People

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.

Evans-Tuplin, at Northam

The wedding of Miss Phyllis Elsa Tuplin, only daughter of Mr and Mrs E J Tuplin, of Eastbourne Lodge, Westward Ho! and Mr Cyril John Evans, only son of Mr and Mrs John Evans, of 27 Monk Street, Abergavenny, took place at Northam Parish Church, the Rev P D Fox, MA, officiating on Saturday, October 7th.

Special interest was attached to the ceremony, the bridegroom, who is a member of the Totnes staff of Lloyds Bank, having formerly served with the Bideford Branch and been prominent in sporting circles in Bideford and district. He played regularly for the Bideford Rugby Club and was the founder-secretary of the successfully resuscitated Bideford Cricket Club. The bride has many friends in Bideford, Northam and Westward Ho! and there was a large attendance at the wedding.

Miss Tuplin, who was given away by her father, looked very charming in a dress of Wong chiffon velvet ankle-length with train, heavily trimmed with white fur, with which she wore a small toque of velvet with eye veil and satin shoes to complete the dainty picture she made. She was attended by one bridesmaid, Miss Marjorie Woodyatt. The best man was Mr Frank Pape of the Totnes staff of Lloyds Bank. Mr B G Billingham was the organist and accompanied the hymns.

The bride’s present to the bridegroom was a roll-top writing desk. The bridegroom gave the bride a fitted travelling case, his present to the bridesmaid consisting of a blue enamelled gold flapjack.

A reception was held at Eastbourne Lodge, and later Mr and Mrs Cyril J Evans left for the their honeymoon on a motor tour of the South Coast.

Among the large number of presents received were an oak case clock from the staff of Lloyds Bank, Totnes; a hand painted coffee set from Messrs N and H Heard, the bride’s employers; and cutlery from the staff of Heard Brothers Ltd, Bideford.

The wedding dresses were designed and made by Mrs W Tucker, of Westward Ho! and the millinery was supplied by Miss Mary Prouse, Mrs T Shutt was responsible for the tasteful church decorations.

17 October 1933

Picturesque Clovelly Wedding

Hildyard Marris-Bushell

Seldom has the village of Clovelly been so gay and the parishioners so keenly interested and stirred with excitement as was the case on Tuesday last, the occasion of the marriage of Miss Ida Marie Bushell, the popular and only daughter of Mr and Mrs A E Bushell, proprietors of the New Inn Hotel, and Mr Edward Hildyard Marris, only son of Mr and Mrs Hildyard Marris, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

The High Street and the vicinity of the New Inn Hotel were gaily decorated with flags and bunting and presented quite a gala appearance. As an indication of the good wishes of the warm-hearted Clovelly folk, a huge silver horseshoe and two black cats were suspended in front of the hotel entrance.

The wedding ceremony took place at All Saints’ Church in the presence of an unusually large and smart congregation of relatives and friends. The officiating clergy were the Rector of Clovelly, Rev P J Somers Cocks, and the Rev Hugh C A S Muller, Vicar of Appledore.

The bride, who was given away by her father, Mr A E Bushell, was charmingly attired in a lovely gown of ivory white chiffon, heavily embroidered with pearls, with train of silver lame, veiled with hand-tucked chiffon beaded with pearls to a design of true lovers’ knots. Her beautiful silk embroidered tulle veil was held in place by a coronet of orange blossom. Her only ornament was a necklace of choice pearls. The two bridesmaids, the Misses Bunty Caird and Bate (intimate friends of the bride) were ideally gowned in long pale pink lace dresses with pink petal caps of silk and pink gloves, stockings, and shoes to match. The bride’s pretty little attendants were the Misses Paddy and June Adams (Westward Ho!). The duties of best man were ably carried out by Captain D C Heron Watson, a friend of the bridegroom.

After the wedding ceremony a reception was held at the New Inn Hotel, which was attended by nearly two hundred guests. The scene at 2pm, when the happy couple left by motor car en route for a tour in Scotland, was a very animated one, large numbers of friends and parishioners having assembled to give the smiling pair a hearty send-off.

There was a very large number of costly presents, which included a beautiful Royal Crown tea service from the staff of the New Inn Hotel, and a solid silver cigarette casket from Messrs Wilson Motors (Victoria) Ltd, Buckingham Palace Road, SW1.

After the honeymoon Mr and Mrs Edward Hildyard Marris are to reside in Margate.

Messrs Bromley Cafés Ltd (Bideford) supplied the imposing three-tier wedding cake; Messrs T R Williams of Bideford, the flowers; Mesdames Cox and Baglow, Mill Street, Bideford, the millinery; whilst the many motor cars were supplied by Mr R Board (Bideford) and friends of the bride’s parents.

Gazette article dated October 1933

Happy Solution to 'Five and Fifty Club' Riddle

When an invitation to dinner

from the 'Five and Fifty Club' dropped through the ltter box of their Bideford home, Mr and Mrs Albert Bedler were puzzled.

And to were those friends to whom they showed it. No one had every heard of the Club. But Mr and Mrs Bedler of Sentry Corner accepted and on Friday arrived at a Westward Ho! restaurant. The riddle was solved. Awaiting them were 36 members of their family. They had organised the party to celebrate Mr and Mrs Bedler's 55th wedding anniversary.