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.

Members of youth clubs and organisations from Torrington, St Giles-in-the-Wood and district were the guests of Westward Ho! Youth Club at a happy ‘get-together’ party at the Kingsley Hall, Westward Ho! on Saturday.

Over 140 young people were present and Miss Raffles, the Assistant Youth Club organiser for Devon, in expressing her pleasure at seeing so many youth club members gathered together, congratulated the host club on its venture and organisation.

Four teams – Torrington, St Giles and Westward Ho! Youth Clubs and Westward Ho! Community Centre – competed in the balloon race and the winner team, Torrington, under the captaincy of Mr Rodney Short, is seen receiving the prize from Miss Raffles. Those appearing in the picture are – Gerald Rowell, Kenneth Sluman, Richard Smale, Barbara Weeks, Ralph Ashton, Ronnie Juniper, Brian Symmonds, Winnie Tanton, Terry Copp, Bob Hobson, Barbara Hamlyn, Rodney Short and Miss Raffles.

To make the party complete, Misses Staddon, Griffiths, Hoskin, Symes and Guy together with Andrew Davis and Michael Unett worked all afternoon kindly providing a variety of delicious eats, and other helpers included Evelyn Green and Michael Tarrant who specialised in the delicacies.

Music was provide by Leon Moore and his Orchestra and spot prizes were won by Miss Griffiths and Mr Blackmore. Other prizewinners included Misses Sheila Copp, Lyn Lancaster, Marion Clemens and Christine Haswell.

The duties of the MC were carried out by Mr J W Martin, leader of the Westward Ho! Youth Club.

Gazette article dated 20 January 1956

Public Hall Fund Suggestion To Bideford Entertainment Organisations

School of Dancing’s Annual Display

Colourful, trim and vivacious in their new costumes, pupils of the school is one of their finale scenes. In the centre background is the Principal, Miss J Jordan (Mrs Curtis).

The possibility of a number of Bideford entertainment organisations combining in an effort to raise a fund for the building of a public hall for Bideford was mentioned by the Principal in an interview with the Bideford Gazette at the weekend.

On Wednesday of last week the school presented a show at Abbotsham in aid of the Village Hall Funds.

A large number attended Thursday’s Bideford show. Many were heard to remark afterwards that they thought the standard of the dancing was better than ever before.

Over thirty children took part and among them were several who had gained silver and bronze medals for dancing this year.

Guest artist for the evening was 12 years old Bideford Grammar School boy John Morgan, of Bideford, with his piano accordian.

Music for the show was supplied by Mrs P Kelly at the piano, and lighting effects were by Mr E J Curtis.

The show was in aid of the Save the Children Fund.

Children of the Dancing School taking part were: Elizabeth Langbridge, Diane Bosence, Linda Kelly, Christine Plumb, Carol Fishleigh, Heather Harley, Marlene Nicholls, Sheila Pidgeon, Diane Brennan, Carol Bond, Susan Hillman, Mary Jarvis, Pearl Dark, Jane Cross, Elizabeth Fishleigh, Jane Pipkin, Sally Dymond, Valerie Brennan, Margaret Mortimer, Penny Andrews, Valerie Harding, Julia Curtis, Jane Way, Jane Dymond, Veronica Pedrick, Mary Cope, Sally Ansell, Pamela Roe, Ronald Brennan.

A comprehensive vote of thanks was voiced after the show by the South West Area representative of the Save the Children Fund, Lieut-Col Seymour Cousins.

Article dated 9 November 1956

Mother Of Two Is Carnival Queen

Swedish blonde chosen at Torrington from record entry

A 20 year old Swedish mother of two was on Friday elected Torrington Carnival Queen from a record entry of 21 finalists. She is Mrs Birgitta Whittaker, who, in 1959, was runner-up in the Miss Sweden competition.

An attractive blonde, she was the choice of Dolton where, for the past few months, her husband, John, has been the landlord of the Royal Oak. Although they met in Sweden, for some time they lived in Greenland and the far north of Canada.

Mr Whittaker and their two young children, Christina and Mariedda, will be among the crowds in Torrington streets tomorrow when Mrs Whittaker will head what promises to be a bumper procession.

The queen and her four attendants were chosen at a crowded dance at the Drill Hall by a panel comprising Admiral Sir Robert Durnford-Slater, Lady Durnford-Slater and Mr and Mrs E S Lennard.

This is the second successive year that Dolton has provided the queen and it is a coincidence that last year’s queen, Miss Jill Denton, was, at the time of her selection, also living at an inn in the village – the Ram’s Head.

All the attendants are 16 years of age. They are: Miss Nina Rooks (who lives with her parents at Dock Cottage, Weare Giffard); Miss Margaret Wickett (Coombe Farm, Beaford); Miss Pat Goss (Meadow Croft, High Bickington, a farm student at Bicton College); and Miss Sally Saunders (23 Castle Street, Torrington).

On a following float will be the other parish representatives – Miss Margaret Rose (Petrockstowe), Miss Carol Hubbard, (Petersmarland), Mrs Gillian Squire (Little Torrington), Miss Sylvia Davey (Shebbear), Miss Carol Ettard (Frithelstock), Miss Pam Stapleton (Buckland Filleigh), Miss Diane Metters (Sheepwash), Miss June Burrow (Merton), Miss Kathleen Leary (Winkleigh), Miss Pauline Cole (Ashreigney), Miss Christine Hancock (Roborough), Miss Margaret Steer (Yarnscombe), Miss Maria Pennington (Huntshaw), Miss Maureen Luxton (Alverdiscott) and Miss Rosemary Badcock, of St Giles-in-the-Wood.

Gazette article dated 3 May 1963