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.

January-March 1950

13 January

Births

FAIRCHILD – On January 5^th, 1950, at Edensor Nursing Home, Sutton, Surrey, to Movia (nee Pearson) and Derek, a son (Clive Jonathan).

FOSTER – On January 7^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Mavis (nee Cornish) and Ron, the gift of a daughter (Kathryn Ann).

SMITH – On January 7^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Mary (nee Hedden), wife of William Smith, a son (Peter Grenville).

WILLIAMS – On January 7^th, 1950, at 27 Honestone Street, Bideford, to Gladys (nee Waldron), wife of Wilfred Williams, of 33 Honestone Street, a daughter Kathryn, sister for Mary Ann.

Engagement

PONTON-HICKS – The engagement is announced between FO. D.E.T. Pondon, R.A.F., younger son of Mr W. Ponton and the late Mrs Pondon, of “The Croft”, Newbridge, Mon., and Barbara, only daughter of the late Sqdn. Ldr. J.P. Hinks, R.A.F., and of Mrs Hinks, of 18 Temple Drive, Nuthall, Notts.

Marriages

SHARPE-SQUIRE – On January 7^th, 1950, at the Baptist Church, Frithelstock, Percival Stephen Sharpe, only son of Mr and Mrs G.E Sharpe, 12 Bridgeland Street, Bideford, to Pamela Joan Squire, younger daughter of Mr and Mrs S.J. Squire, the Post Office, Frithelstock.

SHORT-McKINLAY – On January 5^th, 1950, at St Catherine’s Church, Plymouth, Alec John Short, F.S.R., only son of Mr and Mrs L.F. Short, Bridgeland Street, Bideford, to Janetta Patterson McKinlay S.R.N. , elder daughter of Mrs and the late Mr G.M. McKinlay of 1 Alfred Street, The Hoe, Plymouth.

20 January

Births

BRIGHT – On January 17^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, to Olga and Percival, a son.

FULFORD – On January 19^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, to Doreen (nee Lewis), wife of Trevor, a son.

CHAMBERLIN – On January 8^th, 1950, at Shefford House, near Newbury, to Geraldine, wife of Guy Chamberlin, a son (Thomas Quintin).

MERVYN – On December 29^th, 1949, at Forest Cottage, Windsor, to Anne, wife of William Mervyn, a son (Nicholas).

MILLS – On January 13^th, 1950, at Grenville Nursing Home, to Margaret (nee Littlejohns), wife of Ronald, a daughter (Carol June).

FAIRCHILD – On January 5^th, 1950, at Edensor Nursing Home, Sutton, Surrey, to Moira (nee Pearson) and Derek, a son (Clive Jonathan).

RAWLE On January 14^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to June, wife of Reginald, Edge Mills, Llittleham, a son (Ian Garland), a brother for Michael.

POPE – On January 17^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Belle (nee Whitefield) wife of Frank J. Pope, a son (Richard Henry James).

SCHILLER – On January 6^th, 1950, to Pamela (nee Yeo), wife of Michael, a daughter (Susanne).

Marriage

JOY-HARDING – On January 7^th, 1950, at the Register Office, Bideford, David, youngest son of Mr and Mrs J. Joy of Westleigh, to Barbara May, only daughter of Mr and Mrs W.L. Harding, of Bideford.

Silver Wedding

LINES-OAKELL – On January 25^th, 1925, at All Saints Parish Church, Loughborough, Leicestershire, Charles Henry, of Banbury, Oxon., to Alice, of Loughborough. Present address: “Guilsborough,” Yelland, near Barnstaple.

27 January

Births

BRAUND – On January 20^th, 1950, at Grenville Nursing Home, to Eva and Edwin, a brother for Peggy and Dorothy (Ronald).

MAIR – On January 19^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Mary and Jack, a daughter.

SANDERS - On January 24^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, to Veronica (nee Rippon) and Brian, a daughter (Susan Mary).

Engagement

BURGAN-STUART – The engagement is announced between John Glyn, son of Mr and Mrs J.Burgan, of Sheffield and Shirley Elisabeth Maureen, elder daughter of Mr and Mrs Angus Stuart, of Monkleigh House, Near Bideford, Devon.

Marriages

DEVERELL-RYAN – On January 16^th 1950, at Bideford Register Office, Derek Alfred, second son of Mr and Mrs C.L. Deverell, of “Lansdowne,” Westward Ho! to Patricia Annie, second daughter of Mrs L. Ryan, and the late Mr T. Ryan of 17 Eastbourne Terrace, Westward Ho!

FUNG-LOVELL – On January 7^th, 1950, at St Matthew’s Church, Bayswater, London, Stanley Irwin Fung, M.B., B.S., London, second son of Mr and Mrs James Fung, Georgetown, British Guiana, to Sheila Mackenzie Lovell, Dom. Science, only daughter of Mr and Mrs Roderick George Lovell, Cliff Cottage, Appledore.

LITTLE-BRAUND – On January 18^th, 1950, at St Mary’s Church, Bideford, Edward Thomas Gerald (Joe) Little, only son of Mr John (Gerry) Little and the late Mrs Little of 28 Elm Grove, Bideford, to Betty Jean Braund, only daughter of Mr and Mrs Leonard Braund of 5 Elmscott Terrace, Pitt Lane Bideford.

3 February

Birth

RAE – On January 29^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, to Ellen (nee Baldwin) wife of Alexander Rae, a sister for Bruce.

Engagement

SLEE-HILL – The engagement is announced between Michael, only on of Mr and Mrs A. Slee, of Sutton Raleigh, to Frances Jean, only daughter of Mr and Mrs H.S. Hill, of Holywell, Northam.

Marriages

GUBB-SHEPHERD – On January 28^th, 1950, at the Baptist Chapel, Bideford, Thomas B. Gubb, second son of Mr and Mrs W.C. Gubb, 51 Meddon Street, to Gladys R. Shepherd, third daughter of Mrs M.J. Shepherd and the late Mr L.H. Shepherd of 26 Higher Gunstone, Bideford.

WELLINGTON-LEWIS – On January 28^th, 1950, at the Parish Church, Perranzable, Cornwall, William Clement, of St Agnes, to Daisy, twin daughter of Mrs H. Lewis and the late Mr A. Lewis of Westward Ho!

10 February

Births

BUSCOMBE – On February 3^rd, 1950, at Rosendale, Torrington, to Miriam, wife of Geoffrey Buscombe, a son.

PENNINGTON – On February 6^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Wladyslawa, wife of Frederick, a daughter (Vera Jane).

Engagement

PORTER-SMITH – the engagement is announced between Captain Robert Milne Porter, 20^th Foot, the Lancashire Fusiliers, only son of Captain R.M. Porter, O.B.E., R.D., R.N.R. (Retd.) and Mrs Porter, of Great Crosby, Liverpool, and Marian Stanley, younger daughter of Colonel G.L. Stanley Smith, O.B.E., M.C., Royal Artillery (Retd.) and Mrs Stanley Smith, of Elmlea, Northam, North Devon.

Marriage

SLUMAN-SHILLAKER – On February 4^th, 1950, at the Register Office, Bideford, Joseph Sluman,of 3 Handy Cross, Bideford, to Florence Mary Shillaker, of Parkstone, Dorset (formerly of Rocklea, Westcombe, Bideford).

17 February

Births

JONES – On February 3^rd, 1950, at 45 Mill Street, Torrington, to Mrs Lillian Lucy Jones (nee Gay), wife of Ronald Charles Jones, a son (Hugh Duncan), a brother for Yvonne Pearl.

WILKEY – On February 11^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Beryl (nee Leach), wife of M. Wilkey of Venton, Westward Ho!, a sister for Colin.

3 March

Births

HARLE – On March 1^st, 1950, at Crossways, Abbotsham, to Evelyn and Dennis Harle, a son, a brother for Martin.

JOHNS – On February 26^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Elise (nee Daw), wife of Reginald, a son (Adrian Charles).

