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.

Culmination of most successful season

Saturday saw the culmination of the most successful season the local TA motor-cycling team has ever had when, at Aldershot, they won the Territorial Army championship, which the unit last held three years ago.

The team comprised Capt A Harman, Sergt C O Lockyer and Craftsman K Jeffery.

The end of the day saw a tie between 296 Field Regiment and the Black Watch on points but the Graham Walker trophy went to the Devon team who had the best returns on the timed section.

Article dated 19 October 1956

Robin’s Chance To Make Local History

Tomorrow’s FA Cup match with Dorchester

In each of the two seasons he has been with the club, player-manager Sam Booth has taken Bideford AFC as far as they have ever gone in the FA Cup competition – to the fourth qualifying round.

Last year, in the fourth qualifying round match with Yeovil, Bideford came very near in the first half to upsetting the Southern League side but this year’s draw at home to fellow Western Leaguers, Dorchester, at the Sports Ground tomorrow, gives the Robins their best chance to make history by reaching the first round proper for the first time.

A canny Scott if ever there was one, player-manager Booth’s only comment yesterday as ‘Our lads are playing well and I anticipate a good, hard game.’

Bideford’s cup team for tomorrow: Sam Booth, Bill Hocking, Stan Rowe, Harry Scott, Paddy Doyle, Bill Harrower, Paddy Blatchford, Bill Dunlop, Albert Calland, Angus Mackay, Cyril Higgins.

Article dated 2 November 1956

Youth Clubs’ Get-together Party at Westward Ho!

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.