Westward Ho!

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.

Double yellow lines painted along a Westward Ho! road have no significance in the winter.

This fact emerged at a meeting of Bideford Road Safety Committee on Friday. Mr M Crosley had asked why the lines were there together with signs saying that there must be not parking ‘at any time’ when an official notice in the local Press had said that parking was allowed during the winter. This type of seasonal order, replied Police Sergt D Page, was made a great deal of use of in small North Devon coastal villages where there was an influx of summer traffic.

The Minister of Transport, Mrs Barbara Castle, has been invited to visit Bideford during the forthcoming Road Safety Week. The chairman of the organising committee, Mr G Robinson, told the meeting she had been asked to present the awards.

The full Gazette article is dated 10 March 1967

£250,000 Sale At Westward Ho!

The Westward Holiday Village in Westward Ho! has been sold for more than £250,000 to the Bideford based Woodsmith Group of Companies.

The selling agents were Messrs John C Webber and Son, of Bideford. Woodsmith intend developing the 19 acre site with holiday bungalows and flats. Twenty three holiday bungalows and 36 flats, built on part of the land by the previous owner are being renovated.

The first of the renovated bungalows are now on offer through agents John C Webber and Son’s Bideford office and Morris Dibben of Winchester. The purchase price of £3,500 for a 90 year lease (ground rent £65pa) includes equipment and furnishings to sleep six people.

Gazette article dated 16 March 1973

Council’s Tress Felled By Mistake

Trees on land at Kipling Tors owned by Northam Urban Council had been felled by Braddicks in the belief that the ground belonged to them, members were told.

The Council expressed concern and agreed that as 20 trees had been damaged, Braddicks should be required to finance their replacement and maintenance.
It was suggested that the 24 replacement trees should consist of three or four varieties of pine and sycamore.
What had happened was regrettable, said Mr P R Galliford, stressing that any doubts about ownership of land should be referred to the Council. The Trees sub-committee tried to preserve trees in the general interest, she pointed out.
Gazette article dated 10 March 1972