Engagements

HAZELWOOD-REDCLIFT – The engagement is announced between Trevor, eldest son of Mr and Mrs A.G. Hazelwood, of 31 Cambridge Road, Shoeburyness, and Mickie, second daughter of Mr and Mrs R.N. Redclift, of 8 Marine Parade, Appledore.

RODNEY-BARKER – The engagement is announced between Phillip Harley Brydges Rodney, of Plymouth, only son of Mrs R.G. Rodney, of Edinburgh, and Janet Barker, residing at the New Inn, Hartland, only daughter of Mr and Mrs G. Barker, of Newcastle-on-Tyne.

10 March

Birth

JENKINS – On March 3^rd, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Pamela (nee Stevens), wife of Robert, a son (David William John).

Engagements

KNIGHT-EBSWORTHY – The engagement is announced between Kenneth, youngest son of Mr and Mrs Knight, 17 Higher Maudlin Street, Barnstaple, and Mary, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Ebsworthy, 20 Barnstaple Street, Bideford.

VANSTONE-DANIELS – The engagement is announced between Michael, youngest son of Mr and Mrs T. Vanstone, Langtree, and Beryl, daughter of Mr and Mrs Daniels, Birmingham.

Marriages

BOWDEN-BREND – On March 4^th, 1950, at Bideford Parish Church, John, eldest son of Mr and Mrs A. Bowden, of Bideford, to Anne, daughter of Mr and Mrs S. Brend, of Littleham.

17 March

Births

BENNETT – On March 6^th, 1950, at Hammersmith Hospital, W.12, to Mary, wife of Douglas Bennett, a son.

HUNKIN – On March 11^th, 1950, at Redruth, to Ron and Stella (nee Mills), a brother for Michael (Robert Adrian).

SMITH – On March 9^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Maureen (nee Day) and Frank, a son (Peter Maurice).

SQUANCE – On March 11^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home Bideford, to Vera (nee Wonnacott) and Alfred John, a sister for Maureen (Jennifer Florence).

Marriage

BERRY-LANGMAN – On Saturday, March 4^th, at Winchester, Peter Charles Berry, second son of Mr and Mrs W.J. Berry, of 21 Lovelace Road, Surbiton, Surrey, to Rose Mary Langman, only daughter of Mr and Mrs W. Langman, of North Walk, House Barnstaple.

24 March

Births

BEER – On March 20^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Eva (nee Thomas) and Frank, a daughter (Margaret Elizabeth).

BRIDGMAN – On March 22^nd, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Annie (nee Arnold) and Percival, a son (Arnold William Percival).

DANDO – On March 15^th, 1950, at 1 Marine Parade, Appledore, to Molly and Alwyn, a son (David Penhorwood).

TANTON – On March 18^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Dolly (nee Griffiths) and Robert, a son (Roger David).

VINCENT – On March 22^nd, at Mount Alvernia, Godalming, to Barbara (nee Dunhill), wife of H. Michael Vincent, a daughter.

Marriages

LAWRENCE-NEAL – On March 15^th, 1950, at St George’s Church, Monkleigh, William Henry Lawrence to Gertrude Mary Gorvin Neal, both of Monkleigh.

MARTIN-VAGGERS – On March 8^th, 1950, at Littleham Methodist Church, Frederick Peter Martin, only son of Mrs West and the late Mr Martin of Tavistock, to Ethel Goaman Vaggers, younger daughter or Mr and Mrs George Vaggers, Furlong, Littleham.

MAY-VAGGERS – On March 8^th, 1950, at Littleham Methodist Church, Leslie Oliver May, elder son of Mr Oliver May and the late Mrs May of Higher Clovelly, to Gertrude Mary Vaggers, elder daughter of Mr and Mrs George Vaggers, Furlong, Littleham

Diamond Wedding

RICHARDS-STAPLETON – On March 25^th, 1890 at St Mary’s Church, Bideford, by the Rev. Mr Jenkins, James Braund Richards to Mary Ann P. Stapleton. Present address: 14 Wimbourne Terrace, Belvoir Road, Bideford, N. Devon.

31 March

Births

CARR – On March 26^th, 1950, at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Catherine (nee Molloy), wife of James Carr, a son.

