Appledore Badminton Team
Big bang for pool at Appledore?
Leon Richards to stand for election
"Whiskers" Richards will stand for election in Appledore
Special efforts to be made for 300th year1 December 1961
Proud5 October 1951
Chosen from 20 entrants9 July 1954
Judith Ashley13 June 1958
13 July 1918
The Bale Family8 February 1974
A happy sociable mood14 January 1936
Bells recast2 November 1962
Sang a sea shanty3 August 1957
'A shoe horn task'21 July 1961
11 May 1918
Crowned by Mr Boyles4 July 1958
An attraction at Appledore23 June 1972
Appledore AFC9 May 1958
Football challenge19 May 1972
Self reliant1 March 1963
Sailing to Seattle10 March 1972
Appledore Badminton Team
A fine season
This Appledore Badminton Club team which plays in the Second Division (Mixed) of the North Devon Badminton League are having a fine season.
Promoted from Division III last season, they shared with Lynton at the time this picture was taken the distinction of having lost only one match and were neck and neck for the championship.
In the picture - Geoff Drew, Geraldine Jones, Graham Gardner, Marie Harris, Colin Greenslade and Rose Peacham.
Gazette article 9 March 1973
Big bang for pool at Appledore?
Appledore's bathing or boating pool
has not had a happy history, and now Northam Urban Council have decided to ask the Army authorities to demolish it next year.
The Council are suggesting that this would provide an exercise for the Territorials.
Back in August 1949 the pool was described as a 'potential source of illness; and because of the expense of demolishing it the tidal valve was removed and water flowed in and out according to the tide. The pool periodically suffered not only from an accumulation of mud, silt, stones and shingle, but a wide variety of household refuse.
Gazette article dated 16 December 1960
Leon Richards to stand for election"Whiskers" Richards will stand for election in Appledore
Mechanic "Whiskers" to stand for election 1959
Appledore Lifeboat mechanic Leon Richards better known as "Whiskers" said that he will stand in the Appledore ward. He thinks that because he was not identified by his nickname in the Northam election recently this may have led to his defeat.
Special efforts to be made for 300th year1 December 1961
Appledore Congregational Church entered its 300th year last week.
To mark this great event, the small band of church members are going all out to raise £1 for every year of the church’s existence to help with the proposed redecorating of the whole premises. Feature of the 299th anniversary service was the dedication of a number of choir gowns by the Minister, the Rev Alfred Grey. These gowns will be distributed to the junior choir, numbering about 12.
On Wednesday of last week a sale of work was held in the schoolroom. It was opened by Mr C R J Griffin, chairman of the North Devon Congregational Union.
Stall holders were: Mrs D Edwards; Mrs J Whitear; Mrs G Edwards; Mrs A Fisher; Mrs J Cox; Mrs W Beara; Mrs C Penney; Miss C Williams; Mrs J Peak.
Total proceeds amounted to £145.
Proud5 October 1951
Proud
Mr Fred S Harris, MBE, head of the well known Appledore firm of Messrs P K Harris and Sons, and a member of Northam Urban District Council,
is naturally proud of the four generations of the family seen in the photograph above.
On Mr Harris' right is his daughter, Mrs W Richards, and on his left his granddaughter, Mrs G Piper, holding his great-granddaughter, Lesley Piper.
Gazette article dated 5 October 1951
Chosen from 20 entrants9 July 1954
A 17 year old telephonist-receptionist Miss Pauline Screech,
has been chosen to be Queen of Appledore Carnival on July 31st. She has been an attendant on two previous occasions.
Pauline was selected from 20 entrants by four judges – Miss J Lomas, Lieut-Com B R Faunthorpe, Mr J McLaren and Mr J Cockerell. Entries were restricted to local residents.
As her attendants, Miss Screech, who lives at 2a Bude Street, Appledore, will have Miss Eunice Sims, a 17 year old chemist’s assistant, 4 Vernons Lane, Appledore, Miss Jean Littlejohns, an 18 year old cler, 19 South Road, Appledore, Miss Marlene Cawsey, 17 year old shop assistant, 22 Meeting Street, Appledore; and Miss Pamela Powe, a 16 year old typist, 107 Irsha Street, Appledore.
The Carnival Queen choosing took place at a dance at the Appledore Hall on Friday evening.
Gazette article dated 9 July 1954
Judith Ashley13 June 1958
A pretty girl’s picture in a national magazine caught the eye of 18 years old Alexander Oduni, who decided to write to her.
He wrote a letter and addressed it simply to Miss Judith Ashley, Appledore, North Devon, posting it at Cape Coast, Ghana, where is a Government Trade School student.
Some days later it arrived safely at 21 Irsha Street, the home of 18 years old Judy, who is a solicitor’s clerk in Bideford.
