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.

The familiar shout of ‘How’s That?’

from Micky Pate as he appeals for an offside decision from the referee is music to the ears of Bideford soccer fans who in the past two weeks have had the opportunity of judging the paces of the close season signings made by player-manager Ray Goddard.

Pictured are the two teams that played in the Robins’ final trial last Saturday. Players who are not included are Ray Goddard, Tom Robinson, Bill Harrower, Cecil Knox, Paddy Blatchford and Laurie Miller.

In the Blues team are: Green, King, Salter, Commins, Heagarty, Rivers, Hocking, Slade, D Jones, G Gidley, Miller

The Reds: McGill, Hodge, Pate, Salter, F Gidley, Price, Denton, Barnes, T Jones, Drew, Shortridge.

Gazette article dated 20 August 1954

Former Golf ‘Pro’ Dies at 83

Mr Charles Husband (Chuck) Gibson

who has died at the age of 83 was professional at the Royal North Devon Golf Club from 1932 to 1954.

He followed in that position his father, also Mr C H Gibson – it is a family tradition that the eldest son is baptised Charles Husband. At the time of his death Mr Gibson senr. held the world record for the longest serving professional.

An Old Boy of Bideford Grammar School, the young Chuck entered his father’s professional shop at the Westward Ho! course in1900 and worked there for 9 years. The firm of Gibson and Son achieved an enviable reputation for handsome clubs. It pioneered steel-shafted clubs in this country and exported them all over the world.

In 1909 young Charles was appointed professional to the Oxford University and after five years’ war service he returned to Oxford until 1923 when he rejoined his father at Westward Ho!

He was twice president of Northam Golf Club and also served as president of Northam and Westward Ho! Chamber of Commerce. On his retirement he went to live at Grove.

Gazette article dated 20 February 1970

Northam Artisans’ Triple Win

Celebrates 70th birthday of Club

Sunday was a notable day in the history of Northam Artisans’ Golf Club for in this, the Club’s 70th year, it was host, with the cooperation of the Royal North Devon Golf Club, to the seventh annual competitions of the Devon Artisans’ Golf Union for the first time, its players nearly swept the board in this 36-holes play, and during the morning the famous veteran golfer, Mr J H Taylor, a founder and now President, unfurled in his capacity as President of the Artisan Golfers’ Association of Great Britain, a new flag recently presented to the AGA.

The flag, the first in the association’s colours of red and green, was presented in memory of the late Mr Eric Blanch, of Kent, a former vice-president, by his widow. Surrounded by artisan golfers from clubs throughout the county he hoisted the flag to the top of the Royal North Devon Golf Club flag pole where it fluttered proudly in the wind.

Making up a triple triumph on the day’s play for the Northam Artisans’ Golf Club, the oldest club of its kind in England, was the winning of the scratch championship by one of its members, W Newcombe; the carrying off of the handicap title by another local golfer, C Daniel, of Appledore; and the winning of the team championship by the club’s A team.

At the Royal North Devon Golf Club in the evening the prizes were distributed by Mr J H Taylor.