The new president of Bideford and District Chamber of Trade,

Mr Ronald A Rowed , has been in business with his father, Mr A E Rowed, as sports outfitters, radio and electrical dealers and contractors in Bridgeland Street, since 1926. His father commenced business there two years earlier and Mr R A Rowed was a wireless operator in the Merchant Navy during the interval.

Mr Rowed, who has been a member of the Chamber for twenty years, is 42. He is married and has two children and his home is at West Yelland. In sport he is particularly keen on hockey

Mr Mitchell able to complete his round

On Sunday morning a Bideford Dairies milk lorry, driven by Mr Geoffrey Mitchell , of Bideford, left the Bideford-Barnstaple road near Westleigh, smashed through concrete posts and wire and finished up on its side on the railway embankment.

The lorry was carrying a load of full and empty milk bottles, most of which were broken.

Mr Mitchell escaped with very slight injuries and was able to return to the dairy to collect another lorry and load to complete his round.
Gazette article dated 12 June 1964

Win ‘Passport To The Sun’

Among 22 licensees of Watney Mann (West) who were guests of the company at a gathering at Congresbury to receive their ‘passports to the sun’ from the regional chairman, Mr Alan Seaward, were Mr and Mrs T W Sleigh , tenants of the Royal Mail Inn, Bridge Street, Bideford.

They will be among more than 200 Watney Mann licensees who early in May will enjoy a five day holiday in Sardinia. This is their prize in an incentive scheme to increase beer sales during the period April-September last.

Gazette article dated 6 April 1973

When you become responsible

for the well being of others besides yourself it is time to consider the advantages of a banking account.

The bank is quite the safest place in which to keep your money. The most convenient method of paying bills is by cheques. The use of an account is an encouragement to save. There there are some valuable services which Lloyds Bank can put at your disposal; for example, the Bank will arrange to pay, on your behalf, regularly recurring expenses such as rent or insurance premiums.

Finally, Lloyds Bank is always ready to assist customers with

New Light Industry at Appledore 23.5.1952 

Industry.  Formerly the home of a wealthy merchant, a pilgrims' rest house and later a block-maker's shop, Docton, Appledore, has now become the home of a modern light industry housing the only firm in the country manufacturing line-side features for model railway layouts.  Scalecast Models, Herbert W Miller

New Engineering Firm Comes to Bideford 20.04.1956 

Industry.  Four weeks from now the former Rolamatic factory premises in Torrington Lane, Bideford East, will hum again to the sound of engineering machinery going into production. Interview with Director Mr WH Whiteland. Whiteland Engineering Ltd, Mr RJ Board, Tecalemit Ltd

Appledore Tile Factory to Close 12.01.1968 

Industry.  More than 30 people are likely to be out of work by the closing down in a month's time of the Appledore factory of the Barnstaple Brick and Tile Company which is a subsidiary of the Marley Tile Co. William Neve

Another New Factory for Torrington 08.11.1968

Industry.  Plan for a new factory at Torrington to manufacture motor caravans is well advanced. Alan Hutchinson, Ron Webster, Dr Margaret Hutchinson, Co-operative Society former bakery, International Computers Ltd

Another Industrial Estate at Torrington 27.11.1970 

Industry.  Devon County Council are spending around £60,000 on a "miniature Pottington" scheme designed to help attract more industry to Torrington. Land near Hatchmoor Road, Torrington for use as an industrial estate. Peter Symons

Baby Pants the Answer to Challenge! 28 February 1958

Industry. Bideford Glove Manufacturer's New Development. The manufacture of baby pants. Peter Fletcher, HE Fletcher Ltd, Mr WH Whiteland, Whiteland Engineering Ltd

Bideford Firm That Has 'Won Through' 5 August 1966

Industry.  Extended frontage for Sudburys Gloves Ltd. Its headquarters factory in Silver Street, Bideford. Over 300 women workers. Chairman of the company is Mr E Frank Day, with the directors the late Messrs T Burton, RL Cock, T Fulford (Westward Ho!), W Beer, formed Sudburys Gloves Ltd, Edwin Sawtell, Roger Day, Ray Sawtell, the late Mr Sawtell

Local Factory to Close Down 11 December 1981

Industry.  Sudbury's Gloves Ltd to close their Bideford factory and develop their Appledore branch as their main production centre. Their Torrington factory, which was closed two years ago is to be re-opened. Roger Day

The funeral has taken place at the Higher Cemetary, Bideford, of Mrs Gladys Nance-Kivell of Homealong, Kingsley Road, Bideford, wife of Mr Leonard Nance-Kivell.

Before her retirement in 1971 Mrs Nance-Kivell had been associated with the gloving industry for over 50 years.For 24 years she was the manageress of Messrs Sudbury’s Appledore factory. 

