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.

Bideford Liberals' fashion show

An obviously popular innovation was staged by Bideford Liberals’ Luncheon Club at the Durrant Hotel. Those present included Mrs Jeremy Thorpe, wife of the Liberal leader. Luncheon was followed by a fashion show presented by Trapnells Ltd, shoes by Braund and Son, jewellery by Truscotts of Bideford, and a wig display by Wynne Olley of Bideford, Barnstaple and Torrington. Local models elegantly displayed attractive clothes, jewelled accessories, footwear and hairpieces. Mrs Mary Trapnell was the commere on both occasions.

Gazette article 24 October 1969

Childrens’ film club opens at Bideford

Nearly 400 children poured into the cinema for the first of the weekly shows for children.

Col. Sir Michael and Lady Ansell performed the official opening of the childrens’ cinema club now organised at the Strand on Saturday mornings. Julia Crake presented Lady Ansell with a bouquet.

Mr A.J. Brown, manager of the cinema, said this was the 25th anniversary of the Children’s Film Foundation who made films especially for children, many of whose films they would be watching. He read letters of good wishes from the Foundation and from Sid James and Barbara Windsor of the “Carry On” team. In addition to cartoons and a weekly serial, the children saw a film made in North Devon entitled “Rockets in the Dunes”.

Gazette article 29 August 1969

Family rally here to honour ‘Merchant prince’ ancestor

To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Burnard,

“merchant prince” and four times Mayor of the borough, some of his descendants held a private dinner in Bideford.

Thomas was born in 1769 and died in 1823 at the height of his career and having no successor of his calibre, his enterprises were taken over by the Canters and Yeos, relatives by marriage. By the time he became mayor of Bideford for the first time he had a financial interest in 25 ships. At his death in 1823 he was owner of or shareholder in nearly 60 ships. He was banker, merchant, owner of a great timber business and adventurer in the classic tradition. He had taken hundreds of emigrants and set up many in Prince Edward Island but subsequently the family declined and have long been forgotten in Bideford even though the portrait relief (above) is to be found in St Mary’s Church. However his funeral attracted a vast crowd and Bideford closed for the day.

The family removed to Cornwall and Wales, two great-grandsons have been traced but it is believed there are other descendants.

Gazette article 26 September 1969