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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.

4 July 1969

Elston – On June 19th 1969 at Trevorne, Bossiney Road, Tintagel, Cornwall, to Bob and Maureen (nee Squance) a daughter, Jayne Constance, a sister for Christopher and Andrew.
Fletcher – June 20th, to Ian and Mary (Kathy, nee Elston) at the RAF Hospital, Wroughton, a son, Mark, a brother for Keith.
Riddell – July 2nd at the NDDHMU to Gale and Sylvia (nee Braund) a daughter, a sister for Clare.

Brooks-Lean – Mr and Mrs D Lean of 2 Osman Cottages, Westleigh, are happy to announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer to David, the eldest son of Mr and Mrs J Brooks, of Collabear Cottage, Tawstock.
Olsson-Ditcham – Mr and Mrs H Ditcham, 20 Swanswood Gardens, Westward Ho! have much pleasure in announcing the engagement of their daughter, Anne, to Neil Olsson, of New Zealand. The wedding will take place on August 9th, 11.30, at St Margaret’s Church, Northam.
Sawle-Wigley – The engagement is announced between Christopher, eldest son of Mr and Mrs F J Sawle, of Donnington, Westward Ho! and Jane, second daughter of Mr and Mrs A J Wiglely, High Pines, Reigate, Surrey.

Braund-Ashman – At Alexandra Park Congregational Church, London, on June 28th 1969, Jonathan, second son of Mr and Mrs R A Braund, to Heather, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs J Ashman.
Chapman-Halbert – On July 1st at Emmanuel Church, Bath, Martyn, only son of Mr and Mrs R A Chapman, of Bath, to Jacqueline Mary, only daughter of Mr and Mrs C W Halbert of Bath (formerly of Bideford).
Reeve-Kearon – June 28th at St Margaret’s Church, Northam, Michael, youngest son of Mr and Mrs K Reeve, of 2 Burrough Road, Northam, to Catherine, only daughter of Mr and Mrs P Kearon, of Brenton, Windmill Lane, Northam.
Ross-Linbird – Friday June 27th at Mayfield, Sussex, Peter John Scott, eldest son of Mr and Mrs M R Ross, of Northam, to Frances Marion, only daughter of Mr and Mrs W J Limbird, of Mayfield, Sussex.
White-Pickett – June 21st at St Margaret’s Church, Northam, Patrick, only son of Mr and Mrs F White, Cross Park, Shirwell, to Mary, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs F Pickett, Morwenna Park, Northam.

After 40 Years In Ontario

Stibb man returns on holiday with family

Once again the call of Bideford and its surrounding countryside has proved too strong for emigrants from it to cut themselves off completely.

On holiday here are Mr and Mrs Montague Blight and their daughter Rosemarie from near Stratford-upon-Avon, Ontario, Canada. Mr Blight hails from Stibb Cross and his wife was formerly Miss Carrie Richards, of Church Walk, Bideford. It was 40 years ago that they emigrated and they have been in the same part of Canada ever since. They have another daughter and there is a son who is an Anglican minister in Toronto.

Schoolteacher Miss Blight will stay in England when her parents return, doing supply work in the London area.

Mr Blight, a retired bank official, has a brother, Mr Alfred Blight, living at Oak Farm, Buckland Brewer, and Mrs Blight’s sister, Miss Louie Richards, lives in Church Walk. Another sister lives in Ilfracombe and both have a number of other relatives scattered around the area.

Gazette article dated 11 August 1961

100 Years Ago - December 1920

F.A. Bishop's is offering tremendous reductions for cash on its 'great sale of furniture' - 'an opportunity never before known in Bideford'

Property for Sale

On Friday 10th December 1920 at The Working Men’s Club in Northam an Auction will be held of the following properties:

Lot 1 A double fronted dwelling house with garden and outhouses at the rear being No 10 Tower Street, Northam.
Lot 2 A dwelling house known as No 11 Tower Street with yard and side entrance.
Lot3 All that Building used as a Slaughter House fronting on to the Underway Northam
Lot 4 All that Cottage situate at the rear of Lot 1 and with an entrance in the Underway Northam.

