For mothers-to-be in Bideford, Torrington and the surrounding districts Coronation day was tinged with disappointment for, so far as can be ascertained from exhaustive Bideford and North Devon Gazette inquiries, not a single baby was born in this area on Coronation day.

Several babies were expected to be born at about Coronation day but twins born at Beaford to Mrs Bright, on the Monday, and a boy to Mrs Johns, of St Leonards, Hartland, on the Wednesday were among the nearest to the actual day.
Quite a number of districts had offered silver spoons as souvenirs to Coronation babies and at Westleigh, where the souvenir takes the form of a set of Coronation coins, the offer is open for a week.
The full Gazette article is dated 5 June 1953