“I shall correspond with him” Judy told a Bideford Gazette reporter.
Full Gazette article dated 13 June 1958
13 July 1918
Appledore
The Tomouth Estate, East Appledore, consisting of three cottages and 12 acres, has been sold at auction by Mr A W Cock, of Bideford, to Mr T Fulford, for £3,000.
Messrs Hole, Seldon and Ward Bideford were the solicitors for the vendors, the Charity Commissioners.
Gazette article dated 13 July 1918
The Bale Family8 February 1974
There are eight darts players in this picture, but how many relationships?
According to one reckoning there are 25 – two sisters, three brothers, two husbands, two wives, three brothers-in-law, four sisters-in-law, one mother, one daughter, one niece, three aunts and three uncles.
On looking at it another way there could be 56. Doug and Jack Bale each have two brothers, two sisters, a wife, a sister-in-law and a niece; Ted Bale has two brothers, two sisters, two sisters-in-law and a niece; Mrs Winnie Bailey has three brothers, a sister, two sisters-in-law and a niece; Mrs Henrietta Brennan has three brothers, a sister, two sisters-in-law and a daughter; Mrs Gillian Bale and Mrs Jean Bale each have a husband, two brothers-in-law, three sisters-in-law and a niece; and Elizabeth Brennan has a mother, three uncles and three aunts.
Darts night at Appledore British Legion Club, for whom they all play, is certainly a family affair!
Jack, Doug and Ted all play for the Pensioners Appledore...
A happy sociable mood14 January 1936
‘Women’s Own’ Presentation – Sunday School Treat
The annual gathering of the Seamen’s Mission Women’s Own at Appledore took place at the Seamen’s Bethel on Wednesday evening. A daintily served and most appetising supper made an excellent first part of the proceedings. Pastor Rowland Russell presided, assist by Mrs Rowland Russell, leader of the Women’s Own. Afterwards presentations were made to each member of the tea committee in appreciation of their helpful services during the year.
Mrs A Bowden, on behalf of the members, presented useful gifts to Mr and Mrs Rowland Russell as a mark of gratitude for the happy meetings they had all enjoyed from week to week. The recipients suitably responded. Continued popularity of the Wednesday afternoon meetings for women might, they agreed, be judged by the fact that over eighty of their members had sat down to supper that evening. Reference was made to the tasteful decorations of the tables for which thanks were due to Mrs B Jewell, who acts...
Bells recast2
November 1962
Rededication of Appledore Church's re-cast bells will take place on November 18th.
Here the Vicar, Rev R C Dixon, points out the inscription on the Unity bell - "I ring that we all may be one' - to the Rev Donald Cox, of the Seamen's Mission, and to the churchwardens Mr Reg Harris and Mr Tom Parsons.
The Gazette article is dated 2 November 1962
Sang a sea shanty3 August 1957
Sunlight and Sea
At the invitation of the BBC through the West Regional Director, Mr Francis Dillon, Capt T Hutchings, of Sundale, Odun Road, Appledore, took part in a broadcast from the West Regional Station on Sunday last week.
The programme which was the third in a series entitled ‘Sunlight and Sea’, a tour of the romantic coasts of Devon and Cornwall, and was relayed through all the Regional Stations.
Capt Hutchings recounted a thrilling personal experience in Bideford Bay during rough and thick weather, and also sang a sea shanty, ‘Blow, my bonnie boys, blow’. The programme was well received and letters from different parts of the British Isles show that Capt Hutchings’ reference to Appledore and Bideford were much appreciated.
Capt Hutchings is one of the fast diminishing band of sea captains who have sailed in and commanded the wind-jammers.
Gazette article dated 3 August 1937
'A shoe horn task'21 July 1961
Will cost nearly half-a-million pounds
A twin-screw diesel-electric ice breaker for the Polish Government, to be built at the Appledore shipyard of P K Harris and Sons Ltd, is believed to the first ice-breaker to be built in the United Kingdom for the past 20 or 30 years.
The order was secured in the face of intense European competition by Seawork Ltd, who control P K Harris and Sons, and the cost of the vessel, was said by a spokesman of the firm to be ‘approaching half a million pounds’.
This will be the second vessel built at Appledore for Poland. In January 1959 the yard delivered the tug Tur.
This contract secured by Seawork Ltd follows closely upon one earlier this year by the Government of Ghana for six vessels for their long-range fishing fleet.
The full Gazette article is dated 21 July 1961
11 May 1918
Appledore
Pnr S Richards, RE, of Appledore, is officially reported wounded.
Salmon fishing has up to the present been very quiet in the harbour, and there is nothing like the usual number of boats out this year.
