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.

2 July 1965

Brown – On June 24th 1965 at the North Devon Infirmary, to Colin and Carol, a son, Gregg James.
Cook – On June 26th at the Edgware Hospital, Middlesex, to Margaret (nee Shute) and Ray, a daughter, Helen Louise.
Edge – June 23rd at Trowbridge and District Hospital, to Jane (nee Wootton) and Peter, a daughter, Caroline Louise, sister for Helen Jane.
Hayes – June 26th at the Grenville Nursing Home, to June (nee Stapleton) and Ivor, a son, Robert Dennis.
Jewell – June 29th at the Bristol Maternity Hospital, to Jill (nee Manning) and John, a daughter, Sara Ann.

Barker-Norman – Mr and Mrs G J Norman, of Cromwell House, Torrington, have pleasure in announcing the engagement of their daughter, Judith, to Roger, only son of Mrs G Barker and the late Mr F Barker, of 113, The Avenue, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex.
Hopkins-Hopper – Mr and Mrs R Hopper, 3 Fore Street, Northam, have pleasure in announcing the engagement of their only daughter, Sylvia, to Robert, elder son of Mr and Mrs E Hopkins, 24 Elmdale Road, Bideford.
Mitchell-Jones – Mr and Mrs Glyn Jones, 59 Lime Grove, Bideford, have much pleasure in announcing the engagement of their only daughter, Suzanne (Sally) to Mr Christopher Eric Mitchell, elder son of Mr and Mrs Eric Mitchell, Homestar, Golf Links Road, Westward Ho!

Births and Marriages

2 April 1965

Adams – On March 26th 1965 at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, to Anne (nee Pipe) and Gerald, a son, Guy Andrew.
Deakes – On March 29th at the Grenville Nursing Home, to Marlene (nee Edworthy) and Noel, a son, Simon Noel, brother for Ashley.
Lavers – March 28th at Royal Air Force Hospital, Wegberg, Germany, to Margaret (nee Rudkin) and Tony, a son, Alistair Guy.
Maxwell – March 28th at Plymouth, to Patricia (nee Raymond) and David, a daughter, Catherine Mary, sister for Jimmy.
Pryor – To Arthur and Frances, a daughter, Alison Mary, sister for Lindsay, second granddaughter for Mr and Mrs Frank Jarratt.

Hewetson-West – On March 20th 1965 at Shrewsbury School Chapel, by the Bishop of Tewkesbury, the Rt Rev Forbes Horon, the Rev B Farncombe and the Rev R H H Brooke (school chaplain), Surgeon Lieutenant Christopher Hewetson, eldest son of Mr I J Hewetson, FRCS, and Mrs Hewetson, of Carrig, Northam, to Elizabeth, elder daughter of Colonel J M West, CBE, TD, DL, and Mrs West, of Dorrington House, Dorrington, Shrewsbury.
Saunders-Gilbert – On Saturday March 27th at St Mary’s Church, Bideford, Keith, elder son of Mr and Mrs L Saunders, Cherry Trees, Branscombe Road, Tiverton, to Wendy, only daughter of Mr and Mrs R J Gilbert, 16 Fort Terrace, Bideford.

Pound-Hearn - On April 5th, 1915, at St Margaret's Church, Northam, by the Rev Preb Dimond Churchward, John Pound, of Cardiff, to Lily Evans Hearn, of Northam.

Bideford Family Who Have Reason To Laugh At The Rain

Moving to Australia

A young Bideford postman looked out from his home at the lashing rain on Friday and commented: ‘Depressing isn’t it?’ And then he laughed.
He had good reason. For today he and his family fly to a new life in sunny Australia.

Mr John Evans, his wife Elizabeth and their sons Russell, Mark and Bruce will live in Maryborough, Queensland, a coastal town with a population of 17,000, about 150 miles north of Brisbane.

On leaving school Mr Evans learned his trade as a shipwright at Appledore shipyard before joining the Post Office at Bideford.
He later worked for a security firm in Barnstaple for a period, returning to the GPO six months ago. He was a special constable for five years.

Always keen on rowing, he was cox of the Red’s junior crew which won the West of England championship in 1955. Subsequently he joined the Athletic Club.

His parents, Mr and Mrs George Evans, 67 Clifton Street, Bideford, are thinking of following him in about 12 months’ time.

Last week the family threw a party at Durrant House Hotel at which gifts were presented to all of them.

The full Gazette article is dated 19 September 1969