Torrington

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.

The annual party organised by the Torrington Old Age pensioners Association for the pensioners of Torrington, was held in the Town Hall, Torrington, 116 sitting down to a turkey dinner.

Torrington pensioners party 5.2.1965

Presiding was the president of the association, Mr F R Hodge, accompanied by Mrs Hodge. He revealed that pensioners had travelled to Plymouth for their annual outing, and on that occasion lunch had also been provided free. Those who had not been able to attend had received 10s at Christmas, and altogether £75 had been distributed, with every pensioner receiving half a pound of tea.
Mr Hodge welcomed the Mayor and Mayoress (Ald and Mrs R H Cotton), who were accompanied by the Town Clerk,, Mr S J Parkes. Following the dinner the pensioners were entertained by the Westward Ho! Holiday Centre concert party.
Winners in a competition organised by Mrs Arthur Dymond were: Mrs Quick, Mrs Brown, D Stacey, Walter Hearn, W M Piper, F Edwards, G Nash, W Green, Mr Sid Pring, Jean Pitts, R Denford, B Davey, Rose Lugg, W Newcombe, V Thompson, J Bower and K Meakin, F Coumbe, B Dymond, A Short, M Hutchings, G Sutton, L Anncar, R Tucker, F Warne, G Tape, J Jury, A Bond, W Babb, J Littlejohns, J Gilbert, D Horne, P Copp, Mrs Ayre, J Johns, T Gist, Mrs Double, Pam Weeks.
The full Gazette article is dated 5 February 1965

50 Year Old Car Sails Through Test

A 1911 car abandoned and forgotten for years until rescued and restored by a new resident of Little Torrington, on Saturday obtained without difficulty a Ministry of Transport certificate of road worthiness.

Said Mr H Beer, of Messrs Heards Garage, Torrington, where the test was carried out: “It is in beautiful condition”.
Owner of the car – a 6.9hp two cylinder Renault – is Mr Alan Skerman, a 51 year old armaments engineer of Church Ford, Little Torrington.
The car, now resplendent in red and grey, was originally sold by Cleland of Edinburgh to Sir John Findley. Subsequently it went to his estate at Aberlaur where, eventually, it fell into disuse and was forgotten. Years later the estate became a school and the car was discovered by four boys.
The full Gazette article is dated 27 January 1961

Teachers Wed

To Make Their Home in Australia

Two teachers who are flying out to Sydney, NSW, on January 26th, where they are to take up teaching posts, were married in St Michael’s Church, Torrington.
The bride, who for the past three years has been teaching in Newton Abbot, was Miss Heather Mary Buscombe, only daughter of Mr and Mrs Geoffrey Buscombe, of Torrington. Her bridegroom was Mr Robin Grant Blackadder, son of Mr and Mrs Eric Blackadder, of Loughborough.
Christmas carols were sung at the service and the bride wore a full length cloak of crimson velvet over an oyster crepe dress.
The reception was held at the Caste Hill Hotel and the couple are spending a ski-ing holiday in Austria.

The Gazette article is dated 7 January 1972