DENNIS – On March 18^th, 1950, at the North Devon Infirmary, to Edward and Doris (nee Pickett), a son (James Edward).

STENNER – On March 21^st, 1950, at Chapel Allerton Nursing Home, Leeds 7, to Peggie (nee Sutherland), wife of W.R. Stenner, a son.

Engagement

RIMMER-SQUIRES – The engagement is announced between Gerald, only son of Mrs Rimmer and the late Mr Rimmer of Milford Haven, and Doreen, third daughter of Mr and Mrs Squire, Glen Gower, Appledore.

Marriages

BECKLEY-PARKER – On March 25^th, 1950, at Brent Tor Church, Tavistock, Arthur John, elder son of Mr and Mrs W. Beckley, Hillcrest Cottage, Westward Ho! to Hilda Betty, only child of Mr and Mrs J. Parker, Yellands, Brent Tor Tavistock.

GREEN-TAYLOR – On March 25^th, 1950, at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Appledore Victor John Green, only son of Mr and Mrs A. Green, Richmond Terrace, Appledore, to Ruth Evelyn Taylor, youngest daughter of Mr J. and the late Mrs Taylor, 4 Richmond Road, Appledore.

Golden Wedding

TAYLOR-HINKS – On March 28^th, 1900 at St Mary’s Church, Appledore, Jonathan Taylor to Maggie Jane Hinks. Present address: 2 New Street, Appledore.

Golden Wedding Congratulations

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Norman

Among many friends who brought greetings and good wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Norman, of New Street, Torrington, when they celebrated their golden wedding last week were the Mayor and Mayoress of Torrington (Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Long), seen in the top right of the above photograph.

Mr. and Mrs. Norman are very well-known in the town and Mr. Norman (centre, sitting) who returned to Torrington from Cirencester in 1913, was manager of the Torrington Co-operative Society’s branch at Well Street for many years until his retirement in 1942.

He and his wife have been staunch supporters of the Methodist Church all their life and Mr. Norman has held practically every office open to a layman. On more than one occasion and over very many years he was the senior circuit steward, and he was a Sunday School teacher and member of the choir. He is a Trustee of the Torrington Methodist Church and has also been a trustee of a number of other churches in the circuit.

To mark this happy anniversary, gifts of flowers were made to Mr. and Mrs. Norman by Rev. T.H. Sheriff, the minister, and other members of the Church.

Gazette article 26 May 1954

Wednesday Will Be Their Diamond Wedding Day

Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Luxton’s Memories

Sixty years ago next Wednesday, the last day of June, Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Luxton, of 2, Woodland Terrace, Bideford, stepped out of Bridge Street Methodist Church, Bideford, to begin life as husband and wife on a wage of £1 a week.

Now, within a few days of their diamond wedding anniversary, they look back on a marriage that they have made happy by pulling together through the hard times and the better ones.

Mr. and Mrs. Luxton are very well-known and respected in Bideford and district where all their married life has been spent. Mrs. Luxton, who was Miss Lily Copp before her marriage, is a Bidefordian born and bred and her husband only just escapes that distinction for he came here from Crediton at the age of five and even now, eighty one years later, he still remembers the first house in which he lived in Meddon Street.

They have two sons – Mr. Sidney Alfred Luxton, who is in business as a tobacconist in High Street, Bideford, and Mr. Arthur William Luxton, a motor engineer, who lives in Pitt Lane, Bideford. There are two grandchildren, Mrs. Kathleen Born of Hereford, and Mr. Gerald Luxton, of Ealing, London; and one great-grandchild, Susan Mary Born.

SIXTY YEARS A GARDENER

With sixty years as a gardener behind him, Mr. Luxton has acquired that steadying philosophy of life that comes to all who are associated with and love the living soil and its plants, demanding long hours and hard work but giving in return a busy life and a happy one.

Mr. Luxton was between fourteen and fifteen years of age when he started gardening at Heale House, Littleham, and there was not much time left for youthful zest out of a day that began at 6 a.m. ending with his return home at 7 in the evening. It meant walking five and a half miles a day, seven days a week. On one occasion, in order to see the launching of a wooden ship from Johnson’s Yard below the Bridge at East-the-Water, he ran from Heale House to Geneva Place where he was then living, had his tea and changed his clothes and was down at the scene of the launching by five minutes to seven.

