Transport

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.

The route of the motorway link road to North Devon has not yet been decided

Northam Chamber of Commerce have been told by the Department of the Environment that a number of lines for the link road are being examined but that ‘considerable investigation and survey work remains to be carried out’ before draft orders can be published.

It was impossible to give a time schedule for the proposed link road, apart from saying that the draft orders were unlikely to be published until the middle or late 1970s.

But copies of the order would in due course be sent to the Chamber the Department promised.

Gazette article dated 14 February 1972

Tie-breaker decides quiz

Competition in the Bideford and District Road Safety schools’ quiz was so keen

that victory in the junior section was decided by only one point and in the senior section there had to be a tie-breaker.

Eighteen teams took part, 13 of them in the junior sections which resulted: 1 St Mary’s A; 2 St Mary’s B; 3 Stella Maris.

The winning team comprised Robert Trewin, Cassandra Clyde, Caroline Parsonson and John Richards. The senior section resulted: 1 Stella Maris A; 2 Stella Maris B; 3 Bideford School. The Stella Maris winning team consisted of Anne Wheatley, Gillian Shaw, Dawn Lidstone, Rachel Walden and Sara Douglas (reserve).

The quiz was organised by Mr S A Bennett, road safety officer for North Devon, and Mr J G Wood, vice-chairman of the Bideford committee, was question master. Prizes were presented by Mrs E J Brown, Mayor of Bideford and chairman of the Bideford committee.

The Bideford ambulance team which won the adult quiz – Messrs John Braund (captain), Michael Hammett, Ian Knight and John Tate.

Gazette article dated 17 March 1978

Bus Men Set Good Example In Safe Driving

Inspires public confidence says Mayor

It was good to know that the borough possessed such a band of careful drivers and that was something that must fill every user of the ‘buses in the area with a sense of real confidence, said the Mayor of Bideford, Mr J H Sharley, when he presented safe driving awards to the drivers of the Bideford depot of the Southern National Omnibus Company on Friday.

The Mayor had a special word of congratulation for Driver R A J Parker, of Lessines, Alexandra Terrace, to whom he presented the Exeter Accident Prevention Council’s highly commended certificate.

Thanks to the Mayor, who had been introduced by Mr F H Holmes, were expressed by Mr T J Pester who was accompanied by Mr C E J Piper.

Awards were given to: G E P Kelly, E L Daniel, K F Lewis, J Reddaway, W H Braund, R A J Parker, R T Shute, L J Balment, D C J Blight, D F Broad, F Symons, E Jackman, C H Williams, S G Adams, S Bowden, F C Brown, A E Cole, J H Elliott, W H Johns, W R Langdon, J O Morrish, J L Cox, H Hortop, B B Marshall, A J Bailey, W E Braunton, L J CAnn, R H Cann, F Cobbett, B Evans, A C Glover, J Griffin, A T Kelly, W H G Kelly, F O Littlejohns, F A Pickett, F J Quick, L E Robin, A L Stoner, E J Short, J Short, L A Tythcott, R E Withal, W O Pedrick, L H Burrows, R J Mathieson, F Beer, A J Copp, W Edwards, L J Hawkins, H Holliman, E A Kendall, L O W Sandercock, F A Short, R S Thomason, W T Yarde.