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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.

To mark his retirement as deputy manger at the Bideford office of the Ministry of Labour and National Service,

Mr G.F. Dickie and his wife were guests of honour at a staff party on Thursday of last week.

Mr Dickie, to whose retirement reference was made in our last issue, was presented with an umbrella and a travelling case by Mr J. Sillman, the senior member of the staff, who recalled that Mr Dickie had been at the Bideford office for twelve years and had spent the two previous years at Barnstaple. “We are very sorry to see him go and I believe Mr Dickie, himself, is sorry that he is going,” said Mr Sillman. “The public is sorry to lose him,too, because he has made a name for himself in Bideford for always doing his job thoroughly and well, and he is well respected by employers and tradespeople and by members of the Local Employment Committee and the Youth Employment Committee. He is respected too, not only by every member of the staff here but by colleagues at Barnstaple, Ilfracombe and Bude, none of whom has forgotten him. They all join with us in wishing him a long life and a happy retirement.”

In his reply, Mr Dickie, who had been toasted with musical honours, recalled some of the highlights of his 35 years’ service with the Ministry and referred to the days of the depression and the gigantic task facing officials in those days in the shape of new and repeat unemployment claims.

Thanking friends and colleagues for their kind thought in arranging the party, Mr Dickie went on to say how grateful he was for the kindness and co-operation he had always received from the civic authorities, the press, employers and the general public.

Adding her personal tribute when she presented a bouquet to Mrs Dickie, the Exchange Manager (Mrs O.F. Griffiths) mentioned that Mr Dickie had held the post until the office had been up-graded a short while ago. “It is not easy for a man to step down to a woman,” she said, “but never at any time has Mr Dickie been anything but the most loyal of colleagues and I thank him for it.”

Gazette article dated 8 July 1955

Schoolgirl Dressmakers at Torrington

Girls of a dress-making class

at Torrington Secondary Modern School Open Day wearing dresses made by themselves.

Left to right: Standing – Margaret Ching, Jennifer Short, Gwynneth Ford, Sheila Snell, Valerie Adams, and Sarah Crocker. Sitting – Vera Docking, Margaret Cox

Speaking at Torrington Secondary Modern School’s Open Day last week, which was attended by parents of pupils from the town and a wide area around, the headmaster (Mr. A. Hinchley) said through the changing times this school is trying to maintain the three foundations on which our education rests: character training, the cultivation of talents and social training. Speaking on character training, Mr. Hinchley said many elder masters remembered their pupils more by the effects of their influence as teachers upon them than by their intellectual gifts. The core of the school curriculum was still the three R’s, and he detected a need for the placing of greater emphasis on speech. “I would like to see the children of Devonshire bi-lingual,” he said, “so that they could speak good Queen’s English and still retain their Devonshire dialect.” Speaking on social training, he said that in these days of greater freedom it was important that good habits be taught, especially tidiness, respect for property encouraged, and good behaviour in groups.

After the headmaster had spoken parents and friends wandered around the classrooms where examples of children’s work were neatly arrayed. Later, in the grass quadrangles, they were served with refreshments by their sons and daughters.

The exhibition of school work included science, art, woodwork, dress-making, cookery and other subjects, and there was a physical training display.

Pupils at the school are boys and girls between the ages of 11 to 15.

Gazette article dated 23 June 1954

St Giles Presentation to Former Teacher

The youngest girl she taught in St Giles Primary School, Pamela Millman,

presents to Mrs H M Sheriff, who retired after ten years as a teacher at the school, a wristlet watch as a token of service and affection from the children, their mothers, and managers of the school.

Mrs Sheriff actually retired in December of last year but because of her illness, from which she has now happily recovered, and one or two other factors, the presentation has only now taken place.

It was in 1946, when her husband, the Rev T H Sheriff became Methodist minister at Torrington, that Mrs Sheriff was appointed a supply teacher at St Giles and she was subsequently established in that appointment.

Before coming to North Devon Mrs Sheriff was teaching at Hastings and earlier for some years was a missionary in India where she was Supervisor of Hindu Girls’ Schools under the Government of Madras.

The Headmistress of St Giles School (Mrs Hayes) is seen on the right of the back row in the school group above.

Gazette article dated 15 June 1956