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.

Gazette dated 1 October 1965

Board – On September 24th 1965, at home, to Teresa (nee Maxwell) and Peter Board, a son, Damian John.
Daniel – September 28th at the Grenville Nursing Home, to Cynthia (nee Weeks) and Brian, a daughter, Annetta Janc.
Elston - September 22nd at the North Devon Infirmary, to Ann (nee Budden) and Eric, a son, Simon Charles.
Gilbert – September 20th at 94 Calf Street, Torrington, to Sheila (nee Heard) and Alec, a daughter, Melissa Jane. Born on Mum’s birthday.
Lee - September 26th at the Nelson Hospital, Wimbledon, to Anne and Michael, a daughter, Rebecca Jane.
Sanders – September 26th to Jill (nee Gibbons) and Ron, a son, Kevin John.
Stephens - September 24th at Broomborough Hospital, Totnes, to Hazel (nee Burton) and David, a son, Andrew David. All well.

Curtis-Baglow – On September 18th at St Mary’s Church, Bideford , Carol Anne, only daughter of Mr and Mrs C Baglow, 20 Metherell Road, Bideford, to Roy, son of Mr E and the late Mrs Curtis, 2 New Causeway, Northam.
Durant-Shields – On September 11th at St Alban’s Church, Westbury Park, Bristol, Peter William Durant of Bideford, to Jane Shields, of Hove.
Stone-Mitchell – On Saturday, September 25th at St Mary’s Church, Bideford, Angela Ruth, third daughter of Mr J H Mitchell, 119 Clovelly Road, Bideford, to Peter Wallace, younger son of Mr and Mrs R Stone, 6 Myrtle Grove, Bideford.

Their Diamond Wedding Westleigh Anniversary

Congratulations to Mr and Mrs G Watts

Congratulations and best wishes to Mr and Mrs George Watts, of Lower Village, Westleigh, who on Wednesday quietly celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary – sixty years of married life! They were married at Barnstaple on February 14th 1885. Mr Watts is in his 86th year and Mrs Watts in her 81st and both have kept in fairly good health all their lives ‘through hard work’ as Mrs Watts puts it.

Before her marriage, Mrs Watts was Miss Elizabeth Ann Turner, daughter of Mr and Mrs W Turner, of Westleigh. She is a native of Westleigh and has lived in the parish all her life. Mr Watts is a native of Fremington and they have lived in Westleigh since they were married. Both are staunch supporters of the Methodist Church.

A platelayer by trade, Mr Watts worked on the railway for about thirty-five years. Although Mr Watts could think of no spectacular reminiscences on the spur of the moment, it is worth while mentioning a family connection with the railway, for Mrs Watts’ father helped to build the connection to Bideford. Mr Watts was a keen cricket enthusiast in his younger days.

One reminiscence of hard winters by Mr and Mrs Watts was of the occasion when the postman set out from Bideford in deep snow and was lost in a snow-drift with fatal consequences.

Mr and Mrs Watts’ descendants extend into four generations – they had eleven children (including only one son), of whom eight survive, and now the family circle numbers 24 more – 16 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. The family is widely scattered in all parts of the country.

One son-in-law and seven grandchildren are serving in the Forces – four of them overseas.

Gazette article dated 20 February 1945

Father Leaves Son's Wedding

Responded to call for active service

Ex-Coxswain Craner, whose son, Mr Stephen James Craner, was married on Saturday to Miss Lillian White, gave up all thought of the wedding in order to respond to the old call for active service and to assist in the launching of the lifeboat. The bridegroom has been a member of the Appledore lifeboat crew on several previous occasions.

The Vicar of Appledore, the Rev H C A S Muller, to officiate at the wedding had come up specially from Newquay. After the service, as local agent of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, he visited the 'Wendy' at Bideford, and obtained dry clothes for H Moore, the Brixham fisherman, whose only clothes were wet through and who was shivering and exhausted after his experiences.

The full Gazette article is dated 17 August 1937