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.

You may have seen that Geneva School, Bideford, has been converted into apartments. Some of you may have been to school there. Here a selection of photographs taken in, what is believed to be, 1959.

The Opening Ceremony - Geneva School - 1903

Although the girls and infants have been using the school for about a fortnight, the formal ceremony of declaring it open did not take place until last Wednesday when in fine weather the ceremony was successfully performed in the presence of a large company.

The School Board and Corporation assembled at the Bridge Buildings at 11.30am and forming into a procession headed by the Hungarian Band, marched to the School. The procession was as follows: - Police, Hungarian Band, Chairman, Clerk and Members of the School Board, Fire Brigade, Borough Mace Bearers, The Mayor – Mr E J Tattersill – Aldermen, Councillors and Magistrates.
Arriving at the School, outside which a large number of parents and children had congregated, the Chairman and members of the School Board ascended the steps leading to the east door of the building, where Mr Dymond, on behalf of the members of the School Board, presented the Mayor with the silver key, with which to open the building. He hoped the Mayor would not only keep it as an emblem of the occasion, but that it would be retained by him as an heirloom, and that he would look back on that day’s proceedings with pleasure and satisfaction. (Cheers)

With thanks to the Hopson family for the picture. Article from the Gazette.

New Board School at Bideford - Geneva School

For a number of years past there has been a steady growth in the size of Bideford.

Houses have sprung up on both sides of the river with rather astonishing regularity, and being occupied as soon as erected, the natural result was an increase in the adult and juvenile population of the Borough. The consequence was that the accommodation provided for educating the children was first taxed to its utmost capacity, and then that the School Board had to face the serious report that in three instances schools were so overcrowded, and unless some steps were taken to amend matters, the Government Grant would be stopped. After seeking for temporary relief the Board decided to go in for a comprehensive scheme by which a new building should be provided for the girls and infants attending the Upper Board School, and that the old schools should be renovated and utilised for the boys from the Lower Board School. The former scheme has been completed, and a handsome block of buildings has been erected in Geneva Place, at a total cost of £12,000, and a contract for carrying out the alterations to the Upper Board School was commenced yesterday. The plans for the construction were prepared by Messrs R T Hookway and Son; the contractor was Mr H Glover, and the sub-contractors Mr Charles Symons, for the plumbing, and Mr T Hamlyn for the decorating. All the contractors are local residents.

Article from the Gazette in 1903