Bideford

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.

Season tickets to increase to £1

A recommendation by the Band, Advertising and Parks Committee that for the 1947 season the price of the putting green season tickets should be raised to £1, and that inquiries should be made from other towns as to corresponding prices, met with objection from Cllr W H Short, at last week’s meeting of Bideford Town Council. Cllr W H Short said they as a Council had been doing very well on the previous price of 15s and to increase it would tend to discourage the use of the green and impose a financial hardship on some of those who liked to play.
Cllr J H Bright thought the new price was not too much, adding ‘They can afford it all right’. Cllr Wm C Friendship said he would second Cllr Short’s amendment to test the feeling of the meeting.
Cllr R L Cock said that while the putting green took hundreds of pounds there was big expenditure on wages. They were not allowed to make a profit. The putting was the cheapest amusement one could get in Bideford. Considering the time some of the men put in there it must work out at about an eighth of a farthing per game.
The Committee’s report was adopted, only two voting against.
Gazette article dated 18 March 1947

Left Engine Running – No Hackney Plates

Bideford Man Fined

At Bideford Borough magistrates’ court on February 19 Theodore Payne, of Lawries Cafe, Bideford, was fined a total of 30s for leaving a car unattended with its engine running and for driving a hackney carriage not designated as such, on Bideford Quay on January 24th.
PC Wilson said the car was left unattended with its engine running for six minutes. When he examined the licence, he discovered that it concerned a hackney carriage but no hackney carriage plate was exhibited on the vehicle.
In a letter to the Bench apologising for his absence, Payne said he left the engine running because of difficulty starting the vehicle. He did not exhibit a hackney carriage plate on the vehicle because he understood it was not necessary to do so unless a Council licence to ply for hire was held.
Gazette article dated 2 March 1951

And Suddenly It’s Spring!

Children and their pets make a charming subject at any time but when their pets include some of the first Spring lambs the picture becomes even more appealing.

Sisters Shirley and Lindsay Tucker and their cousins Simon, Matthew and Clare Langdon brought some of their four-legged friends together for this picture taken at Cadds Down Farm, Bideford, the home of Mr and Mrs P Tucker.
Easily the senior member of the group is Trixie the pony, seen here with her young companion Bobby. Trixie has delighted three families of children during her lifetime, being passed on as her owners out-grew her. Her exact age is not known but it is thought she could be as old as 40.
Next in order of seniority comes 14-year-old collie Rexo who refused to be left out of the limelight.
The Gazette article is dated 1 March 1974