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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.

Alexander ‘The Great’

Clovelly donkey Alexander has been having time off from normal duties to star in a film being made on location by a London-based company. After a fortnight in Cornwall, the unit moved into Clovelly on Saturday to continue work on “Malachi’s Cove,” which deals with a girl’s friendship with a donkey. Alexander is seen here with “Bay” the daughter of his owner, Mrs R Creighton-Balfour, of Clovelly.

Clovelly donkey film star

The village still has about a dozen donkeys, which are more than picturesque. A couple are regularly employed in carrying the empties from the New Inn to the top of the cobbled main street.

Gazette article 25 May 1973

Cement-clad boats being built at Northam

A new dimension in boatbuilding

on the banks of the River Torridge was rapidly taking shape on Friday in a workshop at the bottom of Limers Lane, Northam.

Two ferro-cement sailing and motor cruisers are being built by Mr Len Cooper of Weare Giffard, and a family partnership of Mr Andrew Cox and his father, Mr Cyril Cox who are builders. Mr Cyril Cox lives near the workshop.

Cement clad boats being built at Northam

A group of about a dozen began making and applying a continuous supply of cement to the first of the two frameworks. The cement was applied about an inch thick over a framework of reinforced steel rods and seven layers of chicken wire. For six weeks the cement has to ‘cure’, being allowed to harden gradually. When it comes to launching the boats, they will be rolled to the nearby shore. Mr Cooper’s boat, being constructed in an upside down position, may present a problem but will be gradually floated on a rising tide, the plan being to right it in the course of this using the air pocket.

There has been much good-humoured chaffing about the buoyancy of the boats, but the builders are quietly confident. The work represents an application of principles developed by an Italian professor, Professor Nervi, who has specialised in the construction of thin concrete domes. Shortly after the first world war concrete trading vessels with sides about four inches thick were built on the River Taw at Barnstaple but were not very successful.

Gazette article 4 May 1973

Presentation to Bideford firm

Wine and beer merchants for 150 years

On moving to their new depot in New Road, Bideford, Wickham and Co. Ltd. who have been wine, spirits and beer merchants in the town for more than 150 years, have discontinued the bottling of beer and stout. They were probably the last such private firm bottling beer in the West of England. Bottling was carried on in their former High Street-Grenville Street plant for almost a century. Once the Wickham family’s home, 21 High Street continues as the firm’s office. A barometer has just been presented to the firm by Arthur Guinness, Son and Co (Park Royal) Ltd. It bears an inscription saying that it is “in appreciation of the skill and care devoted to the bottling of Guinness over many years.” The photograph shows the ceremony when specimens of the last bottlings and of very hold bottles were on display.

Presentation to Bideford firm

From left to right: Messrs Dereck Willis (Guinness sales representative), Basil Pidgeon (Wickham’s managing director), Pat Brewer (Guiness regional manager who handed over the gift), and Graeme Barber (Wickham’s sales director).

Gazette article 19 April 1973