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.

Mr Christopher Eric Mitchell, elder son of Mr and Mrs Eric James Mitchell, of Homestar, Golf Links Road, Westward Ho! on Saturday married Miss Suzanne (Sally) Jones, only daughter of Mr and Mrs Glyn Jones, of 59 Lime Grove, Bideford.

The bride is employed at the Bideford branch of Lloyd’s Bank and the bridegroom by Aircraft Marine Products Ltd, of Appledore.
The Rev Ernest Adley officiated at the service in St Mary’s Church, Bideford, and the organist Mr J R Trigger accompanied the hymns. The bridesmaids were the Misses Josephine Little and Patricia Mitchell. Best man was Mr Frank Grimwood of Ilford, Essex.
Following a reception at Kenwith Castle Country Club, Mr and Mrs Mitchell left for a honeymoon in Cornwall.
The bridesmaids’ dresses were made by Mrs Huxtable, the flowers were supplied by Mrs K Blackmore, and the cake by Scott’s Model Bakery. The floral decoration in the church was by Mrs Pam Gill.

The full Gazette article is dated 1 October 1965

WESTWARD HO! PLANNING APPEAL DISMISSED 1965

Mr J H Yatman of Westward Ho! has lost an appeal to the Minister of Housing and Local Government against the refusal of Northam Urban Council to permit him to build two pairs of holiday bungalows at his home, ‘The Pines’, Atlantic Way.

The appeal was decided on the written representations of the parties and following a visit to the site by an officer of the Ministry.
The Minister points out that ‘The Pines’ is a large, old house, with an associated area of about six acres, on the south side of Atlantic Way. The main access to the property is up a steep, winding drive from an entrance gateway adjoining the main road, and visibility is restricted in each direction from the highway boundary.
Properties on each side of this section of Atlantic Way are residential in character, the Minister adds, although some may be used for holiday purposes. Farther north is a large area used as caravan sites. ‘Your reasons for wishing to carry out the proposed development are appreciated,’ he had told Mr Yatman, ‘but it is considered that the indiscriminate siting of holiday chalets within the curtilage of properties in predominately residential areas would be harmful to the character of those areas and that such development should therefore be grouped in the area to the north of the main road as suggested by the local planning authority.’
The Minister also says it is considered that the present access is unsuitable to serve any further development.

Westward Ho! New Estate Planned

Recommendation by the Housing and Public Health Committee that an application for variation of planning consent to permit permanent occupation of chalets at the Golden Bay Hotel, Westward Ho! for Mr D R Norris, would be recommended for refusal was rejected by Northam Urban Council.

1962 WHo new estate

Instead it was agreed that a sub-committee should inspect the chalets although the Rev A E Green pointed out that every member of the Council had been invited to do so. ‘If they are interested enough they can see them, and if they are not that is that’ he said.

When the committee recommended that an outline application for building sites at Avon Lane-Beach Road, Westward Ho! for Mr E C Poynter, be deferred for more details to be obtained, several members protested. A move by Mr V F Bowyer to get the matter discussed in private also failed. Such matters were normally discussed in committee, Mr Bowyer said ‘so that we can get our facts straight and safeguard ourselves and others’. The Surveyor, Mr H J Bishop, said that the application was for 60 plots, with six per acre. Each would have a 50ft frontage. There would be an access into Beach Road and another into Avon Lane and the road would have to be made up. A more detailed layout would have to be submitted, he said, but he could see no objection to the proposal. The Council accepted the layout plan.