Schools

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.

It was best double-foot forward for 16 girls of the Upper Vth of Edgehill College when they went on a sponsored three-legged walk from the College to Westward Ho! slipway on Saturday.

As a result they hope to raise about £45 for a House for Society’s Rejects which is being opened in Barnstaple. Most of the girls were from Belvoir House.
They were accompanied on their walk by their former mistress, Mrs Symonds.
Gazette articles dated 21 November 1975

Parting Gifts For School Caretaker

Children and staff at Westcroft School, Bideford, said goodbye at half-term to Mr F C Balsdon who retired after being caretaker since the school opened in 1958.

Lindsay Tucker and Neil Hole presented Mr Balsdon with a portable radio and a card signed by all the pupils, many of whom are seen in the picture.
Later, in the presence of present and former school managers, the headmaster, Mr J Y Jenn, praised Mr Balsdon’s loyal service and presented him with a cassette tape recorder from colleagues and friends.
Until his appointment as school caretaker Mr Balsdon was for 31 years a gardener at Moreton House, Bideford, for the Stucley family. During the war he served with the Royal Artillery in North Airlea, Sicily, and in Italy where he was wounded.
Mr and Mrs Balsdon live at 86 Meddon Street.
The full Gazette article is dated 25 February 1977

The Sack Line At Buckland Brewer

Putting a boy into a sack – for a sack race, of course – can be quite a wriggly business, as these competitors at Buckland Brewer Primary School Sports discovered.

Results: Flat races - Colin Barnstaple, Geoffrey Coles, Andrew Levick, Isobel Colwill, Robin Simpson, Peter Forsyth, Leon Dziurzynski, Elizabeth Heywood, Margaret Coles, Irene Lewis, Graham Jeffery, Brian Dennis, David Tucker, Susan Hill, Jennifer Barker, Pamela Fishleigh, Eric Tucker, Roy Rowland, George Heywood, Mary Mitchell, Lorna Brown, Graham Lewis, Alan Forsyth, David Heard, Judith Prance, Rosemary Fishleigh, Jennifer Mills, Geoffrey Cock, John Lewis, John Cleverdon, Sylvia Jeffrey, Christine Poole, Queenie May, Ernest Dennis, Stephen Barker, Paul Barnstaple, Pauline Poole, Ruth Levick, Valerie Kelly.
Egg and spoon – Peter Forsyth, Colin Barnstaple, Robin Simpson, Trevor Coles, Michael Tucker, Colin Poole, Alan Forsyth, Ernest Dennis, Stephen Barker.
Sack, Transition – Michael Tucker, Eric Tucker, Graham Lewis, Ernest Dennis, Geoffrey Cock, Stephen Barker.
Three-legged girls – Ruth Levick and Sylvia Jeffrey, Jennifer Barker and Susan Hill, Brenda Brown and Pauline Poole. Alan Forsyth, Graham Lewis, John Cleverdon and Ernest Dennis, Trevor Coles and Richard Mills.
Pick-a-back – Pauline Poole and M Prance, Sylvia Jeffrey and C Harding, Christine Poole and Hermione Dennis, Ernest Dennis and Andrew Levick, John Lewis and Michael Simpson, Stephen and Jennifer Barker.
Catch-the-train – Leon Dziurzynski, Robin Simpson, Peter Forsyth.
Transition – Queenie May, Graham Lewis, Michael Tucker, Ernest Dennis, John Lewis, Geoffrey Cock.
Egg and spoon – Mrs R Hill, Mrs Coles, Mrs Barker, Mrs Jeffrey, Mrs Heywood, Mrs Coles
Thread and needle – Mr and Mrs R Poole, Mr and Mrs A Levick, Mr Newbold and Mrs L Prance.
Full Gazette article dated 8 August 1958