In Appledore at the The Royal Hotel at 6pm on Friday 17th December three lots are offered for auction:

Lot 1 The dwelling house known at 17 Vernons Lane, containing parlour, kitchen, wash house, 3 bedrooms,wc.
Lot 2 The dwelling house known as 18 Vernons Lane, together with the garden at the rear.
Lot 3 All that Store or Shed formerly used as a blacksmiths shop adjoining Lot 1

Interestingly, these premises are “held for the residue of a certain term of 200 years which commenced in or about 1770”. This lease will have expired in 1970.

In Torrington the Magistrate Court was occupied for several hours with summonses issued by the Ministry of Food against the Torrington Co-operative Society for breaches of orders, eight cases being brought against the Well Street shop and four against the South Street shop. The summonses were for “exposing Government butter for sale without being labelled, for exposing butter for sale not marked with the price per lb, exposing for sale bacon and Government cheese, unlabelled, cheese not marked with the price, lard unlabelled and bread not in an even number of pounds”. All the summonses arose out of a site visit earlier in the year. Most of the bread when weighed was an ounce or more underweight. In total the shops were fined £7.

Bideford Borough Magistrates dealt with a summons against a lady living in Clifton Street for the irregular attendance of her children at school. The case, which had already been adjourned owing to the defendant’s illness and she did not appear in the court but sent a note by a neighbour. The School Attendance Officer said the defendant gave the authorities a lot of trouble over the non-attendance of her children at school and had been summoned twelve times in regard to it. One daughter, aged 8 had only made 62 attendance out of 92. Her brother, aged 6½, was absent 24 times and his younger brother, aged 5½, had been absent 151 times since Easter and was running about the streets continuously. Fines of several shillings for each child were imposed.

Bideford Town Council’s General Purposes Committee reported that the disused railway track from Pill Gate to the Causeway Bideford had been offered for sale for £4,200 by an official of the Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway They have suggested that Bideford Council be asked if they could join in a letter to the County Council inquiring if they would consider taking the matter up with the Railway Company and the Ministry of Transport with a view to purchase of the land and to construct a road leading northwards from Bideford out of the money to be obtained by grant.

Messrs Barrell Bros of Old Town Garage Bideford offer for sale by auction Motor Engineers Stock in Trade as well as a National 6 h.p. Gas Engine, Johnson Phillips Dynamo, 70/50volt, 30/125 amperes output. A 7/9 h.p. Harley Davidson motor cycle combination (1915), 2¼ h.p., Villiers 2 stroke motor cycle (1920) and extensive and considerable tools and equipment.

The Bideford Water supply scheme was approved by both Bideford & Northam town councils and Jennetts Reservoir is to be built. £37,000 will be borrowed to cover the purchase of land and building costs and, even after this had been repaid, there will be an annual charge on the ratepayers of £375 per year.

Sad death of Appledore Captain.
A fatality occurred in the Plymouth Cattewater late one night this month. A boat was conveying Captain Fishwick of the Clara May and two other male occupants to the vessel when she capsized. The crew of the Phoenix went to their aid and saved the companions of the captain but he was drowned. His ship was discharging a cargo of oats from Ireland.

Weather
Eastern and Southern England experienced heavy snowfall on the 11th/12th December. The snow was reported as “very dry” and it fell without any wind and as a result no drifting occurred. Salcombe in south Devon had over 12 inches and more heavy snow fell every day until 16th December. In Plymouth snow was recorded on the ground for 10 consecutive days.

The Bideford Gazette reports a tornado swept across Exeter in early December and caused damage to riverside property. A large timber store 140x50 feet was lifted bodily and moved and its roof of corrugated iron was spread across 330 yards. Half an hour later dead calm was experienced.

Earlier in the month a gale had demolished the Appledore landmark windmill. Huge blocks of masonry, many tons in weight, were hurled in all directions. The windmill, which had not been worked for many years, had been a prominent landmark in Appledore district for upwards of a century. The structure consisted of a wall three feet thick and a mass of debris lying in the vicinity now forms an interesting sight.

Heywood & Cock is offering 'slump prices' on stock-taking lines and Tattersill's Stores has published its 'Christmas Price List' where you can buy 'evaporated fruits', 'cordials' and 'muscatels'.