As Christmas approached the Gazette newspaper was full of adverts by local shops and traders extolling their finest merchandise. On Tuesday 9th December a Prime Christmas Fat Stock show was held when 30 famous fat steers and heifers were sold together with 50 sheep. By early December butchers had already bought, killed and hung their Christmas meat. Messrs S Dennis trading at 51 Mill Street advertised ox & heifer beef, Exmoor Down Wether Mutton and dairy fed pork. Farleigh's Stores in the High Street were offering choice Canadian Hams from 7d to 10d per pound.
To help wash down the traditional Christmas dinner William C Talbot, trading from 1 High Street, advertised bottles of London Gin at 2 shillings a pint bottle, 10 year old Scotch Whisky at 3s 3d pint and Martell Brandy at 4s 4d per pint bottle.
At 74 High Street Mr Arthur Clements had just transferred the business to his brother Wilfred and to celebrate had clothing bargains for all of the family. On offer were men's overcoats at 13s lld, men's suits at 15s lld, tweed trousers at 3s 6d and tweed dress skirts for ladies at Is lld.
If you were looking for Christmas presents, J T White who traded further up at 78 High Street, offered gramophones from E3 10 shillings and the records to play on them at Is Id. George Boyle, one of the town's longest established traders, had bought 12 bicycles from Birmingham at the oncein-a-lifetime price of €3 19s 6d each.
Internationally, London-born 19 year old Charlie Chaplin, who was touring the USA began his film career with Max Senate Keystone Film Company at the astronomical salary of $150 per week. Also in America Henry Ford opened his first continuous production line building cars every 2 minutes and 35 seconds. Production workers saw their pay rise from $2.40 per hour to $5 in one jump!!
Great Britain secured a contract with China to build an 800-mile railway line across central and southern China using English workers. This was a most welcome contract because at home there were several strikes and riots from a restless workforce. Employment was difficult and soup kitchens were opening to feed the out of work. Those unfortunate enough to find themselves unable to feed and house their families ended up in the dreaded workhouse. In the Meddon Street establishment Mr A G Duncan J.P., Chairman of the Bideford Poor Law Guardians, gave 100 inmates a dinner consisting of boiled rounds of beef and vegetables, plum pudding and coffee. Male inmates were given a pack of tobacco or money, ladies tea and sugar and their children sweets and oranges.