Railways

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.

From Westward Ho! to Abbotsham Cliffs

New life of the Bideford-Westward Ho! railway track – disused since the middle of the first world war – is envisaged in a more proposal reported to Northam Urban Council.

The Clerk, Mr L B Galliford, told the Council a Birmingham firm, specialising in the operation of miniature railways had submitted proposals to use a stretch of the old Bideford-Westward Ho! railway track starting from near the Bath Hotel and running out to the Council’s boundary and Abbotsham Cliffs. The firm realised they would have to enter into agreements with various owners of lengths of the track for wayleaves, added the Clerk.

The Council, after discussion, decided to reply to the firm that the matter was being favourably considered.

In reply to the Rev A E Green, the Clerk said he understood the miniature railway would be such that passengers could sit inside the carriages.

Mr C R Mill thought when the Council acquired the Rocks Nose quarry area they had done so with the idea of enabling people to walk out along the cliffs and the miniature railway, he considered, might interfere with that.

There was a part at the side where people could walk, said Mr G W G Hutchings.

‘I think this is a thing we should encourage if we possible can’ said the Chairman, Mrs M de N Youngman. ‘It is something other people are prepared to do and it would add to the attractions of Westward Ho! It seems a wonderful idea’ she added.

The proposal also concerns land coming under the jurisdiction of Bideford Rural District Council and this Council has been written to by the firm on the matter.

More information on the Railway can be found at this link: Westward Ho! Railway History

Article dated 20 January 1956

Sets Signal For Last Time

Torrington man’s 48 years on railway

It is nearly 40 years since Mr Herbert Steer first walked from his home in New Street, Torrington, down the hill to the railway station and thence along the track to the signal box.
That has since been his daily routine, but on March 13th he will leave the box for the last time. The next day he will begin a fortnight’s leave and will then retire after having served on the railway for 48 years.
It was on October 14th 1912 that Mr Steer began to work for the London and South West Railway as a carriage cleaner at Plymouth. Four years later he was transferred to Portsmouth Arms as a porter but 18 months from then he was in the Army.
The war over, he became a porter at Bideford but was soon transferred to his native Torrington.
He intends to devote more time to his hobby of decorating and to do some gardening.
The full Gazette article is dated 11 March 1960

Bideford Ex-Mayor’s 50 Years Railway Service

Believed to be the first Bidefordian to qualify for the Southern Railway Gold Medal for long service, Mr John Henry Sharley, 9 Chudleigh Avenue, Bideford, completed fifty years’ railway service on February 28th.

He hopes to retire on April 1st. Mr Sharley was Mayor of Bideford during the war years 1942-44.

He commenced work in the uniformed goods department at Bideford Railway station the same department to which he later returned as a higher grade clerk, on Ladysmith Day, 1900. In all he has served under ten station masters. Disappointed to find, on his return to Bideford, that interest in football was on the decline, Mr Sharley was prominent in successful moves to resuscitate the sport and was the first chairman of the Bideford United Football Club and afterwards its secretary. For a time he was also secretary of the Bideford Amateur Athletic Club. He is at present secretary of the Kingsley League and of the Hansen and Pickard Cup competitions. He is chairman of the Bideford and District Skittles League and is also associated with other sporting organisations. Since 1938 Mr Sharley has been a member of Bideford Town Council and is the Council’s representative on the governing bodies of the Bideford Secondary Schools and of the Bideford County Primary Schools. During the war years he was Head Fire Guard for the Borough. Mrs Sharley is a member of an old Lyme Regis family with seafaring associations, being the eldest daughter of the late Mr and Mrs J W Gibbs.

The full Gazette article is dated 10 March 1950