Transport

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.

Clovelly Road 'Hold-Up'

Passengers leaving Bideford by bus on Saturday morning for Clovelly, Hartland and Bude little dreamt the Army had an assault course all prepared for them en route!

On Fairy Cross hill a Matador 10-ton Army truck completely blocked the road and passengers had to alight from one bus, climb through the truck, and board a second bus waiting on the Hartland side.

It appears the truck, towing a 3.7 A.A gun, had left Cleave Camp, Morwenstowe, with a party of six men of the 37th Regt. R.A. returning from a practice camp to their unit at Tonfanau, North Wales. As the truck was proceeding down the hill at about 10am traffic lights controlling single-line traffic past cable-laying works changed to ‘Stop.’ The driver applied his brakes, but those on the gun did not respond and the lorry was swung across the road.

Prompt action by police and A.A and R.A.C motor patrols quickly had traffic diverted on to the main Bradworthy road, sealing off the blocked section of the trunk road. The proprietor of Fowlers Piece petrol filling station reported ‘a very busy day!’

15 August 1952

Ready for the 'open road'

A typical group of cyclists

Left to right – C Jewell, Mr J D Grant (vice-president, Bideford Wheelers), G Short, Miss E Viersee, H Tithecott, Mr H C Lay (president, Bideford Wheelers), Miss E Johns, Miss D Slee, J Heywood, Miss E Beer, A Sherborne, Mrs A Sherborne, M Jenkins, W Cox, T Thompson, G Vanstone, C C Prust, A Lay, R Halbert, G Hill (hon. secretary, Bideford Wheelers), Miss D Sluman, G Popham, G Bray, P Squire, J Bray, A Lillicrap (Minehead), L Page, S Moor, W T Lloyd (hon. secretary, NCU, Devon and Cornwall).

Gazette article dated 28 June 1938

Long-serving busmen are honoured

Among 75 employees of the Western National Bus Co honoured

for more than 40 years with the firm, at a dinner at Exeter, were a number from Bideford district.

The dinner was the first of its kind organised by the company, and the long-serving staff members were presented with inscribed watches by a director and general manager, Mr Henry Ellis.

Award winners included: R A Parker, A M Beer, A E Cole, G E Kelly, S Lamey, W H Braund, E Daniel, R M England, W H Parkhouse.

Mr Ellis said the award earned by Mr S Lugg, who died last October, would be presented to his widow.

Gazette article dated 2 April 1971