Northam

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.

Moving In This Week

This week the first tenants have been moving in to Northam Urban Council’s new bungalows which are replacing the converted wartime RAF hutments at Burrows Way.

Scheme is for 18 bungalows, and of 10 under construction six were completed this week.

Gazette article dated 11 August 1961

Northam Gardening Rivalry Was Decided By Holding A Show

One word led to another

as local amateur gardeners spoke of the fruit and flowers they had grown this season, so Mr and Mrs G T Ward, licensees of the Kings Head Hotel, Northam, decided there was only one way to settle the friendly rivalry between their customers and the Hotel staged its first annual show on Friday.

Highlight of the show was a magnificent display of chrysanthemums while the pears exhibited by Mrs A A Smalley, of Instow, were described by Mr F G Pidler, Devon Horticultural adviser, who judged the show, as ‘the best and biggest pears I have ever seen.’ The pears came from a tree bought two years ago which in this, its first fruiting season, bore four pears only, the largest weighing 1lb and 13ozs.

One plant entered by Mr A J Kelly for exhibition only was claimed to a ‘Ponga plant’ and to grow wild in profusion along the banks of the River Plate in South America.

Awards in the show were: H W Ellis; S I Fulford; Col W B Wright; H W Ellis; Mrs A S Smalley; A J Kelly; R Friendship; Mrs C A Grant; W H Hookway; Mrs M Tucker; Mrs W B Wright.

Those seen in the picture admiring the show exhibits are: Mr and Mrs G T Ward, Mr W Friendship, Col W B Wright, Mr S I Fulford, Mrs Mialls, Mr K Hopkins, Mrs W B Wright and Mrs A S Smalley.

Article dated 9 November 1956

Shetland Ponies Need Grazing Land

Two Shetland ponies who are the pets of two Northam children may have to be given away if grazing cannot be found for them.

At the moment Muppet, a seven year old mare which stands 34 inches high, and Rupert, one year younger and eight inches shorter, graze in a field at Northam.

But the land is now needed for development purposes and so far attempts to find alternative local grazing have not been successful.

The ponies belong to Dominic, aged give, and his sister, Alexandra, aged four, the children of Mr and Mrs McKerchar, who live at 24 Fore Street, Northam.

Mrs Kerry McKerchar told the Gazette: “If grazing can’t be found locally then we shall have to let the ponies go to a good home. I wouldn’t sell them after all the stories you hear about animals being slaughtered.”

Shetlands can live until they are 30 years old or more. Muppet, incidentally, is expecting a happy event in May. “But Rupert had nothing to do with that!” explained Mrs McKerchar.

“We’ve advertised for grazing without any luck but we’re still hoping some arrangement can be made so as not to upset the children” she commented.

Gazette article dated 27 January 1978