A club, which went out of existence 18 years ago, was officially reformed on Friday – the Bideford Inner Wheel.

A total of 13 Inner Wheel clubs from Devon and Cornwall were represented at a charter luncheon, held at Tantons Hotel, Bideford, when the charter was presented to Bideford club president, Mrs Charles Martin by the district chairman, Mrs L A Tapper, of Newton Abbot.
The Inner Wheel is the women’s counterpart of Rotary. Bideford had already provided two district chairmen – a unique achievement – one in 1947 and another, the late, Mrs Herbert Fulford, a few years later.
A bouquet was presented to Mrs Tapper by Miss Jill Smith, of Bideford.
The presentation of the Inner Wheel jewel to the founder president was made by Mr Stuart Holland, president of Bideford Rotary Club. The jewel is in memory of the late Dr E J Toye.
Responding, Mrs Martin said that the original Inner Wheel club of Bideford was founded in 1931, but ceased to function at the end of the war. Apart from herself the only person to be a member of both old and new clubs was Mrs Alec Goodman.
Mrs Martin received from Mr Holland a gavel on behalf of Bideford Rotary Club.
To welcome a club such as Bideford back into the fold was really a special occasion, remarked Mrs J Sykes, a member of the Inner Wheel Council. Responding to the toast to the visitors proposed by Mrs Goodman, Mr F Jordan of Bideford Rotary, said that Rotary functioned more efficiently with Inner Wheel.
The full Gazette article is dated 7 June 1963