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.

Crowning ceremony follows School sports

Bideford East-the-Water Juvenile Queen was crowned at Pollyfield on Monday afternoon at a ceremony organised by the Community Association at the conclusion of East-the-Water School annual sports, but the youngest of her eight attendant Princesses – 7 years old Barbara Osborne, of 44 Torrington Street – was absent.

The Queen and her retinue will form a tableau entry for Bideford Carnival on August 15th, and Barabara will be well enough to take her place.

Eleven years old Angela Vanstone, of 1 Avon Road, was elected Queen by her fellow pupils and accompanying her will be; Margaret Day, 10 Avon Road, aged 11; Gillian Pope, Devonia, Torrington Lane, aged 10; Valerie Bromell, 13 Barton Tors, aged 9; Angela Mitchell, 11 Nuttabery Bungalows, aged 9; Valerie Steer, 3 Torridge Place, aged 8; Joy Young, 14 Sentry Corner, aged 8; and Barbara Osborne.

The honour of crowning the Juvenile Queen went to a former teacher and a member of the Community Association Committee, Miss I P Bow.

Miss Bow was introduced by the headmaster, Mr H V Lucas.

Many parents and friends gathered in fine weather for the sports, and saw Saxons House win the School House championship shield for the third time and for the second year in succession.

Final House placings were: 1, Saxons; 2, Normans; 3 Danes; 4, Celts.

Included in the programme was a demonstration of jumping by the winners of the high jump competition which had been held at an earlier date to provide more time for Monday’s events. Both the boys’ and the girls’ school high jump records were broken. The first three in the boys’ events – Roger Sluman, Brian Jewell and Kelvin Neylon – jumped 4ft 1in. The girls’ event was won by the Juvenile Queen, Angela Vanstone, who jumped 4ft.

The championship shield and other prizes were presented by Mrs E G Cox, a member of the school’s board of managers.

Results

R Sluman, B Jewell, L Ramage, A Vanstone, J Spry, J Watts, C Lee, K Denne, R Smith, R Claydon, C Lydiate, G Pickard, C Butler, T Davis, C Hole, S Hole, P Stevens, S Bawden, H Thomas, D Holliman, G Smith, P Watts, N Spittle, R Butler, M Petherbridge, V Scott, A Thompson, J Bennett, H Osborne, I Pither, A Jewell, Barbara Bartlett, Elaine Collins, Yvonne Vickers, Rodney Walters, Colin Hockin, Frank Symons, E Collins, Maureen Squire, J Sherborne, Philip Evans, Michael Kent, Robert Paddon, Dennis Balfour, Alan Blight, June Hancock, Sheila Thompson, Elizabeth Davidson, Keith Trott, Keith Evans, Barbara Pope, Hilary Read, Elizabeth Davidson, Paula Warman, Angela Filman, Kay Shute, Sheila Bliman, Pat Thomas, Elizabeth Fishleigh, Philip Short, David Ramage, K Kersey, John Mugford, Anthony Spry, J Daniel, Geoffrey Butler, Michael Pope, Rosemary Trott, T Claydon, M Screech, L Beer.

Parents’ sack race – Mrs H Osborne, Mrs Dixon, Mrs B Elston.

Article dated 27 July 1956

Sixteen-year-old Brian Ashley

son of Mr and Mrs L A Ashley, of 12 Potacre Street, Torrington, and three friends set off on a trip on the Torridge near Halfpenny Bridge, Weare Giffard, in a 10-foot rowing outboard boat which Brian himself designed and built.

Behind the launching of the Blue Tarka, as the boat is called, there is a story of hard work and some adventure.

Early in January, when he launched his boat and started, the maiden voyage at a stretch of water near St Giles, he had a mishap, accidently putting his foot through the bottom of the craft, but he soon had her repaired.

The picture shows Brian and his friends Peter Hitchings, Sylvia Ashley and Wendy Smaldon setting off for a trip.

Article dated 25 May 1956

Boys Win Hockey on the Sands Challenge

This game of hockey between the girls and boys of the Strand School of Dancing, Bideford, played last Sunday on Westward Ho! beach, originated from a challenge which was made a few months ago.

Miss Ann Thurston, who runs the school, was teaching a boy a rather intricate dancing step and a remark was made to the effect that girls learnt to dance more quickly. ‘I’d like to see you on a rugby field’ was the answer’.....

The full Gazette article is dated 20 February 1959