Appledore

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.

Sunlight and Sea

At the invitation of the BBC through the West Regional Director, Mr Francis Dillon, Capt T Hutchings, of Sundale, Odun Road, Appledore, took part in a broadcast from the West Regional Station on Sunday last week.
The programme which was the third in a series entitled ‘Sunlight and Sea’, a tour of the romantic coasts of Devon and Cornwall, and was relayed through all the Regional Stations.
Capt Hutchings recounted a thrilling personal experience in Bideford Bay during rough and thick weather, and also sang a sea shanty, ‘Blow, my bonnie boys, blow’. The programme was well received and letters from different parts of the British Isles show that Capt Hutchings’ reference to Appledore and Bideford were much appreciated.
Capt Hutchings is one of the fast diminishing band of sea captains who have sailed in and commanded the wind-jammers.
Gazette article dated 3 August 1937

Appledore To Build Polish Ice-Breaker

Will cost nearly half-a-million pounds

A twin-screw diesel-electric ice breaker for the Polish Government, to be built at the Appledore shipyard of P K Harris and Sons Ltd, is believed to the first ice-breaker to be built in the United Kingdom for the past 20 or 30 years.
The order was secured in the face of intense European competition by Seawork Ltd, who control P K Harris and Sons, and the cost of the vessel, was said by a spokesman of the firm to be ‘approaching half a million pounds’.
This will be the second vessel built at Appledore for Poland. In January 1959 the yard delivered the tug Tur.
This contract secured by Seawork Ltd follows closely upon one earlier this year by the Government of Ghana for six vessels for their long-range fishing fleet.
The full Gazette article is dated 21 July 1961

Appledore Carnival Queen Is 16 Today

A glove factory worker, Miss Margaret Rendle – she’s 16 today – was chosen as Appledore’s Carnival Queen at a largely attended dance held at the Appledore Hall on Friday evening.

Margaret, who lives at 9 Myra Court, Appledore, was an attendant at last year’s Carnival.
Chosen as attendants were: Hilary Payne, a glove worker, 17 South Road, Appledore; Margaret Mounce, a laundry worker, 33 Western Avenue, Appledore; Hester Saunders, a clerk, 10 One End Street, Appledore; and Rosalie Martin, a window dresser, Holt Cottage, Appledore.
Four visitors from the Westward Ho! Holiday Centre acted as judges. They were Mr and Mrs J Chaplin, Birmingham, Mr W Lyons and Mrs M Swain, both of London.
The Queen was crowned by the Chairman of Northam Urban District Council, Mr Jack Boyles, who is seen in the above photograph exercising the privilege of this office.
The dance was organised by a Carnival committee of which Mr Bill Pitcher is chairman, Mr Arthur Boyles secretary, and Mr Basil A’Court treasurer.

Article dated 4 July 1958