Commemorative

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.

Do you remember Decimal Day?

Pre-decimal currency was based on:

• 12 pennies – 12d = 1 shilling
• 20 shillings – 20s = £1
• 240 pennies – 240d = £1

Prices would be written in pounds, shillings and pennies, so an item costing 7 shillings and 2 pennies would be written as 7s 2d and marked up sale items as 7/2. The ‘s’ and ‘d’ represented Latin words ‘solidus’ and ‘denarius’. Half-crowns, farthings and half pennies were not in use in 1971, having already been ‘retired’ but there were threepence and sixpence coins.

Threepence – this coin was 12-sided and often called a ‘thrupence’ or a ‘thrupny bit’ and, if you were lucky, you may have found one in your Christmas pudding.

Sixpence – this was silver coloured and may have been used in Christmas puddings instead of a thrupence. It was worth the equivalent of 2½ (new) pence and you could still use it up to 1980. Maybe you kept one as a souvenir?

Shilling – this was popularly known as a ‘bob’ and was used in expressions such as ‘taking the King’s shilling’, ‘you look as if you’ve lost a shilling and found a penny’ and ‘a few bob short of a pound’. The shilling (which was the same size as the 5 pence coin) was legal tender until 1990.

Florin – this was worth two shillings or ‘two bob’ and remained in use until 1992. The 10 pence coin was the same size.

Ten shilling note – this was withdrawn on 20 November 1970.

With decimalisation, the pound was retained and kept its value but was now divided into 100 new pence, written as ‘p’. Five and ten pence coins were introduced in April 1968, and fifty pence coins in October 1969, which meant that the public was already familiar with some of the new coinage.

To publicise Decimal Day, a huge campaign took place and included the BBC broadcasting a series of 5 minute programmes called ‘Decimal Five’ and ‘New Money Day’ which was shown on 15 February 1971, ITV showed a drama called ‘Granny gets the Point’ and Max Bygraves recorded a jaunty song called ‘Decimalisation’.

Articles included in the Gazette covering D-Day were:

D-Day Will Add To P.O. Worries (29 January 1971)

The postal strike has entered its second week with a ‘no change’ situation in Bideford.

Counter service at the head post office is almost normal apart from the fact, of course, that postings cannot be accepted.

With Decimal Day looming, post office worries must be amplified. Prior to the strike the intention was to close all offices from 1pm on Friday, February 12th, until 9am on the following Monday. In that time everything sold would have to be changed and accounted for which would be a vast undertaking even if things were normal.

Those renting Council properties can expect a reduction in their rent as Decimalisation Means Rent Cut - By A Fraction (12 February 1971)

150 OAPs See The Point! (19 February 1971)

It was ‘back to school’ for about 150 members of the Bideford No. 1 branch of the Old Age Pensions Associations who, at a special meeting organised by their leader, Mrs D A Pascoe, were taught how to handle decimal currency.

Their teachers were Inspector S Nicholson and Mr T White of the Southern National Omnibus Co. With the aid of blackboard, chalk and the new coins they soon dispelled mystery, and there were light-hearted moments.

Vice-chairman Mr W Tithecott thanked the speakers and Mrs Huxtable and the committee served tea.

199 valuable decimal stamps? (19 February 1971)

A Bideford stamp dealer, Miss Rosemary Phear, of Brookfield Street, bought 70 new decimal stamps on Monday for use of first-day covers – and then went back and bought the rest of the sheet.

Reason was that she noticed there were no phosphor bands on the stamps and she believes this could make them valuable. Miss Phear was lucky, for in the meantime only one more stamp had been sold from the 200-stamp sheet.

County Rate up 5½P (19 February 1971)

Torrington Rural Rate Prospect (19 February 1971)

Local eateries such as the Elizabethan Club and Restaurant and Tantons Hotel advertised their menus using decimalised costs - Grapefruit Surprise for 35p and Sunday lunch for 67 1/2p, whereas Chopes aided its customers by providing post and pre decimalisation costs - pantie girdles for 50p (10s).

Births announced in the Gazette on 26 February 1971 included Jana Grigg born at NDDHMU to Raymond and Lorraine born on 15 February.

Later Developments

The term ‘new pence’ or ‘new penny’ ceased after ten years in 1982 as it was deemed it was now not ‘new’. In the same year, the 20p coin was introduced. The half penny coin introduced in 1971 was not legal tender after December 1984 as inflation meant it was of little use and the pound coin was issued in 1983 which led to the pound note being demonetised on 11 March 1988.

References used are Wikepedia, Family Money, Coins of the UK, and Gazette newpapers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day

Issued by the National Savings Committee

Night raids....
Daylight raids....
instruder raids... into
the dawn- across the
bars of sunset,
through rain and storm.
BUT...whatever the
weather-
cloudy or clear
there is always...
always a glory
on their wings-
for they go to avenge
the innocent,
to break the tyrant,
to release a continent
from slaver...
to save mankind.
No enterprise more
glorious in the
story of the world.
Once they were few,
now they are many-
they must be more-
more-and still more,
until only they darken
the new dawn...
and their tenuous
shadows are the
only darkness
on the fields...
and tents...
and towns of Europe.
MORE...
still MORE.

Until this glorious consummation is achieved, we on the civilian front cannot pause or relax. However hard we work, however much we deny ourselves, however much we save from our earnings, our best must be counted short of our needs until Victory is in our grasp...Are you sure that you are saving ENOUGH?

In the Gazette 12 January 1943

Issued by the National Savings Committee

Thank you Savers
Thank you for fighting the squander bug
Thank you for Wings for Victory
Thank you for Raising the Standard
Thank you for HELPING TO MAKE THIS A SAVINGS CHRISTMAS
To you War Savings workers who have done so much to inspire others to do so much - the Nation gives its Thanks. Your work has been grand. Keep it up; as the New Year dawns, we can all look forward to our final reward - Victory.

In the 21 December 1943 Gazette