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.

Five local people were each fined £4 by Bideford magistrates for leaving their cars at night without lights.

The five – Desmond Joseph Thorn of 2 Silver Street, Appledore; Rodney James Burland of 12 Forresters Road, Holsworthy; Andrew John Pedrick of 30 Brookfield Street, Bideford; David Harvey of 2 Quay House, Appledore; Christen Ronny Rudolf Svensson of 7a Dartington Fields – all pleaded guilty.
For a similar offence John William Hacker of 4 Myrtle Grove, Bideford, was fined £3.

Gazette article dated 20 October 1972

Births and Marriages

9 October 1945

Bennett – October 2nd at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Molly (nee Stone), wife of W G Bennett, a daughter, Gilliam Mary.

Folland – September 25th at the Grenville Nursing Home, to Barbara, wife of Gnr V Folland, RA, BAOR, a daughter, Gillian Diane. Lived for only 12 hours.

Cork-Butler – October 3rd at St Mary’s Church, Bideford, by Preb W N Manning, George Henry, son of Mr and Mrs F Cork, of the Quay, Appledore, to Dora May, daughter of Mr and Mrs F Butler, Coronation Road, Bideford.

May-Dean – September 29th at St Mary the Virgin Church, Kenton, Middlesex, by the Rev F R Johnson (Vicar), William Ernest, LAC (BAOR), son of Mr and Mrs Ernest May, Pitt Hill, Appledore, Devon, to Eileen Dorothy, daughter of Mr and Mrs Arthur Dean, Donnington Road, Kenton.

Burke-Loosemore – October 12th 1920 at St Michael’s Church, Torrington, by the Rev John A Goundy, Martin Matthew Burke, Gunner, RFA, DCM, MM, to Hilda Elizabeth Loosemore. Present address: 65 Mill Street, Torrington.

Vodden-Finn – October 9th 1920 at the Baptist Chapel, Bideford, by the Rev Herbert Trotman, William Henry Vodden to Emily Eleanor Finn. Present address: 20 Milton Place, Bideford.

High Praise for Bideford Young Pianist

Kim Brewer of Bideford, competing against some of the most talented young pianists in the West Country, was runner up in the ‘under 14’ section of the Bristol heat of the national junior playing competition last week.

Kim, who lives with his parents and sister at ‘Anstruther’, Raleigh Hill, was told by Mr Harrison ‘for a boy of 11 you were surprisingly good’. The youngest competitor, and the only one to sit at the £2,000 British concert grand piano in short trousers, Kim has been playing since he was seven.
The full Gazette article is dated 8 October 1965