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.

February 1943

Births – to Gunner and Mrs R J Campbell, a son, Brian Guy; to Corpl and Mrs G Hadley, a son, Gerald Victor; to Clarice (nee Nicholls) wife of Pte Richard Hopper, a daughter, Sylvia Mary; to Betty (nee Newcombe), wife of Sergt E Lloyd, a son, Terence John; to Mr and Mrs S Bennett, a daughter, Marilyn Joyce; a daughter for Mr and Mrs Bond; a son to Private Richard and Sarah Goss; to Mary Joan (nee Blackall, wife of 2^nd Lieut. J G Allen, a daughter, Susan Joan; to Phylis (nee Griffiths), wife of LAC Hotchkiss, a son; to Corpl H Matthews and Mrs Matthews (nee Bettess) a daughter; a son to Mr and Mrs J Moore; to L/Bombr and Mrs L H Niblett (nee Margaret Pat Marsh), a son; a son, Colin Lewis, for Mr and Mrs R C Rendle (nee Marjorie Lewis); to Phyllis (nee Batten), wife of T Ayre, a daughter, Wendy; to L/Cpl and Mrs Beames, a son; to Mrs Clarke (nee Lucy Ross) and late Sgt-Pilot N G Clarke, a daughter, Wendy Patricia; to Bdr G M Durant and Mrs Durant, a son, Peter William; to Mr and Mrs S W Nicholls a son; a daughter to Mr and Mrs Stacey; to Rose (nee Bowden), wife of Glyn Jones, a daughter; to Private and Mrs F A H Molland, a daughter; to Mr and MRs F W Turner (nee Eileen Fulford) a daughter.

Engagement – Siglm George A Lockyer-Phylis Bedler

Marriages – Francis Stanley Pickard-Phyllis Mary Tucker; Walter Royce Cox and Lisa Marrianna Nielson; Cecil Diwell to Betty Reed; Thomas Henry Hare to Elsie Squire; Sergt-Pilot D Brooks to Phyllis Dark; Wilfred Gordon Dark to Florence Rhoda Hobbs; Sgt C J Popham to Marjorie Joyce Wright.

Silver weddings – Mr S Langdon and Miss G Badcock; Frederick C Barton to M J Margery Smerdon

Golden weddings – Mitchell Thomas Cole to Susan Tucker; Frederick S Short to Mary J Branch

Births, Marriages and Anniversary

19 May 1942

Blackmore – May 15th at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Mr and Mrs Howard Blackmore, Macauley Road, Clapham Common, SW4, a son (Richard Howard.
Dark – May 14th to Isabel (nee Rowbottom), wife of Mr W J Dark, The Stores, Bucks Cross, a daughter.
Gates – May 14th at Haeremai, Westward Ho! to Hilda (nee Tucker), wife of L/Bmdr R G Gates, a son.
Harris – May 10th at 11 Newquay, Appledore, to Mr and Mrs Gordon Harris (nee Phyllis Shute), a son.
Hughes – May 18th to Gwen, wife of Capt Hughes, RAMC, a daughter.
Lawrence – May 17th to Mr and Mrs J Lawrence, of Clifton Street, Bideford, a son.
Mathews – May 13th to Mr and Mrs E Mathews, of 20 Mill Street, Bideford, a son.
Scriggons – May 17th to Mr and Mrs F Scriggons, of Uphill, Avon Lane, Westward Ho! a son.
Warner – May 14th to Violet, wife of Henry Warner, Hawkley, Hants, a son.
Wheeler – May 10th at Kingscott, St Giles, to Mr and Mrs G Wheeler (nee Phyllis Hearn), a son.

Carter-Wade – May 13th at St Mary’s Parish Church, Bideford, Gunner Alexander J Carter, of 233 Princess Avenue, Palmers Green, London, to Gladys Muriel Wade, daughter of Mr and Mrs E A Wade, of Little Bocombe, Parkham.

Hotchkiss-Griffiths – May 6th at Cheshire Parish Church, William Thomas Hotchkiss, LAC (RAF), son of Mr and Mrs Hotchkiss, Cambridge Road, Ellismere Port, Cheshire, to Eva Phyllis Griffiths, L/Cpl (ATS), daughter of Mr and Mrs D H Griffiths, 43 North Street, Northam

Squire-Copp – May 16th 1942 at St Mary’s Church, Bideford, by the Rev Preb W N Manning, Cpl Cyril George Squire, RASC, son of Mr G Squire and the late Mrs Squire, 3 Mount View, Landkey Road, Barnstaple, to Christine Mary, daughter of Mr and Mrs C H Copp, 51 Clifton Street, Bideford.

Steer-Greenslade – May 18th 1892 at St Anne’s Church, Bucks Mills, by the late Rev Albert Hughes, Frederick James Steer to Elizabeth Ann Greenslade. Present address: Kimberley, Northam.

For Crying Out Loud!

Champion Bert takes the mike

National Champion Town Crier Bert Waldron “cheated” in Torrington on Saturday morning. He jumped into a loudspeaker van and toured the streets, ringing his bell and making his announcements using a microphone. But Bert was “found out” when a Gazette cameraman and reporter stopped the van in Well Street for this picture to be taken. He had, however, a good excuse for although he has the country’s champion voice after retaining the national Town Crier’s title at Hastings, the gale-force wind in Torrington on Saturday morning made his task of a clear announcement difficult.

So he rang and called over the microphone in Mr Tom Squire’s loudspeaker van.

Said Mr Squires, “The wind is extra strong to-day and as I had to make an announcement over the ‘speakers’ as well, we agreed that Bert could cry over them, too.” Said Bert, with a lough, “Yes, I’m doing a little bit of cheating, but I want the announcement of sound clearer in this strong wind.”

Gazette article dated 9 January 1959