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.

Nearly seventy years ago there emigrated to Canada, with his wife, Mr Fred J Harris, and today, at the age of 88, Mr Harris is ‘still going strong’, and is a keen reader of the Bideford Gazette.

He says he finds something interesting in each issue to remind him of his younger days and the old locality.

Mr Harris must have outlived most of his contemporaries but there are relatives living in Bideford and Buckland Brewer still.
He is the last surviving son of the late Mr and Mrs J Harris, of Buckland Brewer, and his late wife was Miss Fisher, also of that parish.
Mrs Harris died in 1942. They lived at Stratford, Ontario, Canada, and Mr Harris is staying on there although he has had two offers to go and stay with relatives, but he does not want to leave unless absolutely necessary, his home for over 40 years.
He is an uncle of Mrs Bertha Bright, of Cintra Terrace, Orchard Hill, Bideford, and great uncle of Mr P C Bright, of Bridgeland Street, Bideford.
In a recent letter to his niece, Mrs Bright, Mr Harris mentioned that his birthday was featured in a greetings published with a photo in his local newspaper and added how, with kindly assistance, he manages at home and reveals his cheerful facing of the future, one day at a time, thankful for the blessings that have been shown to him.
The newspaper feature pays a graceful tribute to Mr Fred J Harris as a ‘revered resident of Stratford’. It adds that Mr Harris only gave up gardening at the end of last season because he felt the work a bit too strenuous for him.
Gazette article dated 5 August 1947

Births and Marriages

30 August 1963

Dymond – August 15 1963 at Grenville Nursing Home, to Margaret (nee Snell) and William, a son, Peter William Thomas
Ellis – August 19 1963 at the Grenville Nursing Home to Pat (nee Marshall) and Brian a daughter, Sharon Anne
Hillman – August 26 1963 at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to John and Gillian (nee Taylor) a daughter, Joanne Elizabeth, a sister for Nicholas

Mills-Davey – engagement announced between Brian, son of Mr and Mrs Mills, East Lyn, Torrington, and Rosalind, daughter of Mr and Mrs Davey, Town Park Estate, Torrington

Dash From Docks To Marry

Golden wedding memory of Capt and Mrs J T Harris

The moment his ship docked in Cardiff, Seaman J T Harris dashed ashore and headed for Newport because the ship was staying for only a week and Mr Harris had many things to do.
Arriving at Newport he met his fiancée and made final arrangements for their wedding. The next day they were married at Commercial Road Baptist Church and found time to have a honeymoon before the ship sailed again, this time to South America.
That was fifty years ago and on July 24th, Captain Harris and his wife, who live at ‘Lorraine’, The Coldra, Newport, celebrated their golden wedding. Both were born in Appledore. Capt Harris followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a Master Mariner and whose home was at Alpha Place.
Mrs Harris lived with her parents at Prospect Place, in New Street, Appledore, and was a dressmaker by trade.
Mr and Mrs Harris have two sons and eight grandchildren living in Newport and several nephews and nieces living at Appledore.
The full Gazette article is dated 17 August 1951