Exemplary driving
8 December 1972
From Bideford and Fremington28 February 1964
Passing motorist helped15 February 1963
Staying at Hartland Quay Hotel9 February 1973
Helicopter Recovery A Combined OperationNot until Saturday did the helicopter that crashed into the River Torridge at Bideford on Tuesday
Bideford Bridge CollapseBideford's lifeline, the famous 700-year-old Long Bridge, was cut with dramatic suddenness on Tuesday
Helicopter CrashIn recognition of help given in the recovery of a crashed helicopter from the River Torridge, the RAF
Ship Aground On Westward Ho! SandsIn thick fog late on Friday night the 318 ton motor vessel, Goldfaun, registered in London
Bideford Bridge CollapseWork has started on the demolition of the damaged section of Bideford Bridge, which had
Family Rescued By HelicopterRumours, which later turned out to be incorrect, that another yacht was also involved led to Appledore
Lundy Wall CollapseA section of the retaining wall at the bottom of the beach road on Lundy is reported to be affected by a collapse
The Rocquaine28 September 1951
Girl Rescued By Appledore FishermenPrompt action by two Appledore fishermen, Messrs Sidney and George Cann resulted in the rescue of a
Yacht And Owner Rescued At AppledoreMr Andy Bowden, of Appledore, carried out what he thought was a smart piece of salvage when he
Exemplary driving8 December 1972
These drivers have not had an accident for over 230 years
Fourteen drives based with the Torrington Highways Division of Devon County Council, who between them have a record of 234 years’ driving on Council business without an accident, have received safe driving awards.
The awards were presented on behalf of ROSPA by the Divisional Surveyor, Mr Richard Shuttleworth.
Mr Lionel Baker of Beaford, and Mr Ron Tanton of Torrington, each have 27 years’ service with the County Council. Mr Bert Sussex and Mr Stan Newcombe, Mr William Wheeler of Shebbear, and Mr Ken Hill and Mr William Collings, both of Horns Cross, each has a record of 20 or more years’ service.
Medals for five years’ service driving went to Mr Baker, Mr Collings and Mr Ernest Cornish, of Torrington, and bars to Mr Hill, Mr William Petherbridge (High Bullen), Mr Fred Robins (Taddiport), Mr Sussex, Mr Mervyn Wilcox (Horns Cross) and Mr Tanton. Diplomas were presented to Mr Raymond Branch, Mr Douglas Cox (Frithelstock), Mr...
From Bideford and Fremington28 February 1964
Without doubt, had it not been for the commendable actions of two local men,
a 15 year old girl would have drowned said Police Inspector D T P Cowling.
He had related how Mr A J Pickard of Oldiscleave Farm, Bideford, had been sitting on the beach at Instow with his family when he heard Wendy Harknett of Olive Farm, who was in the water, shouting for help.
Mr Pickard swam 25 yards to the drowning girl and brought her ashore. There he was joined by Mr K W Morey, 4 Beechfield Road, Fremington, a member of St John Ambulance Brigade. They were also joined by a Dr Powell.
Royal Humane Society certificates were handed to the two men by the chairman of the magistrates, Mr G Heywood, who warmly commended the rescuers.
The full Gazette article is dated 28 February 1964
Passing motorist helped15 February 1963
Car’s skid on icy patch
When his car skidded on a patch of ice while he was driving along the Bideford-Barnstaple road in the vicinity of South Yeo, Instow, on Friday morning, Mr E C Beadle, of Luneray, Windmill Lane, Northam, a rating a valuation officer and leading member of Bideford Camera Club, had a lucky escape from serious injury.
After skidding and colliding with the nearside fencing, Mr Beadle’s car spun right across the road, crashing through a wooden protective barrier and coming to rest with its front wheels hanging over a 10-foot drop.
No other vehicle was involved.
Although the car was extensively damaged, Mr Beadle, who was on his way to his Barnstaple office, escaped with a severe shaking and bruises.
As Mr Beadle was taken back to his home a passing motorist, Mr Michael Hutchings, of a North Devon electrical radio and engineering firm, called his Bideford office with his van’s radio telephone and a message was passed to an Instow garage for a breakdown vehicle to be...
Staying at Hartland Quay Hotel9 February 1973
Falling 60ft down a cliff face on to rocks at Hartland Quay,
when out for a midnight walk on Friday with a friend, a geology student had a remarkable escape from serious injury.
Mr Paul Day, aged 22, who lives at Willenhall, Staffordshire, one of a party of students from Leeds University staying at Hartland Quay Hotel, escaped with a fractured elbow and scalp wounds.
With him on the walk was Mr Graham Wilkinson, aged 24, who ran back to the hotel after the accident to raise the alarm.
