Case Study
From an idea to Our Appledore
A community book celebrating the stories, people and places of a historic Devon village
By Fu
September 2026
How it all started
The idea for Our Appledore began years ago, while I was creating my Streets of Appledore artworks from 2009.
As I drew the buildings and streets, I started to wonder about the stories behind them. Who had lived in these houses? What businesses had once been there? What memories were connected to the streets and buildings I was drawing?
Those questions stayed with me and gradually grew into the idea for a book celebrating Appledore’s people, places and history.
Our Appledore brings together hand-drawn illustrations, old photographs, personal memories and historical research to create a visual record of the village.
It has been a journey of discovering, checking and sharing stories, with help from local residents, families, historians, museums and community organisations.
The book is more than a collection of drawings. It is about the people who have shaped Appledore and the memories held within its streets and buildings.
I’m looking forward to sharing more about the project as it develops.
Our Appledore — a community book celebrating the stories, people and places of a historic Devon village.
The Process
The first post: finding out if the community is interested. (13 April 2026)
Before taking the project any further, I wanted to find out whether the community would be interested in the idea and whether people might be willing to share their memories, photographs and local knowledge.
I wrote the following post for Facebook: (Image Left)
The response to this first post would help shape the project. It would show whether there was enough interest to continue, which stories mattered most to local people and who might be able to contribute material or knowledge.
From there, the idea could develop into a collaborative process of discovering, checking and sharing Appledore’s history, with help from local residents, families, historians, museums and community organisations.
The Feedback
The comments and conversations that followed were very positive. People responded warmly to the idea and seemed to like the combination of illustration, local history and personal memories.
This early feedback gave me the confidence to continue developing the project. It also showed that there was genuine interest in a book that celebrated Appledore from the perspective of the people who know it best.
From there, the idea began to develop into a collaborative process of discovering, checking and sharing Appledore’s history, with help from local residents, families, historians, museums and community organisations.
First Release
Our Appledore — Book 1 is a colouring and line-drawing book celebrating the stories, people and places of a historic Devon village.
Colour the drawings in your own way — carefully, boldly or simply for fun. When finished, why not frame your favourite drawings and turn them into your own personal artwork and a lasting memory of Appledore?
A book to colour, keep and enjoy — and perhaps a few pages to frame and display.
What Next?
This colouring book is the first part of a larger project. A forthcoming main book will bring together people’s memories and old stories of Appledore, along with historical information, archive photographs and the 29 original hand-drawn illustrations created by Fu.
Contact
Reach out anytime, we’re here to help.
info@westmoorcoastpress.co.uk
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