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.

The well-known saying

“Beyond the best there is a better” must have been foremost in the mind of Ada Powell when she first started putting the Westward Ho! Follies through their paces in October in preparation for their eighth annual pantomime “Sleeping Beauty” which is being presented at the Kingsley Hall, Westward Ho! all this week.

When she produced her first pantomime last year – Mother Goose’s Folly – audiences claimed it the best of the series they had seen to date. It may confidently be submitted that this year’s show is even better, judging by the reception given to it by enthusiastic audiences.

Continuity is a fault which sometimes tends to mar amateur productions such as this but Sleeping Beauty runs very smoothly and has been tightened up to a brisk show of about one and a half hours.

There are, naturally, pauses between scenes and acts but the audience is fully occupied listening to pianist Fred Verney, a former Church organist. The author of the show is Norah Gibbs who under the pen-name of ‘Claire Ritchie’ has written a series of novels.

If one could pick a star from this show the spotlight would fall on Jean Moon in her part as Dumkins. She receives excellent support from her partner, Count Borokwid (Graham Humphrey).

Muriel Eagle brilliantly portrays the sinister role of bad fairy. Carol Slaymaker makes a delightful Princess Bellarosa. Her opposite number, young Margaret Humphrey, as Prince Trulova, shows up well in her stage debut. Another young performer is Carol Grey, not the one of Archers fame, and she made a charming fairy. Three tiny tots – Thelma and Wendy Wathen and Margaret Jeffery – deserve a special mention.

Cast in order of appearance – Dorothy Lewis, Arthur Feron, Doris Hudson, Lee Lancaster, Carol Grey, Janet Moon, Patricia Fisher, Thelma and Wendy Wathen, Margaret Jeffery, Muriel Eagle, Carol Slaymaker, Rosemary Hosegood, Patricia Fisher, Jean Moon, Graham Humphrey, Margaret Humphrey, Arthur Eagle, Muriel Eagle.

Stage manager, A Eagle; electrician, T Ryan; props, P Alexander; stage staff, E and R Westoby, J Mouncey; dancing arrangements, Dorothy Taylor.

Full article dated 10 January 1958

His Shovel Struck Two Shells

Westward Ho! pool owner’s discovery

Two 5.5 shells were dug up at Westward Ho! on Wednesday.

About two feet long, they were found by the owner of the Patio Swimming Pool, Mr Dennis Price, while digging up part of the concrete surround at the shallow end of the pool for new piping to be laid to a filter.

‘I saw what I thought was a piece of rusty piping sticking out’ said Mr Price. ‘Before I knew what the objects were I gave one of them a tremendous bang with a shovel’.

Police contacted an Army bomb disposal unit at Salisbury who came and blew up the shells on the beach yesterday.

Gazette article dated 29 January 1965

Free Holidays at Westward Ho!

A good trip

To mark centenary year Northam Chamber of Commerce are paying for a grant of arms of the township, and to help raise funds they organised a draw, prizes given by members included free holidays in various types of accommodation at Westward Ho! in 1963 – centenary year.

Mr Martin, caravan site proprietor, was among those who offered a holiday, as was his personal friend and secretary of the Chamber, Mr W Latter, who owns a guest house.

More than 1,000 tickets were sold and the week’s holiday to be given by Mr Latter was won by - Mr Martin. And so it is that Mr Martin is now on the look out for a deserving couple, possibly old-age pensioners and preferably from an industrial area, who would appreciate a week’s free accommodation at ‘glorious Westward Ho!’ and who would otherwise, not have a holiday.

Incidentally Mr Martin also sold another winning ticket in the draw – to someone in Torrington.

Full Gazette article dated 2 November 1962