Hartland

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.

Hartland lighthouse on Tuesday night sent its warning beam out over the sea as it has done for many years, but for the first time it was operated by mains electricity.

Engineers worked against the clock to complete the conversion on time, after having been held up by the non-arrival of equipment.

It was not just a question of connecting the cable, for the light, the most brilliant in this channel – the two three-thousand-watt lamps in use provide one and a quarter million candlepower – operates on 80 volts. This has meant that the current has had to stepped down from the normal 240 volts.
Principal keeper, Mr E G Barnes, and his two assistants are happy about the changeover, but their wives and children who live on the station are absolutely delighted. For them it means the luxury of electric irons, vacuum cleaners, possibly electric cookers – they now use solid fuel stoves winter and summer – and best of all in so isolated a community, perhaps television. Mr Barnes told the Gazette that they will have to buy their own sets. There was, he believed, an organisation that provided them, but only for lighthouses out at sea.
The full Gazette article is dated 2 January 1959.

Family Double Wedding at Hartland

The first father and daughter double wedding ever recalled at Hartland took place at St Nectan’s Parish Church on Saturday.

Mr Arthur Heard Walter, of Stoke, Hartland, known to many friends as ‘Brown Jack’ from the horse he used to ride, married widow Mrs Edith Maud Hutchinson, who at one time lived at Clovelly. Mr Walter’s youngest daughter Doreen, who works as a machinist in Bideford and has been keeping house for her father, married Mr Stuart Hollingsworth, second son of Mr and Mrs Hollingsworth of 9 The Mount, Appledore.
The Vicar of Hartland, Rev Harold Lockyear, officiated at the joint ceremony and Mr S Perrin was at the organ.
Mrs Hutchinson, who was given away by her son-in-law, Mr John Raffle, wore a coat and dress in patterned crimplene.
The bridegroom’s eldest son, Raymond, was best man.
Doreen, who was given in marriage by her brother Leonard, wore a dress of white lace and carried red carnations. She was attended by her nieces Kim Walter and Gina Bennett. Mr Bill Toase was best man.
A joint reception was held at Hartland Pavilion.
Mr and Mrs A H Walter are to live at Homeleigh, and Mr and Mrs S Hollingsworth at Church Cottage, Stoke, where the bride’s father previously lived.
Mr Walter plays bowls for Stratton and, as does his son-in-law, darts for the Kings Arms, Hartland.

Hartland Doctor Retires

Into New Year – and Retirement

Hartland district doctor for the past 25 years, Dr Wilfred Somerton, will go off duty for the last time at midnight on December 31st. He is retiring to Rye, Sussex, just a quarter of a century after he removed to Hartland where his practice covers 144 square miles.
Previously he was on the staff of a big military hospital in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, having trained at Charing Cross Hospital and served as a registrar.