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.

Happy times at the community centre

‘Who is the fairest queen of all’ is what three visitors and Mr and Mrs R Lake had to decide at a ‘Miss Rose of the Torridge’ competition dance organised by the Westward Ho! Community Association at their hall on Friday.

Eligible for the title were Carnival Queens and their attendants from surrounding districts.

Miss Rosemary Hosegood, the 16 year old Westward Ho! Carnival Queen, won the title. She is a shop assistant.

Runners up were two Bideford Carnival Queen attendants – Miss Hazel Shute who lives at 18 Rockmount Terrace, and 20 year old Miss Margaret Hooper, a dressmaker, of Woodtown Cottage, Alverdiscott.

A motor scooter was won in a competition by Mr L Gilbert, of Glenburnie Road, and a bottle of sherry by Mr Michael Wadey, of Lime Grove.

A Bideford Gazette reporter who noted the gay, colourful dresses, and the pleasant character of the dance hall, was told by Mrs McHale, how much all were indebted to the voluntary helpers.

A leading spirit is Mrs Morgan, who in addition to supervising the dance refreshments, herself sold over 1,000 tickets for a competition to help Community Centre funds. Over £240 was realised.

Gazette article dated 19 September 1958

Conservative Fete At Westward Ho!

£130 raised

The effect that industrial growth would have on the area and the need to be prepared for the changes it would bring were referred to by Mr Peter Mills (prospective candidate for the Torrington division) at a Conservative fete at Westward Ho!

The fete, held at Vicosa, the home of Mr and Mrs Leslie Braddick, and organised by Bideford town branch of the Divisional Conservative Association, realised about £130.

One of the attractions was a bathing belle competition. Winners were: Miss Annette Twitchen, Miss C Blackmore, Miss Joan Cox. A junior fancy dress competition was won by: Sally Dymond, Craig Chapman, Carolyn Hooper.

In charge of stalls and sideshows were: Mrs Broad, Mrs V Gilson, Mesdames De. Ryche, Bird, Lemon, Langdon, Lewis, Beaumont, P Lewis, Boyer, Hill; Messrs Taylor and Davis; Miss Carolyn Blackmore, the Misses Marlin, Mary Little and Christine Northcott; Messrs L Bramwell and M Blackmore; Mrs V Justice, Miss D Robinson; Mrs T P Keene, Mesdames Oke, Saunders, Clements, Little, Lyle, McGann, Ackland, Eastman and Twitchen, Mr Twitchen Among those attending were Viscount Lambert, Mr Percy Browne MP and Mrs Brown, Capt W H C Daniel and Mrs Daniel, and Lady du Cros.

The full Gazette article is dated 14 August 1964

Following In Sister’s Footsteps

Westward Ho! Carnival Queen Chosen

Runner-up two years ago to her elder sister, Joyce, now Mrs Peter Williams, 21 year old Miss Lyn Lancaster, of Overborough, Westward Ho! was chosen Queen of Westward Ho! Carnival at a dance at the Kingsley Hall on Friday.
By coincidence, Miss Lancaster was wearing the same identification number, no. 14, as she did when she was chosen to attend her sister. A brunette, she is employed as a librarian in Bideford.
Many visitors were among the large crowd that watched the judges, Mr and Mrs H B Snashall, who are on holiday from Harpenden, Herts, short list three girls from a total entry of 16.
The two runners-up in the Queen competition were chosen as attendants and they are Miss Joyce Williams, a 17 year old laundry worker of 11 Castle Street, Northam, and Miss Betty Davies, of Mount Pleasant, High Street, Bideford. Aged 20, Miss Davies had arrived in North Devon from Runcorn, Cheshire, only four weeks earlier and on Monday she started work as a clerk.
Two junior attendants had already been chosen for the Queen from among members of the Westward Ho! Community Junior Dancing Club and they were Carol Spencer, aged 9, of Peter Pan, Westward Ho! and Judy Kelly, another 9 year old, of Ravenswood, Venton Drive, Westward Ho!
In the photograph the Queen is seen being crowned by Mr Jim Martin, leader of Westward Ho! Youth Club, which organised this year’s carnival. The judges are on the far sides of the picture and on the left are Miss Williams and Carol Spencer and on the right Miss Davies and Judy Kelly.
A bouquet was presented to Mrs Snashall by Mrs C F Stephens, Chairman of the Carnival Committee. Mr W Powell was the MC.
Gazette article dated 29 July 1955