Hartland Coastguards and Hartland Cliff Rescue Team were alerted and made their way to the bottom of the cliff. They placed Mr Day in a stretcher and hoisted him to the top of the cliff where he was put into a waiting ambulance and taken to the North Devon Infirmary.
He was able to leave hospital on Sunday to return to his university.
Gazette article published 9 February 1973
Helicopter Recovery A Combined OperationNot until Saturday did the helicopter that crashed into the River Torridge at Bideford on Tuesday
Helicopter Recovery A Combined Operation - 1st October 1965
Wreckage Returned To Base After Four Days
Not until Saturday did the helicopter that crashed into the River Torridge at Bideford on Tuesday week return to its base at RAF Chivenor - on a REME low-loader. Its recovery, a combined operation, presented a real problem and occupied airmen, soldiers adn divers for many hours after the actual salvage work had begun. It was held up for some time to await the arrival of experts. Around noon on Friday cables were attached by frogmen and work began on the laborius process of winching the aircraft to the bank, use being made of two winches. It was 4pm before the wreckage was close inshore. At high tide part of it was again submerged. During the operation one of the soldiers who was working on the winch rope collapsed. He fell down the bank, but was prevented by two companions from crashing on to the rocks. The man was removed by ambulance to Bideford Hospital but was later able to...
Bideford Bridge CollapseBideford's lifeline, the famous 700-year-old Long Bridge, was cut with dramatic suddenness on Tuesday
Bideford Bridge Collapse - 12th January 1968
Bideford's lifeline, the famous 700-year-old Long Bridge, was cut with dramatic suddenness on Tuesday night, masonry falling into the river from two arches adjoining the western end. No one was injured but the effect on the lives of the many thousands who use the bridge daily was paralysing. Immediately after the alarm was given police closed the bridge to all traffic, and it was later closed to pedestrians.
Army Dukws were brought in to help ferry people across, road traffic faced a long detour (usually a 14-mile trip via Torrington) and the railway line was re-opened for a special passenger service to and from Barnstaple from Torrington. When they carried out £25,000 repairs to the bridge last year the Bridge Trustees warned that something of this nature could happen and that it was absolutely vital that a new bridge should be built.
Attempts by them and by the Town and County Councils to bring this home to the Ministry of Transport...
Helicopter CrashIn recognition of help given in the recovery of a crashed helicopter from the River Torridge, the RAF
Helicopter Crash - 29th October 1965
In recognition of help given in the recovery of a crashed helicopter from the River Torridge, the RAF Chivenor air rescue team presented to the Fording Trials Branch, Technical Group REME, of Instow, part of the crashed helicopter with letter 'D' added to the word 'rescue' plus an inscription.
The photograph shows Flight Lieutenant Bob Jones handing over the 'trophy' to Major Donald Dudbridge of REME. Standing by Major Dudbridge is WO11 E Drummond who was one of the shallow water divers at the recovery of the helicopter.
Ship Aground On Westward Ho! SandsIn thick fog late on Friday night the 318 ton motor vessel, Goldfaun, registered in London
Ship Aground On Westward Ho! Sands - 22nd March 1951
Crowd Watch Efforts To Free Her
In thick fog late on Friday night the 318 ton motor vessel, Goldfaun, registered in London, went ashore on Westward Ho! beach about one mile north-east of Westward Ho! slipway.
Owned by Messrs E J and W Goldsmith Ltd of London, the Goldfaun was bound from Garston to Bideford with a cargo of household coal.
On Saturday, on instructions from Capt J H Hobbs, harbour master of Appledore and agent for the Company, two motor-barges put out from Appledore in an attempt to get the Goldfaun off, but owing to rough seas and shallow water they were unable to get close in.
During Saturday night the mate and the first engineer, who had been taken ill, were brought ashore through the surf in the ship's lifeboat. They were taken to Appeldore Sailor's Rest after medical treatment.
Preparations to receive the men were made in response to lamp Morse signals. Westward Ho! Life-Saving Apparatus crew, with coastguards, fired a...
Bideford Bridge CollapseWork has started on the demolition of the damaged section of Bideford Bridge, which had
Bideford Bridge Collapse - 2nd February 1968
Bridge Section Demolished At Bideford
Work has started on the demolition of the damaged section of Bideford Bridge, which had yesterday been out of action a month following a partial collapse of arches near the western bank.
A spokeman for the civil engineering contractors, Thomas Fletcher and Co., said yesterday that work was well up to schedule.
Provided there are no snags in the construction of the steel girder platform that will be used to bridge the space where the damaged section once stood light traffic could be flowing across the bridge again next month. In readiness for demolition the damaged portion was separated from the remaining part of the bridge and also from the west bank. A heavy weight suspended by crane quickly broke the road surface. The first archway, the one most seriously damaged, was next to go. Tons of masonry crashed into the River Torridge. Because of the limited space available, larger pieces have now to
be...
