Abbotsham

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.

Enthusiastic dancers

from a wide area attended a New Year’s Eve Fancy Dress Ball at Abbotsham Parish Hall.

Proceeds of the ball were for local organisations.

Prize winners were: Mrs D Tucker; Mrs F Beer; Mr C C Prust; Mr D Tucker; Norma Prust; Wendy Beer; David Stapleton; H Strachey. Judges were Capt. and Mrs C Henty-Dodd and Miss Stephanie Boyd. Competition winners were: Mr G Tallin; Mrs Winters; Miss Hill.

Refreshments were served by a ladies committee under Mrs Grigg. Music was by the Blue Orpheans Orchestra.

The Gazette article is dated 8 January 1954

Abbotsham Member Fights Lone Battle

Bid by Mr R B Richardson, newly elected representative for the parish, to persuade Bideford Rural Council to oppose any further development in Abbotsham was cold shouldered on Tuesday.

He told the Council he wanted to preserve the village from ‘totally unnecessary development’. But they decided to recommend to the North Devon Divisional Planning Committee conditional approval of an outline application for the building of 10 houses in the parish, subject to the consent of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Mr Richardson failed to find one supporter. His opposition, said the Chairman, Mr S A Brimacombe, was contrary to the Council’s opinion. The Council, in fact, resented that the planning authorities had sometimes prevented development in the rural district.
It was ‘a poor outlook’ contented the vice-chairman, Mr J Wickett, if they were expected to keep the villages unchanged. Many people worked in Bideford, but preferred to live in the country, he said. Were such people to be debarred because it was not desired that villages should increase in size.
Mr W T Harris warned that unless the rateable value of the area increased ‘we are going to die’. The area could not stand still and he could not see why Abbotsham should be deprived of development when so many houses were being erected in Westward Ho! and Northam.
Gazette article dated 5 June 1964

Returning Home To Abbotsham

Schoolgirl’s 6,000 mile trip

After travelling 6,000 miles with the Golden Hind expedition, Geraldine Portus, the 12 years-old schoolgirl from Abbotsham, is going to return home.
Organiser of the expedition was Geraldine’s uncle, Mr Paul Delmer, journalist, traveller and businessman. Now Mr Delmer had decided to leave the expedition, although still remaining a shareholder, and to make his way with his family to Australia, where he hopes to settle.
This news has been received by Geraldine’s parent, Mr and Mrs William Portus, of Bay View, Abbotsham, in a letter from Mr Delmer which offered the opportunity for Geraldine to accompany them.
Miss Berenice Brooks, formerly of Londonderry Farm, Bideford, who is a Queen’s and State Registered Nurse, will be continuing with the expedition which she joined as a nurse.
The full Gazette article is dated 11 March 1955