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.

Schoolchildren congratulate their teacher

Lessons at Bideford Church Infants’ School took an unusual turn last week when the Borough Beadle, Mr W Dennis, arrived at the school with the full regalia of the Mayor and Mayoress of the town.
Mrs E C Hart, a member of the staff of the school, is this year’s Mayoress of Bideford.
After the Borough Beadle had explained all the points of interest about the chains and badges, to the great delight of her children the Mayoress donned her chain of office and posed with other members of the staff and children for photographs.
Among the messages of congratulations to Mrs Hart was one from the school managers.
Gazette article dated 12 June 1964

Why Rural Council Did Not Support Hartland Protest

Decision of Bideford Rural Council not to support a protest by Hartland Parish Council at the action of local education officials in ‘causing alarm to parents’ on the matter of school transport, had been criticised, Mr S A Brimacombe told the Rural Council.

There seemed to be some confusion, he added. He had been asked why they had not supported it. They had done all they could to support he move for a new school. The protest on this occasion, said the clerk Mr C T Braddick, was about the action of officials. The critics had not read into the matter.
The Chairman, Sir Dennis Stucley, agreed that throughout the negotiations the Council had supported Hartland in the attempt to obtain a new school. After the Clerk had read the minute relating to the matter, the Chairman said that it would have been improper for the Council to have been associated with any protest over the action of County officials who had attended meetings to examine what alternative measures could be taken if the children had to travel to schools.
Gazette article dated 12 June 1959

Light Hearted Glimpses Of History

Shebbear and Edgehill joint production

Forty four boys of Shebbear College, nine girls from Edgehill College and five members of the Shebbear teaching staff presented on Friday, Saturday and Monday highly successful performances of Arkell and Reynolds’ ‘1966 and all that’.
It was a combined effort by the Musical and Dramatic Societies of the two colleges and was watched by capacity audiences in Shebbear’s Memmorial Hall on all three evenings.
Some of the colourful costumes had been bought and others made by Mrs J B Morris (wife of the headmaster) and Mrs J A Buckley.
Those taking part were: J Richards, R W Priestley, J C P Wilkins, P R Denton, R W Hamer, T G Andrew, G T Bersey, W M Warren, P T Biddick, E A Venner, R L Saunders, J M Flinn, P S H Butler, J F Saunders, D J Fulford, T R Lillywhite, C G J Head, B C Streets, P E H Wright, R Frost, M R O’Driscoll, J R Palmer, J R Bartlett, A V Kotcharian, G R Cox, P C Plant, N B Bent, B G Carter, A R G Perrin, H A King, P J Westby, L J H Trevitt, J K Heywood, C N Pincott, Helen Brooks, R M Carter, Kay Denne, Patricia Cowper, Sarah Philips, D J Ley, A J Bryan, M Race, P R Upstone, P J Lerwill, J Woolaway, Cheryl McDaniel, Helen Jarvis, Margaret Cunningham, Linda Evans, Anita Fursey, J L A Hancock, P J Daniel, P G T Howell, K Puransamamriddhi.
Members of the Shebbear teaching staff taking part were Messrs W J Tucker, D W Maclagan, W P Langford, T Danby and Dr A W G Court.
Producer, Mr J L Queen, musical director, Mr J C Edmondson; business managers, Mr R D Curtin and Major S J Archer; properties, Mr R J Hopes and D J Etchells; costumers, Black Lion, Mesdames J B Morris and J A Buckley; scenery, R J Vaughan, C G J Head and G T Bersey; lighting, Mr M F Littleboy; make-up, Mr R H West; Edgehill arrangements, Mrs C Snowden; stage hands, M S Bath, R J Vaughan, D J Etchells, R P Bradwell, R T Thorne; electricians, J P Coad, W T French, R W Turner, R L Knight, R C Folley.
Orchestra: Mr W E Darch, Miss L Gibbings, Mr M Chubb, Mr E D Stanbury, Mrs M M Dickinson, Mr V Fogaty, Mr V Hancock, Mr M F Littleboy, Miss R Bradbury, Mr J Friend, Mr M Bray, Mr A Bryant, Mr H C Parr, Mr R Rendle.
Full Gazette article dated 11 April 1963

Shebbear College