Sport

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.

Wins by one point!

During the visit by the North Devon branch of the Royal Marine Association to the annual reunion at Eastney Barracks, Southsea, one of their members, Mr Dave Jaggard, of 7 Nelson Terrace, Westward Ho! won the individual .22 rifle competition, beating the previous three-year holder, of Portsmouth RMA, by one point.

Thirty-three-year-old Mr Jaggard has made marksmanship a hobby since boyhood. He spent two years’ National Service in the Royal Marines and represented them at Bisley. He equalled a record while at Exmouth by winning the snap and rapid firing competitions two years running there.

He has lived in this district for seven years and his wife, before her marriage, was Miss Joyce Badcock, daughter of Mr and Mrs Arthur Badcock, formerly of Bideford and now of Westward Ho! For six years he played football for Appledore until an accident to his hand caused him to give up the game. For much of his time in this district he was a welder with Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, but now is in business on his own account in his original trade as a pattern-maker in which he was trained at Melton Mowbray. He also assists in the family fish and chip business at Westard Ho!

The full Gazette article is dated 10 October 1969

113 Years At Instow

North Devon Cricket Club is fourth oldest in country

Only three other clubs in the country can boast a longer period of continuous play and support of the game than the North Devon Cricket Club whose ground is at Instow. The Club has always been a centre of keen, friendly sportsmanship, whether it be in the Minor Counties championship or a more casual afternoon occasion. The top hats and the frilled skirts have gone but the old tradition is still there.

The Club was founded at Barnstaple in 1823 with ground acquired at Pottingdon for pursuit of the game. In 1837 the club moved to its present delightful quarters overlooking the Taw and Torridge estuary. At the far end of the room shown in our interior photograph can be seen the club’s memorial to those members who gave their lives in the ‘greater game’ of the two world wars. Nearby is a small glass case containing a stuffed bird perched on top of a cricket ball. The inscription reads ‘This Titlark was killed on the pitch by this cricket ball (bowler A J Tweedle) in the match between the Club and West Buckland School on 4th June 1890. Umpire Frank Townsend, of the England and Gloster XI Presented by Basil Fanshawe, a member of the team playing’.

The original deed box of the Club can also be seen and it contains the earliest known match record, that of a game between the club, then ‘The Gentlemen of North Devon’ and Devon County School, now West Buckland School, played in 1845. The Gentlemen’s team comprised six parsons and five officers on that occasion.

The full Gazette article is dated 1 September 1950

It’s A Great Year For Bideford Blues Junior Champions of the West

It’s A Great Year For Bideford Blues

Junior Champions of the West this season - this Bideford AAC (The Blues) crew comprises G Evans, M Fisher, D Bowden and C Davis with R Hopkins -

The Blues Under-18 crew hold the unofficial WEARA championship for that class – S L Craner, P Cox, J Sanders, J Evans, M Evans. Both crews are undefeated so far this season.

Of the four crews Bideford Blues have been entering at regattas this season all the rowers come from Appledore except two, and those two are members of Bideford families with Appledore association.

Gazette article dated 5 September 1958