Bideford

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.

NEXT WEDNESDAY'S OFFICIAL OPENING AT BIDEFORD - LEAVING HIGH STREET AFTER 73 YEARS
Next Wednesday afternoon, a month ahead of schedule, Bideford's new Head Post Office building, a handsome addition to the Quayside frontage, will be officially opened by the Lord Lieutenant of Devon, Lord Roborough.

That night the doors of the High Street buildiing where local people have transacted their Post Office business since 1886 will be closed to the public until some other use is found for the premises.
It was in the summer of 1939 that the first plan for a new post office on the new site was made public. At that time the cost was estimated at £15,000 but the war interfered with the proposal. The cost of the present building is in the region of £60,000.
The ceremony at the new office will begin with a welcome by the Head Postmaster, Mr R C Cooper, who will then invite the Mayor, Mr A C Hooper, to speak on behalf of Bideford.
Something of the history of the High Street building may well be given by Mr F E Whiting, for he has been Warden of Bideford Long Bridge Trust, who own it, for over 30 years. More than 73 years ago the Trust erected the premises specifically for use as a Post Office.
Mr Whiting will be followed by the Lord Lieutenant, who will officially declare the new building open, and then the Head Postmaster will conduct the Mayor to the counter for him to make the first purchase.
A vote of thanks will be proposed by Mr L G Semple, regional director of the GPO, SW Region, and after a tour of the new office, guests will be entertained to tea.
Reaction of the general public to the move may be mixed, for the existing premises, with all their faults, have a great redeeming feature is that they are central. But whatever the public think of the move they cannot but be impressed by the new building, and there is no doubt that the transfer will be welcomed by staff, from the Head Postmaster downwards.
Even though the High Street office was designed as a Post Office, growth of business over the years has meant that conditions have deteriorated. 'Dark and stuffy' was how one employee described them to a Gazette reporter who was shown over the building. He might well have added 'and cramped' for some of the individual offices, with their mesh protected windows, almost resemble rabbit hutches.
One thing is certain, however. The clock that has been a familiar local feature for so long, will remain. That belongs not to the Post Office but to the Trust. It has proved and, to a lesser degree, still is, a 'headache.' The original mechanism was, again to quote Mr Whiting, 'a Heath Robinson contraption, with rods and cogs through the floor.' At the beginning of World War 2 it stopped working and since no-one could tackle the job, Mr Whiting removed the hands. Electrically operated mechanism was then installed and this worked well until power cuts became common, and the many who missed trains and buses because of its erractic behaviour became irate. New clockwork mechanism then displaced the electric and everything has gone well until now. But a new problem has arisen: the difficulty of finding someone to wind the clock.
Read the full article for more information - 3 April 1959

Mr Charles John Manning, only son of Mr and Mrs C Manning, Ashleigh Farm, Bridenstowe, Okehampton, and Miss Valerie Ann Beswick, only daughter of Mr and Mrs A Beswick, 21 Glenfield Road, Bideford, were married at St Margaret’s Church, Northam.

The Vicar, Rev J M Lucas, officiated and Mr W E B Cox was the organist. There were three bridesmaids, the Misses Amanda and Lucinda Colwill and Carol Bardens. Best man was Mr John Green-Price, and the ushers were the bride’s brother Keith and the bridegroom’s cousin, Mr Jim Woodmason.
A reception was held at Durrant House Hotel. The bridesmaids’ dresses were by Mr Huxtable, florists, the Flower Shop, cake, Mrs Langman, hairstyles, Maureen Bartek of Irene Goddard’s.

Wibbles the lamb likes dogs and dog biscuits.

Jolly good pals are the alsatian dog, Ulla, and the lamb, Wibbles, pets of 11 year old Karen Pinnell, of Pinecroft Kennels, Gammaton Road, Bideford.
In the picture Wibbles is seen on her evening walk with Karen and her friendd, Denise Guttridge, who always accompanies them.

Article from the Gazette in 1967