North Devon's residents are being invited to share their photographs and memories of the district from the past five decades, as North Devon Council approaches its 50th anniversary.
The council came into power on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act. Elections to the council took place in the previous year and from then the council served as a shadow authority until taking over. The act set out that the administration of local government be divided into counties, followed by districts within each county. The North Devon district encompassed the area of five former councils: Barnstaple borough; the urban districts of Ilfracombe and Lynton, and the rural districts of Barnstaple and South Molton, which were all abolished.
To mark its anniversary, the council is inviting residents to share their photographs and any accompanying memories of the area from 1974 onwards with the rest of the community via the council's social media pages. Images could depict anything from landscapes and townscapes to events and people who have featured in their experiences of the district. The idea is to capture the heart and spirit of the area over the past 50 years through images; its beautiful natural landscape, its diverse towns and villages, and the wonderful community who exist within it.
Leader of North Devon Council, Councillor Ian Roome says: "As we celebrate our council's remarkable journey to its 50th anniversary, we invite our residents to join us in commemorating this milestone by sharing their own cherished photographs and memories, weaving together the vibrant tapestry of our community's rich history.
"Photographs don't have to be of a professional standard or depict a major event; they just need to communicate something of a resident's experience in, or of, the district over the past 50 years, for example an event, private or public, that was memorable to them, a person who had an impact on them, a shop or high street that has changed over time - anything that says something about life in North Devon over the past half century."
Residents who wish to have their photographs shared with the community through the council's Facebook and/or Instagram pages should email them to communications@northdevon.gov.uk along with the approximate year the photograph was taken, its location, and any accompanying information or memory attached to it. Residents are advised they should only share only photographs they own and with the permission of anyone who features in the image.