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.

Fun For Good Cause - 14th July 1972

Two patrons of the Appledore Inn, Bideford, indulged in fun and raised £60 for a good cause.
Prompted by the landlady of the inn, Mrs Sheila Dinner, Mr Keith Eldridge dressed up and pushed his companion, Mr Tom Lobbett, who was disguised as a baby, through the streets of Bideford in a pram.
Customers of the pub sponsored them and they kept going all day despite heavy rain.
The money will be used to take a party of local old-age pensioners on an outing in September.
Mrs Dinner is no stranger to this type of fund-raising having organised several such events in London before moving to the Appledore Inn.

Dairy Employees Wed

Dairy Employees Wed - September 1957

Mr W E Attwood and Miss C M Pursey

Two employees of Bideford Dairies, Ltd. were married at St Margaret's Church, Northam, on Monday. They were Mr William Edward Attwood, eldest son of Mr and Mrs G Attwood, of 3 Pynes Lane, Bideford, and Miss Cynthia Marion Pursey, third daughter of Mr and Mrs J E Pursey, of 23 Morwenna Park Road, Northam.
The Rev E B Bridger, Vicar of Northam, officiated at the service at which the organist, Mr F Hutchings, accompanied the singing of the hymns "Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us" and "Love divine, all loves excelling," and played Handel's Largo, the bridal march from "Lohengrin" and Medelssohn's wedding march.

The bride, given in marriage by her father, wore a dress of white lace net over taffeta with a short circular veil, held in place by a coronet of orange-blossom. She carried a bouquet of cream and gold rose-buds with white heather and trailing fern. Her only ornaments were pearl ear-rings. She was attended by three bridesmaids - Miss Sheila Pursey, her youngest sister, as chief bridesmaid, and Miss Susan Attwood, youngest sister of the bridgegroom, and Miss Linda Martin, niece of the bridegroom. Sheila wore lilac net over taffeta with a matching headdress and carried a spray of gold rosebuds, and Susan and Linda were in lemon net over taffeta with matching headdresses and muffs. The bride's mother wore a brown costume with gold accessories and the bridegroom's mother a black costume with pink accessories.

Duties of best man were carried out by Mr T Dungey, uncle of the bridegroom.
The bride and bridgroom exhanged personal gifts and the bridegroom presented the chief bridesmaid with a silver chain and locket and the other two bridesmaids with dressing table sets. A reception was held at the bride's home and the honeymoon was spent touring Cornwall and South Devon. The bride travelled in a pale blue costume with geranium pink accessories.
A large number of presents were received including a bedroom chair and linen basket from Bideford Dairies Ltd.

Victoria Park Slide - 1947

Victoria Park Slide - 29th April 1947

Not Really Coupon-Free Slides!

So great has been the demand that children wishing to use the recently erected slide in the Victoria Park have had to queue for a turn.
"Patrons are requested not to loiter too long at the top, admiring the extensive views" - "Have a go, Joe, and you, Joan," and then a quick run round
to join the queue again.
Reporting on the installation of the slide at the April meeting of Bideford Town Council, Cllr R L Cock estimated that from 3,000 to 5,000 children had
come down over the slide during the peak period of use.
Cllr W H Short, rather sadly one thought, declared: "My grandson has already worn out three pairs of breeches."
Ald. H W Fulford: I heard a lady say that Bideford Council ought to supply coupons.
Cllr F T Upton: Had she been sliding?

fore moving to the Appledore Inn.