Featured Articles

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.

Car for Sailors' rest Missionary

A special appeal has raised over £500 for the purchase of a car to assist the Missionary in charge of Appledore and District Sailors’ Rest and Mission in his duties, which have been increased by the new wharves at Yelland.

22 January 1960 Mobile missionary

When the car was delivered it was formally handed over by Sir Basil Nicolls (left), chairman of the special appeal committee to the Rev. Donald Cox, the present Seamen’s missionary at Appledore.

‘This gift will make my visiting much easier and will also help me tremendously in carrying out my other duties,’ said the Rev. Cox.

Gazette article 22 January 1960

TV features Bideford’s New Year bread ceremony

Ceremony dating back over 350 years

Television turned its spotlight on Friday morning on a Bideford ceremony dating back over 350 years. On the table in the Mayor’s Parlour were 40 2lb. and ten 1lb. loaves which, in accordance with a bequest in 1605 by John Andrew, a wealthy Bideford merchant, were distributed on New Year’s Day to elderly people of the town.

Under the TV photographer’s flood-lamps recipients filed in, happy to maintain an old tradition and to receive their loaves. First to receive a loaf was 70 year old Mr Thomas Yarde, of Providence Row, who also took a loaf for a 78 year old neighbour . Among others photographed were Mrs Saunders (71), Mrs B.M. New (72) and Mr James Gayton (78).

Gazette article 8 January 1960

They set out for Bideford and became lost

Anxious search for three missing Torrington boys

Three Torrington boys who were reported missing on Sunday were found some nine hours later, in failing light, on the banks of the river Torridge at Beam, three miles away from their homes.

The boys were (L to R) seven-year-old Tony Allen, eight-year-old Nicholas Hammett and Tony’s seven-year-old cousin, Richard Roach.

Tony related his experiences: ‘We were going to hike to Bideford to have a look around. I know my way there all right but when we went off the main road, we got lost. We tried to find the road again but couldn’t, so when we came to a fisherman’s carrier, we all jumped in it and tried to get across the river to the other bank. But half-way across the carrier got stuck so we returned to the bank by catching hold of the guide wires, pulling ourselves hand over hand to where we started’. Tony said they were starving. Nicholas had started to eat some grass ‘but I don’t like grass so I didn’t try to eat any.’

When it began to get dark, they became frightened ‘but none of us cried until we saw Daddy coming for us.’ They were never going to do it again.

Gazette article 20 October 1961