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.

Bideford Grammar School Pupils

Two Bideford boys are to compete in the Harry Young’s Boys’ Snooker Championships of Great Britain.

The boys are Ron Shute, son of Mr and Mrs Reg Shute, of 38 Northview Avenue, and Stephen Schiller, son of Mr and Mrs C H Schiller, of 7 Milton Place. They are pupils at Bideford Grammar School.

The two play at Bideford Liberal Club. Both like other sports. Stephen plays skittles for the Liberal Club and Ron is an inside-forward with Appledore Football Club.

Gazette article dated 6 March 1964

They don’t know it yet

but Bideford and District Angling Club are about to acquire a new member. Aspiring angler Charlotte Donaldson, 7, accompanied her two brothers when they fished in a club competition on Sunday from Bideford Quay.

It was the first time that she had been fishing – but it turned out to be the day she caught her first fish. And that made Charlotte determined more than ever to join her brothers as a member of the Bideford club.

Gazette article dated 4 January 1974

Northam Golf Club Dinner

Encourage Young Players Call

Members of Northam Golf Club were asked to do all they could to encourage junior golf by Mr. A.J. Garland at the Club’s annual dinner at the Church Hall on Saturday.

Mr. Garland was responding to the toast of the “Royal North Devon Golf Club,” of which he is secretary.

At a recent meeting of the Devon Golf Club Union, added Mr. Garland, its President had spoken of the need to foster junior golf in the county. The Royal North Devon Club had at the moment twenty-two junior members, but he considered their standard of play was not good enough. He urged the Northam Club to encourage junior golf because the game was falling behind because of the lack of junior players. He envisaged difficulties in the future of filling important match vacancies if they had no-one of the required standard coming along.

Commenting on the friendly spirit existing between the Royal North Devon Gold Club and the Northam Golf Club, Mr. Garland said there was complete harmony between them.

The toast was proposed by the President of the Northam Golf Club, Mr. L.G.H. Braddick, who said he hoped the Northam Club realised its debt to the Royal North Devon Golf Club. Financially, he stressed, they were not having a very happy time, but fortunately over the week-end a good muster of the golfing community turned out for a game. He coupled with the toast the name of Mr. Garland who, he said, was a well-known and popular figure in golf throughout the country for his work in arranging competitions.

The toast to Northam Golf Club was proposed by the president of the Royal North Devon Golf Club, Capt. the Hon. Denys Scott, who wished the Club good fortune in the future and spoke in amusing reminiscent vein.

Replying, Mr. G.H. Cork said in Capt. the Hon. D. Scott, the Royal North Devon Golf Club had a president who was the very spirit of golf; as much part of Westward Ho! as the bunkers on the course. Mr. Cork hoped the two clubs would go forward with the same spirit and co-operation for their mutual benefit as they had done in the past.

Proposing a toast to the Club president, Mr. F. Gray spoke of Mr. Braddick’s keen sportsmanship and the interest he had shown in the Northam Club.

A toast to the caterers and artists was submitted by Mr. George Webber to which Mr. and Mrs. F. Patt, caterers, briefly replied.

The gathering was presided over by the Club Chairman (Mr. H. Heaman), who praised the work of the Club’s secretary (Mr. T. Shutt).

Entertainment was provided by Bob Mitchell and his concert party.

Here is a link to the Club's website - RNDGC

Gazette article dated 26 February 1954