Littleham

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.

Purses open at the ready.......

Husband and wife win the two special prizes – for vegetables and for fruit and flowers – at Littleham’s annual produce show and fete on Saturday. They were Mr and Mrs E Brend, of Narracott Cottage, Littleham.

The event, object of which was to raise money to pay for new extensions to the Parish Hall, was opened by Mrs Joan Lennard, from Chittlehamholt. She was introduced and thanked by Mr R T Sanders, chairman of the Parish Hall Committee, and presented with a buttonhole by Margaret Clements. Entries for the produce show totalled 262, and the secretary, Mr H F Hedden, said the judges considered the standard very high after the dry weather.

The extensions to the Hall were declared open by Mrs Peter Kivell, who was presented with a buttonhole by Angela Bryant.

Beside the produce show there were many other attractions – stalls, games, children’s sports, a gift auction and an ancient Burrell traction engine, lent by the owner, Mr W Moore, of Powlers Place. Also helping with this were Messrs George Wise, M Westcott and G Johns. Littleham drew with Buckland Brewer in an evening football match, when the referee was Mr Les Elston, Mr Reg Rawle scored for Littleham.

Fields for the fete and car park were loaned by Messrs A Mills and F Withecombe. Helpers and stall-holders were: Refreshments organised by Mrs G Johns, Mesdames F Lyle, A Beer, G Hearn, G Wise, G Moore, J Taylor, A Palmer, Misses L Colwill, B Mills. Dance – door stewards, Messrs L Badcock and P Sines. Children’s sports – starter, Col W B Churchill-Longman; stewards, Messrs D Bryant, R Headon, P Martin; prizes distributed by Mr E Beer. Treasure hunt, Miss D Lyle, produce stall, Mesdames H Barrow, J Bromhead and D Fishleigh; white elephant, Mesdames A Mills, C Lyle, C Cook, H F Hedden and Miss B Mills; tombola, Messrs R Rawle, R Clements and Mrs D Hill; lucky dips, Mrs A Palmer; parcel stall, Mrs R Rawle; lucky wheel, Mr and Mrs K Woodyatt; darts, Mr D Sines; bowling for a fowl, Messrs Eric Beer and Geoffrey Pickard; balloon stall, Messrs L J Badcock, J Palmer, A Marshall, M Cook, and R Hearn; bottle stall, Mr F Clements and Mesdames E Brend and R Devereux; rolling pennis, Mrs G Johns and Messrs R Sainsbury and G Ball; lemonade and ices, Mesdames A Nicholls, F Lyle and Miss L Colwill; buttonholes, Misses Pat Cook and Joyce Hearn; skittles organised by Mr C Lyle, resulted – Mr C Babb, Mr A Mills, Mr W Whitlock, Miss V Churchill-Longman and Miss R Tucker.

Lucky number for cake competitions was won by Miss L Colwill; weight judging for Dundee cake made by Mrs G Hearn, won by Miss M Cloake; judging the weight of a lamb, Mr John Beer; draw for doll, Mrs Arthur Elliott. Whist drive (Mr C Lyle, MC, Miss D Lyle, door steward) – Ladies – Mrs C Hedden, Mrs C Lyle, Mrs R Brend. Gents – Mr W Glover, Mr C Pickard, Mr H Hedden. Sports Results Audrey Willis; Sandra Martin; Hazel Stockwill; Lynda Gilbert; David Smale; Richard Martin; David Elliot; Brian Gilbert; Wendy Wood. Brian Gilbert and Brian Whitlock; Robert Wainwright and David Elliot; Micky Rawle and Roger Bryant. Roy Mitchell and Colin Huxtable; Peter and Wendy Wood; Ian Rawle and John Braund. Geoffrey Pickard; Colin Huxtable; Roy Mitchell; Janet Beer; Roger Bryant; Brian Gilbert and Roy Mitchell. A competition organised by Mr F Clements resulted – F Nye; Mrs McRobie; Miss M Elliot; A Adams; D R Ellis; Mrs R Bird; Mr J Westaway.

The Parish Hall was scrubbed and cleaned by voluntary helpers after the builders had finished in preparation for the day.

8.6.1960 Littleham Village Hall3

The full Gazette article is dated 8 June 1960

Only nine pins prevented Littleham A from becoming the skittles champions of the Westcountry.

Littleham put up a fine performance to reach the championship final from over 300 entries before going down to Watchet All Stars 505-497.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were held at Newton Abbot and Littleham skittled consistently to average 500 a game in their three nine-rub matches.
The team comprised John Hockin, John Palmer, Richard Headon, Lionel Dunn, Anthony Brend, Peter Ellis, Raymond Tremeer and Cyril Lyle. They are the Littleham A team, current leaders of Division 1 of the Bideford and District League, plus two of the B side who are Division 3 leaders.

The full Gazette article is dated 26 January 1973

Littleham people fight bid to bury beauty spot under rubbish 16.6.1978

Angry residents of Littleham are expected to flock to a protest meeting to be held in the parish hall in a bid to prevent Devon County Council siting a refuse tip in the Yeo Valley, an area which the county themselves have scheduled as of great landscape value. Mr Lionel Badcock parish council chairman stated that he had wrote back a strongly worded protest.

Mr Simon Skinner pointed out it is a public right of way and almost the only amenity area in Littleham.