Family Rescued By HelicopterRumours, which later turned out to be incorrect, that another yacht was also involved led to Appledore
Family Rescued By Helicopter - 11th August 1972
Rumours, which later turned out to be incorrect, that another yacht was also involved led to Appledore lifeboat searching the Fairway Buoy areas of the Taw and Torridge estuary on Friday after the 22-foot sailing cabin cruiser, Tilikum, was turned head over tail by a stern wave.
The search was abandoned and the lifeboat towed in the capsized cruiser, in which South Molton doctor, Dr R A Nash, his wife and son had been sailing. Damage was restricted to a broken mast and damaged cabin top where the mast had been stripped out.
All three occupants of the cruiser were thrown into the sea but they had life jackets on and were quickly picked up by a rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor which had been alerted by shore watchers. They were taken to the North Devon Infirmary but later allowed home after treatment, mainly for shock.
Two small children who were swept off Westward Ho! slipway and sea wall edge by the force of the waves on Saturday were...
Lundy Wall CollapseA section of the retaining wall at the bottom of the beach road on Lundy is reported to be affected by a collapse
Lundy Wall Collapse - 12th December 1969
A section of the retaining wall at the bottom of the beach road on Lundy is reported to be affected by a collapse, about 15 feet being seriously involved and a further 10 feet partially so.
The road leads to the hotel, inn and cottages at the southern end of the island and is the only link over which supplies can be hauled.
Last year, a considerable stretch of the road itself collapsed, making it completely impassable for several weeks.
The Rocquaine28 September 1951
Explosion aboard Guernsey Collier
Holiday makers and residents helped St John Ambulance men as they carried a seriously injured seaman by stretcher up Clovelly’s cobbled High Street.
The seaman, Patrick Hagan, of Gleneravon, County Antrim, was one of three brought ashore by Clovelly lifeboat following an explosion aboard the 95- tons ss Rocquaine while she was sheltering in Lundy Roads. The two other men were Able Seaman Alexander Oboyle and Able Seaman Patrick Murray, both of Glenariff, County Antrim.
The Rocquaine, owned by Messrs Dorey and Sons, Guernsey, was on her way from Cardiff to Guernsey with a cargo of coal.
At 9.30am the three injured men were engaged in trimming cargo in the forward hold when an explosion occurred.
Hartland Point Coastguards picked up the distress call and passed the message to Clovelly where the lifeboat was launched under Coxswain George Lamey.
The two less seriously injured men were able to walk ashore from the lifeboat and they were taken by the Red...
Girl Rescued By Appledore FishermenPrompt action by two Appledore fishermen, Messrs Sidney and George Cann resulted in the rescue of a
Girl Rescued By Appledore Fishermen - 29th May 1959
Prompt action by two Appledore fishermen, Messrs Sidney and George Cann resulted in the rescue of a 14-year-old Barnstaple girl, Octavia Cummings, from the Torridge on Saturday.
They were tarring a boat near Appledore when they heard a cry for help. They went out in a motor boat, picked up the girl who was being swept out by the ebbing tide into the estuary and landed her at Instow.
Octavia had been swimming from the sands there and when she realised her inability to swim back against the current to the shore she floating with it and shouted for help.
Her friend Cynthia Smith aged 12, who was spending the day with her, said that Octavia, 'a strong swimmer,' swam out after a ball. 'I saw her standing up to her waist on sand and then she seemed to be swept off her feet. She tried to get back with the ball but I heard her shout and then she seemed to disappear.'
Cynthia ran half a mile for help and the RAF rescue helicopter was called by Mr...
Yacht And Owner Rescued At AppledoreMr Andy Bowden, of Appledore, carried out what he thought was a smart piece of salvage when he
Yatch And Owner Rescued At Appledore - 18th August 1972
Mr Andy Bowden, of Appledore, carried out what he thought was a smart piece of salvage when he towed an apparently abandoned cabin cruiser from the South Tail on Bideford Bar and moored it safely 100 yards off the slipway at West Appledore.
But while he was having a drink in the local pub, the owner of the yacht, Mr R J Parsley, of Barnstaple, recovered it.
Mr Bowden was far from pleased. 'The boat would have been smashed up if I hadn't brought it in,' he said. 'It already had plenty of water in it.' Earlier he had tried unsuccessfully to locate the owner.
Mr Parsley was airlifted to safety by an RAF Chivenor rescue helicopter after his craft, the Crackerjack, had gone aground on the bar.
Winchman Sgt Bog Tountney was lowered to the deck and he helped Mr Parsley lower the sails and anchor the boat before they were lifted into the helicopter and flown ashore.