Royalty

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.

Happiest girl in North Devon on Saturday was nine year old Susan Petherick, of Northam Road, Garage, Bideford, for she won the right to meet Princess Margaret in London next month.

She will present to the Princess on behalf of the North Devon auxiliary of the London Missionary Society, a purse of money towards the Society’s new missionary ship, the John Williams 7th, completed at a cost of £100,000.
The first boat was built by John Williams, a pioneer missionary, who operated it in the South Seas, and who was martyred.
Who should represent North Devon was decided at a rally at Lavington Church, Bideford, when a number of children entered a written competition.
It resulted in a tie between Janet Minifie of Ilfracombe, and Susan.
The full Gazette article is dated 2 November 1962

A wedding gift for HRH Princess Elizabeth

H.R.H Princess Elizabeth

Sir, - The adjourned meeting to consider how best to co-operate in the County scheme to make a wedding gift to HRM Princess Elizabeth, was held on Wednesday last and a very satisfactory attendance of representatives approved the following:
1. That we should support the County Scheme under which donations are limited to 1s per person
2. That Banks, Schools and Organisations make their own arrangements.
3. That Shopkeepers be asked to display a notice and to keep a box or book for the convenience of their customers.
4. That Miss L May, of the Town Council’s Accountancy Staff, Town Hall, be the Honorary Secretary.
5. That those present be constituted a General Committee to co-operate with the undersigned in making necessary arrangements.
Since the meeting steps have been taken to implement the resolutions and I desire to say how encouraging it has been to me personally to experience the ready willingness of the Banks, the Schools and Shopkeepers, and others, to take collecting boxes, etc. at some inconvenience to themselves and their staffs. There are still a few properly authorised collecting boxes available if required.
I wish to emphasise that gifts however small (and not to exceed one shilling per head) should be entirely voluntary.
The results so far are most encouraging.
May I add that I much appreciate the courtesy of your columns in make the above known.
James Lang, Mayor
Mayor’s Office, Bideford

Good Wishes to Royal Bride and Bridegroom

The thunderous cheers of the London crowds which greeted HRH Princess Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on each occasion when they appeared in public on Thursday, their wedding day, found an echo in the hearts of West country folk.

While celebrations were on simple lines for the most part, they were a mark of the genuine affection of the people of this part of the country for their Royal Highnesses who have both been associated with the West country at various times. The Princess visited Dartmouth some years ago as a Sea Ranger and only last year came to Exeter. Dartmouth is well known, too, to Prince Philip who was at the Royal Naval College there.
Tiverton, another town known to the Princess, had the honour of supplying the pure silk netting for her wedding veil.
Bells were rung at many Churches – in some cases even before daybreak – flags were flown, shop windows and private residences decorated, and special entertainments arranged. One splash of colour at Bideford was provided by the Sea Cadet Training Ship ‘Revenge’, which was gaily decked with bunting.
From North Devon Towns and other local authorities loyal messages of congratulation and good wishes were sent to the Royal couple.
Typical of the messages was the one sent by the Mayor of Bideford, Mr F T Upton, to HRH Princess Elizabeth. It read: ‘The inhabitants of the Borough and Port of Bideford in Devon offer to you and Lieut Mountbatten heartiest congratulations, best wishes and loyal and affectionate regards and, bearing in mind Bideford’s historic naval memories of Elizabethan days, rejoice that a hero of the sea should share your future happiness’. The reply stated: ‘I warmly thank you for your message of good wishes which gave us both great pleasure’ and was signed ‘Elizabeth’.
For the children it was a special day, for by the express wish of HM the King they were the only ones to observe the day as a holiday.
Housewives hurried through their normal morning’s work, and their shopping in order to be at home in time to listen to the broadcast of the wedding at 11am. For those who were out shopping early in the morning, additional zest was lent to their conversation by reason of the fact that details of the bride’s dress and those of the bridesmaids had been revealed that morning.
As 11 o’clock approached the streets seemed less crowded than usual and shopkeepers reported one of the quietest mornings on record.
At the meeting of Bideford Rotary Club at Bromley’s Cafe, a toast was drunk to the Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

Gazette article dated 25 November 1947