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.

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

Retires After 10 Years As Legion President

After 10 years as president of the Torrington branch of the British Legion Col J E Palmer has retired from the position and at the branch’s annual meeting, Mr W D Cockram, Mayor of Torrington, was appointed to fill the vacancy.

The meeting was held at the Globe Hotel, Torrington, by permission of Cap and Mrs J White.
Membership was now 90, six more than the previous year, it was reported.
Poppy sales of £191-8-0 were an increase of £24 over those of last year, reported the organiser, Mr R E Smith.
In addition to the president the following officers and committee were elected: Mr G H Buscombe; Mr B E Medley-Smith; Major R A Wickham; Mr F Morris; Mr J W P Hutchings; Mr E N Dymond; Rev P G Harrison; Mr R E Smith; Mr F Edwards; Messrs R S L Alexander, B Sussex, V V Thompson, R I Allin, Col F Stanley and Col Wadham.

The Gazette article is dated 27 November 1970