Charities

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.

What may be described as a Christmas present from Bideford Bridge Trust to the town is provided by the special effort made to enable people to see samples of the new lighting by electricity of the 600 year old bridge over the holiday weekend.

For many years the bridge has been lit by gas, but earlier this year the Trustees decided to change to electricity. Special standards and lamps were designed to fit in with the architectural requirements of the bridge and approval obtained from the Ministry of Transport (as the bridge connects the trunk road) and the Ancient Monuments Department of the Ministry of Works (as the bridge is scheduled as an ancient monument).
By Wednesday two of the new electric light standards, which are 14ft 6ins above the footpath, had been erected at the east end of the bridge, and one of them lit. It is expected that a second new light will be lit at the west end before Christmas, and others will follow soon. In the meantime the gas lamps will continue in use.
The new lights will first take over on the north (seaward) side of the bridge as cables for supplying them are already in position. The lighting of those on the south side will come second so that evacuations of the road will not inconvenience Christmas traffic.
Total cost of the scheme is in the region of £1,500.
Gazette article dated 22 December 1961

Bideford Inner Wheel Back After 18 Years

A club, which went out of existence 18 years ago, was officially reformed on Friday – the Bideford Inner Wheel.

A total of 13 Inner Wheel clubs from Devon and Cornwall were represented at a charter luncheon, held at Tantons Hotel, Bideford, when the charter was presented to Bideford club president, Mrs Charles Martin by the district chairman, Mrs L A Tapper, of Newton Abbot.
The Inner Wheel is the women’s counterpart of Rotary. Bideford had already provided two district chairmen – a unique achievement – one in 1947 and another, the late, Mrs Herbert Fulford, a few years later.
A bouquet was presented to Mrs Tapper by Miss Jill Smith, of Bideford.
The presentation of the Inner Wheel jewel to the founder president was made by Mr Stuart Holland, president of Bideford Rotary Club. The jewel is in memory of the late Dr E J Toye.
Responding, Mrs Martin said that the original Inner Wheel club of Bideford was founded in 1931, but ceased to function at the end of the war. Apart from herself the only person to be a member of both old and new clubs was Mrs Alec Goodman.
Mrs Martin received from Mr Holland a gavel on behalf of Bideford Rotary Club.
To welcome a club such as Bideford back into the fold was really a special occasion, remarked Mrs J Sykes, a member of the Inner Wheel Council. Responding to the toast to the visitors proposed by Mrs Goodman, Mr F Jordan of Bideford Rotary, said that Rotary functioned more efficiently with Inner Wheel.
The full Gazette article is dated 7 June 1963

Bideford Round Table is 30 years old 26.2.1982

Charities. Bideford Round Table celebrating their 30th anniversary next week. Bob Harding was one of the 11 founder members. Brian Cording, Roger Cording, Roger Day, Geoff Day, Bill Law, Arthur Bradley, Bob Anderson, David Willmott, Roland Oliver, Bill Milton, Tony Stephens, Roy Cory, Don Colwill, Jim Wickham, Bob Hopkins