Bideford Amateur Athletic Club’s

commodious new premises in Pill-road, overlooking the park, were opened by the Mayor of the Borough, Mr F T Upton, JP, accompanied by members of the Corporation and a crown of many hundreds of old members, supporters, and well-wishers of the club.

Opening by the Mayor, Councillor F T Upton, J.P., of the new Gymnasium which has been provided for members of the Bideford Amateur Athletic Club

BAAC which was established in 1870 by six young men, who then used a shed in the shipyard, has become one of the most useful and successful institutes in the town, and is now housed in a manger worthy of its record. For many years, it used the Alexandra Hall on the Quay, and after that, through the kindness of the late alderman R Dymond, members utilised a loft adjoining the Manor Wharf.

In 1907 an appeal was launched for a building fund, and in 1914 it had been hoped to commence building, but with the coming of the war this had to be postponed, and after the war prices had very considerably increased. When the late Mr Andrew Carnegie received the freedom of Bideford he promised to give the last £100 to be paid for the gymnasium, and this having been confirmed by the Carnegie Trust, its erection has commenced. Subsequently a generous gift by the late Mr Duncan towards the completion of the entire scheme justified an appeal for this object, which has resulted in the building as now seen.

The new building, which is quite an imposing one, cost £1,420 plus the fittings and site, and with the separate boathouse the total cost will be £1,800, of which about £200 is still required. The building is of stone, roofed with slate, and the walls are plastered. It comprises not only a commodious Club room but several other offices and also a boat house. The Gymnasium proper is raised about two feed from the road level. The work has been excellently carried out by Mr E W Cox, builder, of Bideford, who also designed the building. The sub-contractors have been Messrs W Davey and Son for the painting, and Messrs Stephen, Brain and Co. for the plumbing. The lighting arrangements have been carried out by the Bideford Gas Co.

The proceedings opened with the taking of a photograph of past and present members, as a souvenir of the occasion. The ceremony was presided over by Mr C S Carnegie, JP, president of the club for 30 years past, and the arrangements were made by the committee, with Mr W H Merefield, captain of the club for 39 years, Mr F C Backway, hon. secretary, and Mr R J Backway, assistant hon. secretary.

The Chairman asked the Mayor’s acceptance of a silver key, bearing the club’s badge, as a memento of the occasion, and as his worship unlocked the door of the building with it, the Club’s colours of pale blue and white were broken at the mast-head.

Accompanying the Mayor were Aldermen J Cock, JP, W T Goaman, JP, Councillors H W Huxham, A R Adams, JP, Dr E J Toye, W Cole, J S Dymond, T Cleverdon, T Burton, H A Hopson, with the mace bearers, Messrs Adams, and Clements, while among the very large company present were General Sir Murray Irwin, KCMG, Brig-Gen R C Boyle, CB, CMG, and Mrs Boyle, Mr George Boyle, JP, and Mrs Boyle, Mr and Mrs Veron Boyle, Mrs Daw, Mrs Kingsley Ackland, Mrs R Dymond, Dr and Mrs Hedden, Mr and Mrs D Horndon, Mrs James Barrow, Misses Merefield (2), Mrs Walter Beer, Miss Lamont, Messrs H R Bazaely, W Lanyon Nickels, H I Meredith, A W Heard, J Stoneman, G Tardew (Northam), Edwin Babbage, C Friendship, S Lee, A W Pridham, F Lee, E W S Bartlett, C P Ashton, Kiel Parkhouse, F Purchase, L Ridge, S Davey, and a great many other present and past members of the Club and their friends.

Mr Carnegie most gratefully acknowledged a donation from his Worship the Mayor, and mentioned that he had also received a beautiful letter from a lady, who did not wish her name mentioned, with a handsome donation in memory of her husband, who was a very keen and ardent supporter of the Club.

Brigadier-General R C Boyle, vice-president, on behalf of the club members, presented handsome gold club badges to Mr Carnegie and Mr Merefield as mementos of the occasion, and a feature of the proceedings was the singing of the club song, “The lads that are away” written by Mr Vernon Boyle. During the proceedings a beautiful wreath of the club colours was placed on the town war memorial in memory of the 35 members of the Club who fell in the Great War.

A public tea served in the Territorial Drill Hall, adjoining, was largely patronised, and a successful invitation dance in the new Hall closed the eventful day’s proceedings.

1906 map

1935 map

September 1924