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 Stock-Car Racing Entry Comes In Second

Cheerful send-off impression of Mr William Jack Blight, of the Garage, New Road, Bideford, as he sets off for Plymouth Stadium to face over 13,000 spectators and to bash his way through to second place in his heat at the stock-car race meeting.

The above car is a Ford V8 28hp saloon, ‘Blighty’s Blue Devil’. In the background is Old Ford Farm House where he lives.

The full Gazette article is dated 15 April 1955

Skittles Enterprise at Abbotsham

Throwing the first ball at the opening of Abbotsham’s new skittle alley

is Mr. C. A. Grant (Deputy Mayor of Bideford). Watching him, left to right, are: Messrs. W. James, W. Hockin, E. D. Williams (Chairman, Bideford and District Skittles League), Rev. L. Woolcott (Vicar of Abbotsham), Mrs. Dark, Messrs. E. Blight (Chairman, Abbotsham Skittles Club), C. Easton, S. Nicholls, J. Hockin, D. Trewin and Rev. W. H. Smith (former Vicar of Abbotsham).

Congratulating Abbotsham Skittles Club and friends on their enterprise in building a fine up-to-date alley, the Deputy-Mayor of Bideford (Mr. C. A. Grant), who on Saturday evening officially opened the new alley, said it was good to see in these days when there were so many “watchers,” that in Abbotsham there were plenty of “doers.”

Among the guests assembled to wish the new alley every success wee three officials of the Bideford Skittles League – the chairman (Mr. E. D. Williams), the vice-chairman (Mr. J. P. Cleverdon), and the secretary (Mr. Charles Fishleigh).

Mr. Ernie Blight, who is chairman of the Abbotsham Skittles Club estimated the total expenditure involved at about £400. To the sum of £200 they had added £70 – ten years’ “takings” on the old alley on club skittles nights – and so they still needed a little more than £100 to completely clear themselves.

“It is a real red-letter day for both the club and the village,” he told the large assembly of villagers and guests.

A former Vicar of the parish, the Rev. W. H. Smith, who described himself as having at one time been official scorer to the village skittles team, added his good wishes for the future success of the club.

Replying to the comprehensive welcome expressed by the Vicar (the Rev. L. Woolcott), Mr. E. D. Williams chairman of the Skittles League, referred to the great part country teams played in the life of the Bideford League.

Referring to women skittlers, Mr. Williams reminded them of the existence of the Barnstaple Women’s League, in which several Bideford teams competed, and threw out a suggestion that perhaps enough interest could be found in the Bideford area to form a similar league.

After the opening of the new alley and its blessing by Mr. Woolcott, guests and officials of the local skittles club took it in turns to play on the alley. It fell to Mr. Fishleigh, the Skittles League secretary, to gain the distinction of registering the first “spare.”

The opening ceremony was the culmination of many months of voluntary labour put in by members of the Abbotsham Skittles Club.

Since the beginning of last summer, members of the club have been spending their free evenings and wee-ends constructing the new alley in a combined effort, in which practically all the village took an active interest. The new alley adjoins the parish hall.

In 1946 a gymkhana was held locally, and it was decided that £200 should be set aside for the erection of the new alley. Licence restrictions made it impossible to start to work then, and it was not until 18 months ago that operations really commenced.

Before building started, a hundred tons of earth and clay had to be moved – and three local farmers, Mr. C. W. M. Turner, Mr. E. Bean and Mr. P. Trewin, loaned their tractors, while another Mr. W. E. Brooks, lent his earth scoop. Then the actual work of building commenced under the supervision of Mr. Bill Hockin, a local builder, and Mr. Ted Moase, a carpenter.

Abbotsham is one of the few clubs operating in the Bideford and District Skittles League with women members, and Mrs. Doris Hearn, one of the team, contributed her share of the work by making the gaily coloured curtains for the alley.

Helpers at a tea were Mesdames Cleverdon, Hearn, Grigg, A. and W. Hockin, Jewell, Violet, Moase, Lee, Nicholls, West, Easton, Martin, Ridd and Miss Huxtable.

Gazette article dated 26 November 1954

Charlie Jenkins injured

Hartland’s first home game on Saturday, against Shebbear in the Kingsley League, was marred after half an hour’s play by an accident in which the home side’s young centre-forward, Charlie Jenkins (see in the middle of the front row in the above picture, taken before the start of the game) fractured a leg when going into a tackle with the Shebbear right –half.

Seventeen-years-old Jenkins was taken to Bideford and District Hospital by ambulance and later transferred to the Exeter Orthopaedic Hospital.

At the time of the accident Hartland were leading 2-0 with goals by Chance, after 13 minutes, and Jenkins, a minute later. This was the score when the teams crossed over.

After the re-start Hartland netted six times to gain an overwhelming 8-0 victory, although Shebbear went near more than once when the ball hit the woodwork and pressed the home defence hard.

Hartland’s second-half goals came from Johns (2), Chance, Davis, Smith, and an own goal by a visiting defender.

Seen in the above photograph are (left to right): Back row – J. Kelly (referee), D. Cook, P. Smith, B.Cole, L. Scoynes, J. Harrower, L. Rowe; front row – E. Davis, P. Johns, C. Jenkins, J. Chance, J. Pillman.

Gazette article dated 26 September 1958