His wages at this time were 9s. a week and, after covering his living expenses, he was left with 1s. a week at the most.

“I think he had a neck to start courting on that,” laughed Mrs Luxton.

After four years at Heale House, he went to Moreton House, Bideford, then the seat of Sir George Stucley – the grandfather of the present Mayor of Bideford (Mr. D.F.B. Stucley) – as second gardener in a staff of twelve gardeners. While at Moreton, Mr. Luxton spent most of his time in the greenhouses at Winsford. In those days grapes, oranges, melons and pineapples were grown there as well as a wide variety of hot-house plants.

SHOW SUCCESSES

There was a touch of pride in his voice as Mr. Luxton recalled the occasion when Moreton entered 33 classes at the horticultural show which, in those days was held in the open air and moved around the different big houses in the district year by year, and won 31 first, two second and one third prize.

After a few years at Moreton House, he left to go as head gardener to Mr. W.L. Pike at Richmond House (now The Holt), Appledore, where he remained eight years. A year after going to Appledore he got married and he and his wife set up home in Pitt Hill. During this time Mr. Luxton took a prominent part in the activities of the Appledore Wesleyan Church. He was a Sunday School teacher, a member of the choir and organised and conducted Band of Hope meetings which were frequently attended by the then Vicar of the Parish (Rev. H.C.A.S. Muller).

He continued his Wesleyan Church work at Alwington when he became head gardener to Mr. H.J. Mason, at Portledge, and was later joined by his son, Sidney, who became organist.

Mr. Luxton had been nearly twenty years at Portledge – “there wasn’t a place in the district kept so well,” he said – when he decided to go into business on his own account as a market gardener. With the establishment of his nurseries at Beverley Gardens at Abbotsham Road, Bideford, began the hardest period of his life for often he was working sixteen hours a day and, in any case, seven days a week. But he had the help of his wife who joined him at their stall in Bideford Pannier Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays and helped with the picking and weighing of produce in the nurseries.

Mr. Luxton was a founder member and a former chairman of Bideford and District Horticultural Society which was founded nearly fifty years ago. He has won quite a number of awards at the Society’s shows and while he was at Appledore he won two silver tea and coffee sets which had been presented for competition by his employer, Mr. W.L. Pike, who was then President of the revived Society. Present day shows, he thought, had declined from what they were in those days when the whole market, including that area now taken up by the restaurant, was crammed with flowers, fruit and vegetables; and there had always been a band playing during the show.

Up until a few years ago Mr. Luxton was able to keep himself happily occupied in his retirement in the garden of his house and with bowls which he only took up when he retired in 1939. He is a member of Bideford Liberal Club, where he was fond of having a game of skittles, and he is one of the three oldest members of the Rechabite Friendly Society which he joined when he was 16.

NARROW ESCAPE

Mr. Luxton very nearly did not live to see his diamond wedding day for back in 1947 he was overcome while getting his wife an early morning cup of tea, by gas fumes which had seeped into the house from a broken main in the street outside. He was unconscious for over twelve hours but from his as from one or two other illnesses recently, he came up smiling.

His one real love is a game of football. Now it is the association game he follows, but in bygone days he was a supporter of the rugby football team that played at Port Hill, Northam.

When Mr. Luxton was at Appledore, he confesses, he used to walk down to the end of the drive with a broom in his hands as if engaged on some task; then, quickly hiding the broom in the shrubbery, he was off to Port Hill. But his difficulties were not over. As he went along the road, he had to listen for the carriage and pair which always took his employer Mr. Pike, into town on Saturday afternoons and more often or not, Mr. Luxton had to slip over the hedge and well out of sight until the carriage had gone by and frequently had to repeat the performance on the way home!

That he can still recapture and relish with the best such youthful memories and escapades shows that he is still young at heart; certainly his sprightly manner belies his 86 years.

Gazette Article 26 May 1954