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.

Dave and Doris Hocking

One of Torridgeside’s best known characters, Mr Dave Hocking and his wife Doris, will be celebrating their golden wedding on Monday. But somewhat surprisingly, ice cream is unlikely to figure on the menu when the Appledore couple have a family party to celebrate this milestone in their lives.

Surprisingly, because for the past 36 years Mr. Hocking has been associated with the manufacture and sale of ice cream in the Torridge area in a family business which has now been passed on to his sons Dave and Ernie and one in which two sons-in-law also work. However, as our photograph shows, the family-made ice cream is a regular delicacy as Mrs. Hocking enjoys a sample served by her husband.

Two Appledore families were united with the marriage at St. Mary’s Church, Appledore, of Mr. David Wood Hocking, aged 23 and Miss Doris Eveley, who had celebrated her 23rd birthday the day before.

On leaving school, young David had gone to sea with his father and 10 years later, in 1923, he was skipper of the 80-ton vessel Susanna.

But the sea is no life for a married man, he decided, and he “came ashore” to take up work with his father, first driving a taxi and then running on his father’s behalf the Ensign bus service which operated buses from Appledore to Bideford as well as a successful coach-hire business. Whitsun 1936 changed his life when he decided without any previous experience to enter the ice cream business and as a first step he bought for £25 a 1928 Morris Cowley two-seater car and had a body put on it to provide him with his first van. That van, now 44 years old, is still in use, one of a fleet of seven which is now operated, and according to Mr. Hocking it is “going as good as ever – perhaps even better than when I bought it.”

Mr. Hocking, who served in the River Patrol during the war, officially retired from the business two years ago but, he says, “I can’t stop home doing nothing all day long – I still like to help out occasionally, selling ice cream and having the yarns I’ve always been used to.”

He is extremely proud of the high reputation his ice cream has gained over the years. The secret, says Mr. Hocking, is in the method of its preparation. “It’s like making a cake…
-how you put the ingredients together and of course what you put in.”

For the whole of their married life Mr. and Mrs. Hocking have lived at Appledore and they have five of their nine children living within 50 yards or so of their home at 9 Richmond Road, Appledore.

At Kingsley Avenue, Appledore, live son Dave and daughters Mrs. Yvonne Ware, Mrs. Doris Watts, and Mrs Joyce Rowe, and nearby at 6 Richmond Road, lives another daughter, Mrs Karen Godfrey. Son Ernie lives at North Street, Northam, and two more daughters Mrs. Rosie Giddy and Mrs. Margaret Somerville, live at Chopes Close, Northam, and Heathfield, Bideford respectively. Another daughter, Miss Shirley Hocking, lives with her parents.

There are 22 grandchildren and one greatgrandchild.

Gazette article dated 1 September 1972

Births, Engagements and Marriages

7 August 1945

Cranley – August 4 1945 at the Grenville Nursing Home, Bideford, to Molly (nee Chubb), wife of Able Seaman Ronald Cranley, a daughter, Sheila Mary.
Hinks – August 4 at the Grenville Nursing Home, to Edith (nee Gerry), wife of Petty Officer S Hinks, a daughter, Judith Mary.
Sowerbutts – August 4 at the Grenville Nursing Home, to Margaret (nee Copp), wife of Tom Davies Sowerbutts, RN, a daughter, Jacqueline Mary.

Eldridge-Major – engagement announced between Pauline Mary, daughter of Mr and Mrs H C Major, 58 Old Town, Bideford, and Joffre Thomas, son of Mrs F E Eldridge, and the late Mr E Eldridge, South Norwood, London.
Giles-Ellis – engagement announced between Lieut William Falconer Giles, RA, son of Mrs and the late Mr R B Giles, 5 South View, Bideford, and Sister Doreen Mary Ellis, Territorial Army Nursing Service, daughter of Councillor and Mrs W E Ellis, Oakleigh, Bideford.

Fletcher–Rogers – marriage arranged between Margaret (Peggy) Rogers, The Strand, Bideford, and Peter Fletcher, Raleigh Hill, Bideford, will take place at St Mary’s Church, Bideford, on August 11 at 1.30pm.

Beer-Colwill - August 2nd at St Michael's Church, Torrington, Harold Richard, only sonof Mr and Mrs J Beer, Bonifante, Weare Giffard, to Ada Mary, twin daughter of Mr and Mrs T Colwill, 21 South Street, Torrington.

Sparkes-Vodden - July 28th at St Mary's Church, Bideford, by Preb W N Manning, Sapper Alfred Clement Sparkes, COXE, third son of Mr and Mrs H Sparkes, of 55 Glenpark Road, Ward End, Birmingham, and Miss Rose Margaret Vodden, ATS, youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs W H Vodden, of 20 Milton Place, Bideford.

Births, Engagements and Marriages

7 June 1963

Powell – June 2 at the NDI to Margaret (nee Weeks) and Nicholas, a daughter, Lorriane Anne.
Williams – June 5 at 20 Hugh Dickson Road, Colchester, to Mary (nee Screech) and Len, a daughter, Linda Yvonne.

Saunders-Gilbert – engagement announced between Keith, son of Mr and Mrs L Saunders, Cherry Trees, Brancombe Road, Tiverton, and Wendy, daughter of Mr and Mrs R Gilbert, 16 Ford Terrace, Bideford.
White-Jewell – Mr and Mrs J Jewell, Tomouth Road, Appledore, announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer, to Lennard, son of Mr and Mrs J White, New Street, Appledore.

Ford-Petley – June 1 at the Baptist Church, Appledore, Harold, son of Mr and Mrs H Ford, 3 Alpha Place, Appledore, to Constance Mary, daughter of Mrs F M Petley, 5 Alpha Place, Appledore, and the late Captain J A Petley.
Harvey-Gibbons – June 1 at Instow Church, by Rev H L Hustwayte, John, son of Mr and Mrs Harvey, Westview, Appledore, to June, daughter of Mr J and the late Mrs Gibbons, Morton, West Yelland.