Adopting the old Cornish motto,”One and All”, Bideford and District is going to attempt to raise £10,000 to re-construct the present insanitary and, according to all modern and scientific ideas, now quite unsatisfactory and progress–hampering Hospital, and re-construct it into a modern up-to-date and health promoting Institution. Such a conclusion was unmistakeably evident from the proceedings at the public meeting called by the Mayor. At the meeting the details about 8 serious casualties that were recorded in the first quarter in 1920 were used as an indication that our hospital was well used and supported.
Property Sales: 5 Queen Annes, High Street, Bideford, for Sale on Thursday 3rd February at 7o’clock in the evening at the Friendship Hall in the Market Place. This Freehold Residence with garden behind comprising Entrance hall, drawing room, dining room(with lift from Kitchen), breakfast room, china pantry, kitchen with range and dresser, scullery, large larder, six bedrooms, a fitted bathroom and lavatories.
At Kingsley Street, Bideford, Lot 1 – All that dwelling house known as No 6 Kingsley Street comprising of a sitting room, 3 bedrooms, kitchen, scullery, W.C., Garden and Town Water and Drainage. Lot 2 No 7 Kingsley Street similar in all respects to Lot 1 but having a much larger garden. Both properties are leasehold for the residue of a term of 99 years from 25th December 1901 at a Ground Rent of £1 1s 0d Both properties are in good structural repair and will be let to Monthly tenants.
Westleigh - Little Southcott Tenement including a dwelling house, farm buildings and 37 acres. Four more Lots totalling 27 acres, some arable fields and a small holding suitable for poultry or a market garden.
Northam - The dwelling house known as Hazeldene comprising large sitting room, 3 bedrooms, kitchen, scullery, w.c., conservatory and a large garden. Six further Lots - All those Messuages or Dwelling houses known as 1 to 6 Hazel Terrace Northam all currently let to weekly tenants.
Tithes Ford, Fairy Cross, Alwington. This tenement contains 12 acres and is to be let by tender from Ladyday 1921 It is currently in the occupation of Mr Richard Slee.
At Weare Gifford the newly formed “Annery Rovers” played their first match on Mr Bond’s field at Monkleigh against Buckland Brewer, suffering a defeat by 6 goals to one. However it should be remembered that Buckland Brewer have had a team playing together for two years past. The Rovers are looking forward to the day when they will have a stronger team and a bigger club. In the village Lovering’s Charity Trustees made their annual distribution on the 19th January last. There being a favourable balance in hand and a slightly decreased population, the Trustees were able to add 3d to each recipient, 2/- each being the amount given. In todays values this would equal £3.
The s.s. “Monkstone”, the second steel vessel constructed at The Hansen Ship-building and Ship-repairing Co’s Yard in Bideford was most successfully launched on a Saturday morning this month in the presence of the yard owner and a large company of shipping men and local residents. If you recall the first launch from this yard caught the spectators out by its early start and most missed the event. This time a large number of the general public lined the banks and had fine views of the launch. The vessel is in every respect a replica of the s.s Hubbastone at 1,150 tons dead weight and this is now on its first voyage to South Wales.
Bideford Strike Settled. By the good offices of the Mayor (Mr J. Fulford) the strike in the building trade at Bideford was settled. The mechanics in the building and allied trades came out on strike five weeks ago for an increase of 1½d per hour to make their wages 1s 10½d per hour, the same as Barnstaple. The men are to receive an immediate rise of one penny per hour, with a further rise of a half penny on 1st March. The men have made what their employers concede as a valuable concession with regard to walking time. There was a general feeling of thankfulness that the dispute was over and the men returned immediately to work.
Bideford Musical Festival Society - “The recently-formed Society is to be warmly congratulated upon the success of its production at the Music Hall on Wednesday last of Handel’s great oratorio, “The Messiah”, always a favourite with choral societies, and irresistible in its appeal to the music loving public. There was a large attendance at the afternoon performance and at the evening performance quite a large number of the audience had to be content with standing room only. The society was able to attract an excellent chorus of about 150 voices and a moderately good orchestra led by Mr Wilfred Pickard with Miss Culliford on the piano and all were conducted by the Wesleyan Church organist Mr E. G. Laycock.”
Bideford’s Oldest Picture House was showing a 19 minute 2 reel film made in America in 1919 called Frisky Lions and Wicked Husbands. It starred Dot Farley, Charles Dorety and The Century Lions.
Northam Burrows Pebble Ridge Damage. A meeting of the parishioners of Northam held in the School room hear that financially there is a good balance in hand but damage to the ridge caused by the Royal Air Force has already been made good. However a discussion took place as to the best means of keeping the water from the Burrows. Hundreds of loads of pebbles were stated to be thrown from the ridge every year by visitors and the Notices that are posted have little effect. It was decided to have the burns cleaned out and the bridges seen to.
Gazette printing problems - Some remarkable evidence was given and a crowded court listened all day to the hearing of a fowl stealing and receiving prosecution at Bideford. We were unable to report this in our edition last week because we were greatly hampered in the producing a paper at all by one more of the repeated failures and inadequacy of the gas supply. Finally the pages were got to press by candle-light and a special visit had to be made to the Gas Works approaching midnight to beseech sufficient pressure to set the gas engine in motion to work the printing machine. We can now report in full.
Bideford Fowl Stealing Case - Traced by Blue Legs
A labourer of Silver Street was summoned for stealing three fowls, valued at £1 16s, the property of a dairy farmer who resided at Kingsley Street, Bideford. He said he kept 75 fowls at Broadfield. Abbotsham Road and all were present when he locked them in the fowl house on the evening of 22nd January. Next morning the lock on the door had been broken and 10 of the fowls were missing. He informed the police the same evening. PC Broad, who was called to investigate the case, found footmarks from the fowl house over some fields to Pynes Lane. The next day he saw two rough picked White Leghorn fowls hung up in a Butchers shop in the Market Place. He was told who they had been purchased from and armed with a warrant he went to the Silver Street address of the accused. The Court wanted to know how a positive identification could be made. The Farmer stated that he had no difficulty in identifying them for one was a freak bird. It was a white leghorn with blue legs and had nothing but maize in its crop. He fed nothing but maize to his hens The Bench found the defendant guilty and sent him to prison for one month with hard labour.