The Rev Walter J Joyce officiated at the service. Immediate mourners attending were: the husband, Mr Victor Harvey, Mr David Harvey , Miss Louie Squire, Mr George Rumsam, Mr A Smale, Mr and Mrs T Nance-Kivell, Mr and Mrs Lawrence Nance-Kivell, Mr and Mrs G Prouse, Mr and

Christmas Shopping

The Home Secretary has made an Order under the Shops (Hours of Closing) Act, 1928, suspending the operation throughout, England and Wales of the provisions of that Act relating to general closing hours from Saturday December 18th to Friday December 24 1937, both days inclusive, but excluding Sunday December 19 1937.
This Order has also the effect of suspending the operation during the period in question of evening Closing Orders made under the Shops Act 1912. It does not, however, suspend the operation of the provisions relating to the closing of shops on the weekly half-holiday, and a

The first vessel ever to take a cargo of clay from Bideford Town Council’s quay left the port on Tuesday for Italy carrying also the high hopes of those who want to see the harbour’s future assured.

The loading of 700 metric tons of bal clay from E.C.C. mine at Meeth into the ‘Friso’, a Panama registered and Dutch owned vessel, was watched with a good deal of satisfaction by Harbour Master Capt Pat Brennan.
The full article is dated January 1970

Father Christmas stepped out of a chimney to hand out presents for all the children attending the East Yelland Power Station Social Club’s annual Christmas party on Thursday of last week.

Father Christmas was Mr T Dipple, of Bideford, and the chimney had been temporarily ‘built in’ with screening against one of the walls.
A tea for the children was paid for out of Social Club funds.
There were about 60 children present. They were children of the employees with the exception of a group specially invited from a Barnstaple children’s home. Mothers of those children who were aged up

Biggest of its type in Europe

Today’s official opening of the new Appledore shipbuilding facility is part of an overall success story which is almost without parallel in the shipbuilding world and it marks Appledore Shipbuilders Limited as one of the most outstanding companies of its kind in Europe.
Just over seven years ago the future of shipbuilding on this part of Torridgeside hung delicately in the balance. The yards operated by the long established firm of P K Harris & Sons were closed, nearly 400 men lost their jobs, and the future looked black.
But from the ruins Appledore

 It’s just something for the scrapyard. 

It is a 6½ ton fuel tank being loaded on to a railway waggon at Bideford Goods Yard. The tank is from the old Bideford Electricity Company’s works at East-the-Water and it is the last of three. 

One might say it is a tank with a family tradition behind it. At Mr Stanley Jones drove a diesel-powered lorry, carrying the tank, to the goods station he recalled when, 25 years ago, his late father drove the horse-drawn waggon which transported the tank on deliver to Bideford electricity station. And as Mr Jack Easterbrook, the goods yard

A new dimension in boatbuilding on the banks of the River Torridge was rapidly taking shape in a workshop at the bottom of Limers Lane, Northam. 

Two fero-cement sailing and motor cruises are being built by Mr Len Cooper, of Weare Giffard, an official of the North Devon Yacht Club, and a family partnership of Mr Andrew Cox and his father, Mr Cyril Cox, who are builders. 

When it comes to launching the boats they will be rolled to the nearby shore. Mr Cooper’s boat, which has been constructed in an upside down position, may present something of a problem. The

Moves towards the establishment in Bideford’s oldest house of a highly-specialised clockmaking industry, with exceptionally high export potential, were welcomed at Monday’s meeting of Torridge Council’s Development Committee. 

The idea has been put forward by master craftsman Mr Frederick Eccles, of Old Ford House, New Road, Bideford. 

The Council’s chief executive, Mr Tom Frankland, told the Committee that Mr Eccles was one of the country’s most eminent clockmakers and practised his skills in a small workshop at his home. His clocks were masterpieces of perfection. Smiths English Clocks Ltd had confirmed that they would support the establishment of such an

N Devon Glove Manufacturers’ Announcement
‘Never been withdrawn by workers’

Having made an agreement with their workers that the new wage rates should operate as from March 1st next the North Devon Glove Manufacturers’ Association intends to abide by such an agreement ‘which has never been withdrawn by the workers themselves’.
This was announced in a statement issued by the association this week following their meeting at Bideford last week to discuss a decision by the Conciliation Committee of the National Joint Standing Committee of the gloving industry that a national wage award made to glove workers last autumn and

Remembering the success of the last Exhibition in 1958, even greater interest is centred on the Bideford and District Traders’ Exhibition which is to be held at Bideford Sports Ground all next week.

The Exhibition will be opened by Alan Taylor, the TWW television personality, the ‘Try for Ten’ Question master.
The Committees are as follows:
Management Committee - Messrs G Maddock, B Pidgeon, R Chope, E Blanchard, W R Downing, C C Prust.
Ground Committee – Messrs B Pidgeon, B Cording, R J Harding, C J E Petherick, C Coates, F Colwill, J Lewington, J Williams.
Entertainment Committee – Messrs R Chope,

Young Wives Help in Gloving Production 24 January 1969

Industry.  Working in their homes, young married women, often with small children, are playing an increasingly important part in providing labour for the gloving industry in this area. Ray Sawtell, Sudbury's Gloves Ltd, Michael Vincent, W Vaughan and Son Ltd

Gloves Fit For a King! 3 January 1974

Industry.  What is believed to be the largest pair of gloves ever made by a local firm has been supplied by Sudbury's Gloves Ltd to the King of Tonga, in the South Pacific. HM KIng Taufa, Queen Salote, Mrs Sylvia Gilbert, Ray Sawtell, Mrs Cynthia Dymond