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.

1 January 1965

Crossley – On December 29th at Southmead Hospital, Bristol, to Peter and Pat (nee Dark), a son, Nicholas David, a brother for Simon.

Barrett-Weeks – Mr and Mrs R Weeks of 28 Park Lane, Bideford, have pleasure in announcing the engagement of their youngest daughter Kay, to Peter, only son of Mrs W Barrett of 34 Grainge Road, Crownhill, Plymouth.

Curtis-Edwards – The engagement is announced between Margaret, only daughter of Mr and Mrs J S Edwards, Beam, Torrington, and Geoffrey, only son of Mr and Mrs E W Curtis, 18 Salmon Pool Lane, Exeter.

Gale-Klein – Mr and Mrs J H Klein, 26 Capern Road, Bideford, have great pleasure in announcing the engagement of their eldest daughter Elizabeth to Alan, only son of Mr and Mrs W Gale, 34 Fore Street, Northam.

Hallett-Hearn – The engagement is announced between June, only daughter of Mrs D Westacott and the late Mr James Hearn, of 25 The Strand, Bideford, and Christopher, son of Mr and Mrs A Patt, of ‘Miss Muffet Restaurant’, Meddon Street, Bideford.

Howard-Martin – The engagement is announced between Peter, son of the late Mr T Howard and of Mrs Howard, of Penwortham, Lancashire, and Bridget Mary, daughter of Mr and Mrs C J Martin, of Lakenham Hill, Northam, Devon.

Moses-Copp – Mr and Mrs V J Copp, 8 Chudleigh Avenue, Bideford, wish to announce the engagement of their eldest daughter Elizabeth, to Robin, eldest son of Mr and Mrs H H Moses, 25 Ashley Terrace, Bideford.

Nudds-Pope – Mrs M G King of 8 Beechwood Avenue, Sticklepath, Barnstaple, has much pleasure in announcing the engagement of her eldest daughter, Gillian Margaret Pope to Anthony Morgan Nudds, only son of Mr and Mrs W C Nudds, of Tamaroa, Hillcrest Road, Barnstaple.

Overton-Grantham – The engagement is announced between John Overton of Warstock, Birmingham, and Winifred (Freda) Grantham of 2 Calf Street, Torrington.

Staddon-Hillman – Mr and Mrs J Hillman, 58 Barton Tors, have pleasure in announcing the engagement of their eldest daughter Susan to Derek, eldest son of Mrs and the late Mr Staddon, 96 Barton Tors.

Williams-Sines – The engagement is announced between Pat, daughter of Mr and Mrs F Sines, Newhaven, Parkham, and Reginald, son of Mr and Mrs A Williams, 39 Morwenna Park, Northam.

Willy-Down – The engagement is announced between Jennifer Mary, younger daughter of the late Mr J E Down and Mrs B M Down of 1 Springfield Road, Exmouth, Devon, and Francis John, elder son of the late Mr F J Willy and Mrs A L Willy of 5 Hayes End, South Petherton, Somerset.

Births, Engagement and Marriage

1 March 1968

Bouchard – February 23rd at Gread Baddow, Chelmsford, Essex, to Ken and Rachel Bouchard, twin sons, brothers for Adrian and David.

Elston – February 20th at The Grenville Nursing Home, to Pat (nee Galliford) and John, a son, Nicholas, a brother for Stephen.

Hammett – February 25th to Jean (nee Sluman) and Terry, a daughter, Amanda Jayne.

Pope – February 20th at City Chester Hospital, to Margaret (nee Cox), a son, Simon Jared.

Raymont – February 25th to Dawn (Williams) and Bill, a daughter, Julie Dawn, sister for Christopher.

Wilde-Langley – Mr and Mrs J Langley, of Highview, Westward Ho! have pleasure in announcing the engagement of their daughter Anne to Peter, son of Mr and Mrs F Wilde, of Clapham Park, London, on the occasion of Anne’s 21st birthday, March 4th.

Keen-Bartlett – On February 24th at St Mary’s Church, Bideford, by the Rector, Rev T Derwent Davies, Ronald John, son of Mr and Mrs R J Keen, 84 Lime Grove, Bideford, to Denise Rae, daughter of Mr and Mrs F A Bartlett, Lindisfarne, 95 Abbotsham Road, Bideford.

Greetings from Australia

Mr Kenneth W Beer, of 246 Kestern Road, Carinya Heights, Para Hills, South Australia, writes enclosing the above photograph of an interesting group of Gazette readers.

They are Mr and Mrs Alan Cobb, formerly of Lime Grove; Mr and Mrs Vic Bowyer, formerly of Bay View Road, Northam; and Mr Beer and his wife, formerly of Royston Road.

“Something we have in common” writes Mr Beer, “is that both Messrs Cobb and Bowyer were omnibus drivers with the Southern National, Bideford, where my father, of Montague Place, Bideford, is still employed. My former employers for 17 years were the North Devon Farmers Ltd. We all live within eight miles of each other.”

Mr Bowyer, of course, was a well-known Northam Councillor, and for a period a County Councillor for that locality, and played an initial part in the development of Kenwith Castle country club with Mr Leon Moore (a former members and ex-chairman of Northam Council). Mr Bowyer now manages a petrol station-cum-road house for Shell Ltd. Mr Cobb is a construction works foreman, and Mr Beer is assistant works accountant with Fairey Engineering Ltd.

Mr Beer sends best wishes to all at home.

Article dated 7 May 1965