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.

Midland Bank opens at Bideford Railway Station

At 9.30 a.m. yesterday, the doors opened at the former parcels office at Bideford Railway Station and it began a new life as a sub-branch of the Midland Bank whose main branch in Bideford is in the High Street. The station was closed to passenger use in 1965 but the line is still used for goods traffic.

The parcels office has been converted at a cost of £5,000 into a sub-branch of the Midland Bank, which will be staffed during normal banking hours, and also has an interview room and other facilities. It will be under the managership of Mr George Olver, Bideford branch manager.

The sub-branch, believed to be the first time a bank has used British Rail property, will serve the east side of Bideford, which has considerably developed with housing and industry in recent years, and also be convenient for customers in Instow, Westleigh, Eastleigh and Huntshaw districts.

Gazette article dated 1 August 1969

Space dominates at Hartland carnival

Hartland carnival 'with-it'

Hartland may be in something of a backwater, but at carnival time it never fails to show that it is very much “with it.” That was certainly the case on Saturday when space age themes dominated the long procession.

In the mobile section, the inhabitants of the hamlet of Natcott reached their customary high standard, their choice depicting the recovery of Apollo 11. Above a flotation-collared spacecraft in a sea hovered a helicopter complete with pilot and rotating blades. The Colwill family and friends had produced a gleaming towering rocket that emitted strange sounds and clouds of smoke.

The Mugford family and associates from Balhill had produced Apollo 23, which had landed on Mars only to find a Russian already installed. They had also produced green Martian girls to pamper the explorer.

Gazette article dated 15 August 1969

‘Jalopy’ joy for children of Shamwickshire

Holiday play scheme for children of East-the-Water

One of the attractions of the experimental holiday play-scheme organised by the young people of the North Devon Volunteers for primary-school age children at East-the-Water was the “adventure” provided by an old car, provided by Mr Fred Blight.

This was, in fact, the last day of the fortnight’s scheme based at Pollyfield, East-the-Water. Up to 100 children took part and activities included swimming in Edgehill College pool, games and sports in the sports hall at the grammar school, walks at Hartland and visits to Bideford Zoo. Indoor activities included painting and drawing, dressing up and impromptu play-acting.

Gazette article 22 August 1969