We are to contradict the report that Private R E (Bobby) Bailey, only son of Mr and Mrs T R Bailey, of 4 Meeting Street, Appledore, is a prisoner of war. The only official information that has been received by his parents is that he has been missing since March 23rd last. It is hoped they will soon hear of his safety.
At Bideford County Sessions on Tuesday, before Messrs J C T Heriz-Smith, Col F W Bennet and Messrs A G Duncan, J Cock and J H Cock, Alfred Evans who had gone to sea since service of the summons, was summoned for the irregular attendance of his child, John, at school. Aged 13, and in standard 5. Attendance Officer Barber said the boy had made 27 attendances out of 36. Fined 9s, the same as when summoned before.
Gazette article dated 11 May 1918
Crowned by Mr Boyles4 July 1958
A glove factory worker, Miss Margaret Rendle – she’s 16 today – was chosen as Appledore’s Carnival Queen at a largely attended dance held at the Appledore Hall on Friday evening.
Margaret, who lives at 9 Myra Court, Appledore, was an attendant at last year’s Carnival.
Chosen as attendants were: Hilary Payne, a glove worker, 17 South Road, Appledore; Margaret Mounce, a laundry worker, 33 Western Avenue, Appledore; Hester Saunders, a clerk, 10 One End Street, Appledore; and Rosalie Martin, a window dresser, Holt Cottage, Appledore.
Four visitors from the Westward Ho! Holiday Centre acted as judges. They were Mr and Mrs J Chaplin, Birmingham, Mr W Lyons and Mrs M Swain, both of London.
The Queen was crowned by the Chairman of Northam Urban District Council, Mr Jack Boyles, who is seen in the above photograph exercising the privilege of this office.
The dance was organised by a Carnival committee of which Mr Bill Pitcher is chairman, Mr Arthur Boyles secretary, and Mr Basil A’Court...
An attraction at Appledore23 June 1972
Local people and holiday visitors to the area interested in seeing for themselves what progress is being made on the building of a £250,000 replica of Drake’s famous vessel Golden Hinde at an Appledore yard will in future have to pay for the privilege.
Drake’s 100ft long vessel is now nearing the halfway stage of construction at Messrs J Hinks and Son’s yard where the Hudson Bay Company’s replica of the Nonsuch was built a few years ago.
It was planned to take the vessel to various ports along the South Coast before mooring her for three months in the Pool of London prior to retracing Drake’s voyage across the Atlantic.
The Golden Hinde is due to be launched about March next year.
The full Gazette article is dated 23 June 1972
Appledore AFC9 May 1958
Although the club reached the closing stages of half-a-dozen cup competitions, Appledore AFC have ended their season with only one trophy, the North Devon Senior League Championship cup.
Appledore Seniors – champions for the sixth time since the war. J Curtis, Sid Cox, Stan Edwards, Bob Hocking, Ronnie Cook, Cyril Moyse, Roy Drew, Alan Smith, Bobby Bailey, Gerald Cornish, Des Bennett, Dai Jones, Doug Bale.
Full Gazette article dated 9 May 1958
Football challenge19 May 1972
Skipper Mike Lloyd laces his boots before he and his Appledore Primary School team take the field for one of their important games of the season – against their mothers.
Challengers were the mums – after the fathers had been beaten. The school again won – by 3-1.
Gazette article dated 19 May 1972
Self reliant1 March 1963
It was in December 1939, after 45 years in the Merchant Navy, that Mr Dick Hocking, 47 Market Street, Appledore, stepped ashore for the last time.
But even now, at 81, his life is largely governed by the rules of self reliance he learned long ago. He lives alone, cooks his own meals, does his own washing and keeps his home ‘shipshape and Bristol fashion’. So much so that Mrs Jessie Lamey, one of his two daughters, he also has four sons, says that there is never any work for her to do.
Even Mr Hocking’s hobby is a craft that he learned years ago on board ships. He never fails to spend at least two hours each day making rope mats and he is probably among the last exponents of the art. The rudiments he learned as a boy after he left Appledore at the age of 13 for his first voyage in the Annie Laurie. When a Gazette reported called at his home he was putting the finishing touches to an ornate mat that is to be a present for his other daughter, Mrs Coral Cook.
The full Gazette article is dated...
Sailing to Seattle10 March 1972
Mr and Mrs Jeffery Clarkson, whose home is at The Gaiety, Irsha Street, Appledore, recently reached Barbados after having taken 29 days to complete the 2,760 miles Atlantic crossing in their 30ft sloop Pile Cap.
In a message to Mr Alec Proven, the steward at the North Devon Yacht Club, of which the Clarksons are members and where their progress is being mapped, they explain they took it easy on the crossing.
The Clarksons, who spent Christmas at Lanzarote in the Canaries, plan to sail across the Caribbean to Panama via Curacao before continuing their voyage to Seattle.
Gazette article is dated 10 March 1972.