Festival Marquee as well as co-ordinating a selection of events that have been enjoyed by hundreds of people and raised such a lot of money for the various charities supported by the Festival.”

The 2014 Festival was blessed with fantastic summer sun throughout and Babbacombe Downs was full of people enjoying both the weather and the atmosphere at all of the events which also included the Torbay Armed Forces Day which saw crowds lining the street to celebrate with Armed Forces past and present.

David said “Overall this year was definitely the best year we’ve ever had. There was a lovely atmosphere throughout and it was really wonderful to see so many people enjoying what was on offer. Babbacombe Downs is a superb location and what happens up there during Festival week introduces lots of new people to this spectacular location.”

The Festival website www.babbacombefestival.com now has a gallery of pictures so you can re-live all the goings-on from June 2014.

Fifth Anniversary Celebrations at Babbacombe Cliff Railway

This August marks the fifth anniversary of historic local attraction, Babbacombe Cliff Railway, being owned and managed by a specially set up Community Interest Company. Run by a voluntary Board of Directors the railway has gone from strength to strength in recent years and transports around 100,000 people a year up and down the cliffs from Babbacombe Downs to Oddicombe Beach.

To celebrate this a very special anniversary afternoon is planned on Saturday 2 August. Designed to be a family event there is entertainment for the children, including free face painting and fun tattoos with some balloon modelling as well. But the key part of the day is the Babbacombe Ukulele Festival which is bringing together five local ukulele groups to play and sing and entertain the crowds throughout the afternoon. An open-sided marquee will be on the promenade with plenty of seating and visitors are encouraged to come along and enjoy several hours of live music.

Babbacombe Cliff Railway CIC Chairman, John Ayres, said “We’re very excited about this event. It’s wonderful to have had five successful years running the Cliff Railway and we’re hoping for many more successful ones to come.” He added “As one of the founding members of the Babbacombe Ukulele Strummers, it’s particularly nice to be able to bring the two together. We’ve got ukulele bands from Babbacombe, Hatherleigh, Torbay, Marldon and Newton Abbot so should have some fantastic music on offer from 12.30pm to 4pm. The plan is for everyone to play a few songs en masse at the end too so should be a great afternoon.”

After the devastating storms earlier in the year, the Cliff Railway Visitor Centre down on Oddicombe Beach is open again and welcoming lots of visitors each day. There are also now catering vans on the beach, after the Café was badly damaged so ice creams, drinks and all sorts of tasty delights are available to those visiting Oddicombe.

The event is free to attend although normal Cliff Railway charges apply to travellers. Starting at 12 noon when there will also be a number of charity stalls to browse make sure you pop in and help celebrate this latest milestone for Babbacombe Cliff Railway which transported its first passengers back in 1926. For more information visit www.babbacombecliffrailway.co.uk

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