Businesses

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

The Atlanta Hotel (late Dormy House) offers first class facilities for...

Wedding Receptions
Cocktail Parties
Private Celebrations
21st Birthdays
Masonic Functions
and catering for all those special occasions
The Ballroom - Lounge - bar and Dining Room are newly decorated and furnished
Resident Band
Full details on request
Atlanta Hotel, Westward Ho!
or Telephone Northam 288

Advert dated 28 August 1964

Bideford Firm Secures 100,000 Dollar Contract

High precision engineering instrument made at East-the-Water

Determination and perseverance on the part of Messrs Snow, Deakin and Co of Bideford, through the experimental stages of the manufacture of a high-precision engineering instrument has led to the firm, whose factory is at East-the-water, landing a contract to the value of over 100,000 dollars.

The instrument which is making such a valuable contribution to the country’s dollar drive, is the Ernst portable direct reading, Hardness tester. A Swiss patent, the tester is now being produced from British materials by Messrs Snow, Deakin and Co who hold the sole manufacturing and selling rights for the world with the exception of Europe and South America.

Over 1,500 instruments have been sold in this country already and orders to the value of £6,000 each have been received from India, Australia and South Africa.

In addition the firm is busy machining, processing and testing new casting Solex motor car carburettors at the rate of 1,500 per week for Vanguards and 1,000 per week for the Ford Pilot. Another high precision job is the manufacture of 500 projection shafts per month for the J Arthur Rank film organisation.

When the firm acquired the factory premises from Rolamatic Ltd early last year, only six skilled operators were employed.
In other directions, Bideford and district has taken its share in the export drive and this engineering triumphs is a noteworthy addition to both the local and national effort. For the firm it means, as Mr A C Snow, one of the directors, said, that they are now ‘out of the long grass and into the sunshine’. ‘But’ he added ‘we are as proud that it is step up for Bideford as we are that it is dollar earner’.

The full Gazette article is dated 23 June 1950

Family business

Northam Butcher Chosen

Congratulations to Northam butcher Mr Richard Bradford, who has just been made president-elect of the South Western Area of the Meat Traders’ Council. Extending from Evesham to Lands End, it is a formidably large area to cover and Mr Bradford will next year find himself travelling many hundreds of miles in his official capacity.

Now 46, he followed his father, the late Mr Charles Bradford, in the family business at Northam and also has a shop at Westward Ho! He has already been president of the North Devon Master Butchers’ Association. The last time North Devon provided the area president was some 20 years ago when Barnstaple butcher Mr R S E Cawsey, now of Braunton, and retired, held the office.

While serving with the RASC in Palestine during the troubles there in 1947 Mr Bradford was mentioned in despatches. He has been a member of Northam Burrows Committee for a number of years, recently he received the Special Constabulary long service medal, and he is a member of the Royal North Devon Golf Club but laughingly admits he would rather not mention his handicap. He is an Old Boy of Bideford Grammar School, where his son David is now in his final year. David is not planning to continue the family’s business for in the autumn he goes to college to begin training to become a teacher. A daughter, Julie, who is 15, is at Stella Maris School.

Gazette article dated 13 April 1973