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.

Family returning to New Zealand after visiting Bideford

Three years old Tony kisses his little cousin, Angela, goodbye, as he, his five years old sister, Julie, and their parents, Mr and Mrs Arthur Eastmond, prepare to leave on their long journey to New Zealand. This is the second time that Mrs Eastmond (formerly Miss Jean Lester), daughter of Mrs W O Kemp, of Clovelly Road, Bideford, and the late Mr C Lester, has travelled to New Zealand.

The first time, in 1950, she was a newly-wed. Her husband, Arthur, who although born in England has lived in New Zealand since the age of three, and is an automative, electrical and general engineer, was in England on holiday when he first met Jean. After getting two years later they left to make their home ‘down under’.

The Eastmond family left Bideford on Sunday morning and journeyed to Tilbury, London. There, aboard the ss Orion, they set sail for New Zealand, via the Suez Canal.

Mrs Eastmond, although naturally feeling homesick at first, soon got to like New Zealand. She has visited Bideford’s counterpart – Bideford, Wairarapa, near Masterton, in the North Island.

The home address in New Zealand of Mr and Mrs Eastmond is 155 Ensors Road, Opawa, Christchurch, SE1.

In the picture Mr and Mrs Eastmond are soon with Julie, and others and their relation to Mrs Eastmond are: Mrs Mervyn Bird, Mrs Harold Short, Mrs J Vikmanis and Mrs W O Kemp.

Gazette article dated 26 October 1956.

Births and Marriages

27 October 1942

Arnold – On October 21st at the Nursing Home, Torrington, to Sybil (nee Richards), wife of John Arnold, of Torrington, the gift of a daughter.
Bell – On September 26th at 24 Church Street, North Liskeard, Cornwall, to Olyve (nee Werry), wife of Corporal H V Bell, a son, Edward Maxim.
McGuire – On October 21st at the North Devon Infirmary, Barnstaple, to Frances (nee Copp), wife of Thomas Patrick McGuire, the gift of a daughter, Bridget Frances.
Pomeroy – On October 21st at Lydcott, Highampton, to Ruby (nee Hearn), wife of Richard Pomeroy, a son, Geoffrey Richard.
Williams – On October 24th at 27 Honestone Street, Bideford, to Gladys (nee Waldron), wife of W Williams, a daughter, Ann.

Evans-Taylor – On October 17th 1942, at St Mary’s Church, Bideford, Donald Evans, MN, second son of Mr and Mrs A Evans, of 23 Meeting Street, Appledore, to Irene Mary, younger daughter of Mr and Mrs W G Taylor, of 3 Kingsley Street, Bideford.

Dick Cleaver leaves the Bideford Gazette

Presented with a Harry Juniper jug

While it might have been stretching the imagination a little to try to encapsulate 43 years of newspaper life at Bideford on to a jug, certainly the beautiful piece of pottery made by Mr Harry Juniper, the well-known local potter, gives something of an insight into the working life of Mr Dick Cleaver, Editor of the Bideford Gazette up to 1973, who has now retired.

Pictures on the jug - presented to him at a ceremony in the Gazette printing works on behalf of newspaper colleagues by Editor Phil Day, recalled his arrival at Bideford by train and his first walk across the Bridge with which he later became identified as Chairman of the Bridge Trust, plus other links with the newspaper industry.

Gazette article dated 30 June 1967