The paper for 4th January publishes New Year greetings and hopes from the Mayor of Bideford, Mr J U Fulford and the Mayor of Torrington, Mr W T Luxton.
This issue of the Gazette also has a full page Almanack for the year. Amongst a wealth of useful detail, it includes the names of councillors and magistrates, and postal and transport information. Diaries for the new year are still available from Coles & Lee, The Gazette Office, Grenville Street.
As from 1st February The Western Daily Mercury, which is no longer a commercial possibility, will be amalgamated with the Western Morning News under that title. The cost will be 1½d per copy.
In Torrington the bells of St Michael’s church rang the old year out muffled and then rang the new year in without the muffles.
The Stevenstone Hounds met at Belle Vue, with a large number present both in the saddle and in motors. Page 7 of the Gazette of 25th January covers other meets in some detail.
Football - Over one hundred enthusiasts from Torrington travelled to Holsworthy for the replayed Hansen Cup Tie, which Torrington won by 3 goals to 2.
Golf - Full results of the first round of the mixed foursomes at Westward Ho! are reported in the paper for 4th January, with results of the second round the following week. The winners were Mr & Mrs P Furnival, with Miss Hewitt and Captain L Bennet coming second.
As spring cleaning season approaches, George Lang of the Complete House Furnishers, 7 Grenville Street, Bideford, suggests having your mattresses remade and your carpets beaten and re-laid. With Pancake Day falling on 8th February according to the Almanack, Farleigh's Stores advertise their own pancake mix. Costing 7½d per packet, it is stated that no eggs or sugar are required.
Property - Numbers 10 and 11 Tower Street, Northam, were auctioned by Mr A W Cock and bought by Frank Bailey. Number 4 Cross Street was sold to F C Hutchings for £157 and number 5 to Mr Heaman for £64.
Shipping:
A wooden craft has been found wrecked at Hartland. John Goaman spotted the wreckage from Elmscott, but no clue to the name of the vessel has been found.
A dismantled torpedo boat, being towed from Plymouth to Briton Ferry to be broken up, became detached from the tug Hibernia in high seas in Bideford Bay. The four men on board were rescued by lifeline before the boat drifted ashore and became lodged on the Pebble Ridge at Westward Ho!
Hartland - Mrs C J Christmas has been appointed sub-postmistress. A “wildish” cow, whose calf was in a cart, ran away down Calf Street, down the steep steps in Gifford’s garden, up through Bailey’s garden and away eastwards, knocking down Mr John Jeffery, mason.
The Calumet Private Training College in Northam – proprietor E Tracey Arthur – offers a range of postal courses including Esperanto.
A collection of valuable shells from the Andaman Islands, presented to Bideford Museum by Mr E Mouatt-Biggs, have now been identified and named thanks to Mr G F Tregellis of Barnstaple.
Missing person - A 26-year-old man called William Harris, a horseman at Coham for Mr Bickford Coham-Fleming, has been reported missing. He left his work saying he was going home for dinner but did not arrive, and has not been seen or heard of since although his bicycle has been found. Throughout the month, police continue making active enquiries.
It is reported that Devon County Council is to approach the Ministry of Transport for grants for road improvements in the Torridge and North Devon Areas. This will also help to find work for some of the 500 men currently unemployed locally. It is suggested that a new road be constructed between Pill Gate and Northam Causeway, on a portion of the old Bideford to Westward Ho! railway track from which rails were removed for war use.
Bideford Hospital needs £10,000 for repair and reconstruction and a mass public meeting has been called at the Town Hall on February 3 1921 to consider money raising schemes.
New Year sales aren't a modern phenomenon as these adverts from Stewart & Co, Hobart Braddick and Walter H Chope show:
And, later in the month, Hobart Braddick is at his best with this:
