Instow Post Office Raid: Three Accused - 5th May 1967

Three young men accused of robbing Instow Post Office on Wednesday were yesterday afternoon remanded in custody at a special court at Bideford. They were charged that on May 10th at Instow they robbed Doris Sarah Shepherd and stole from her £361-9-3 and 64 National Insurance stamps. On the application of Police Inspector D T P Cowling the men were remanded. Bail was refused.
The Inspector told the magistrate (Mr G Heywood) that the three men entered Instow Post Office and one of them lured the son of the postmistress,

Lloyds Scholarship For Instow Man - 14th April 1967

One of this year's three Lloyd's Register of Shipping scholarships has been awarded to a 26-year-old Instow man, Mr Tony Molland, for naval architecture. Now living in Middlesex, he works for P&O Lines as an assistant navel architect. He went to Barnstaple Grammar School and won a place at Durham University.
He is the youngest son of Mr and Mrs M T Molland of Instow.

Nativity Tableaux At Instow - 21st December 1948

Instow Women's Institute combined with Church members and children to produce Nativity Tableaux, presented in Instow Parish Church.
The producer was Miss Arnold. As each tableaux was presented the Rector Bishop S A Bill read passeges from the Bible to illustrate them. The Women's Institute, conducted by Miss Seyfert, sang carols accompanied by Mrs Atwood at the organ. Those taking part in the tableaux were Miss M Yeo; Miss J Anstey; Mrs Barnes; Miss Berry Torr; Mrs West, Mrs Balman and Mrs Braunton; Mrs Jennings, Miss Cater and Miss Cann; Misses N

Instow W.I.'s gift of seat 2nd July 1954

Seat made of teak presented by Instow Women's Institute to commemorate the Coronation was handed over to the parish by the W.I. President, Miss E F Berry-Torr.

Mr Anstey, chairman of the Parish Council, who received the gift on the Council's behalf, hoped the seat would be treated with respect by residents and visitors alike.

Sitting on the seat in the photograph are Miss F E Coster (Secretary of the W.I.) Mr T Anstey (Chairman of the Parish Council) Bishop S A Bill (Rector of Instow) and Miss E F Berry-Torr (President

Threat to Instow sand dunes 5th August 1947

Instow Parish Council, expressed the gravest concern and indignation on hearing that it is the intention of the Military Authorities to purchase the sand hills, erect permanent workshops thereon and extend their operations over the whole of the foreshore.

The Military and the sand-dunes 28th October 1947

Animated discussion took place at Instow Parish Council meeting when the question of the acquisition of the sandhills by the military authorities was raised.

Instow cricket club winds up 3rd February 1956

Instow Cricket Club has been wound up after 65 years of existence, but Mr T Anstey, its last President, expressed the hope that efforts would be made in the near future to revive it.

Reprieve for Instow home 5th December 1980

Battle to keep open the Andrew Home for the Blind at Instow has been won - for the time being at least.

The home, which at present has seven resident patients, faces closure because of rising costs.

Over the last 10 years a total of 4,000 people, from different parts of the country have stayed at the home.  Major Terence Corkery, chairman of the Devon County Association for the Blind, said: "We were going to have to close down Andrew Home for the Blind because of the cost of heating and wages.

COMMODORE HOTEL DINING AND DANCING

For that special night out for your party - large or small - the following bands will be playing (we are fully booked this Saturday)
Friday December 19 - Johnny Andrews
Tuesday December 23 - Ray and his Blue Stars
Christmas Eve - Music and Imagination
Boxing Night - Green Velvet
Choose your date, make a booking and enjoy a good night out
Telephone Instow 347

Gazette article dated 19 December 1975

Widely recognised as one of the experts of the beekeeping world, the 68 year old Rector of Instow, the Rev Herbert Leonard Hustwayte, who keeps 20 hives, has retired after 15 years at hon. secretary of the Devon Beekeepers' Association.

His successor is Mr L Thoday, of Croyde. Mr Hustwayte is to continue as editor of Beekeeping, the Devon Association's journal. In September he is attending the 18th International Beekeepers' Congress at Madrid.

The full Gazette article is dated 7 April 1961

These children of Instow County Primary School watching the planting of some of the 150 trees given by one of the school managers, Mr W R Yeo, will have put their schooldays behind them by the time the conifers have grown to any appreciable size.

The trees will not only enhance the appearance of the school playing field, but act as a welcome windbreak from the Atlantic storms.

An 'artistic' moment at Instow during the presentation of the comedy "All on a summer's day" during an entertaining evening in aid of the Cancer Campaign funds, reported last week.

The play was written by Mrs P Dreyer, of Instow. Seen in the photograph are: Miss Beckwith, Mrs Green, Mr Alan Bowyer, Mrs Weaver, Mrs Forster, Mrs Harvey and Miss Pilkington.

Gazette article dated 6 June 1958

Work began on a £60,000

widening scheme on the Back Road, Instow , and Ald Tom Anstey, vice-chairman of Devon Roads Committee and chairman of the Northern Division Roads Committee, informally inaugurated the scheme.

Ald Anstey climbed into a cabin of a Devon County Council diesel driven loader and trench digger, and, with a bit of help from the operator, Mr Mervyn Prust, of Pilton, switched on the engine and sent the bucket biting into the earth to scoop up a cwt. or so of soil.

For over 30 years he has been campaigning for the road widening. The widened road

Some of the peacetime backroom development that has followed as a natural progression to the waterproofing of vehicles which helped in the wartime landings on enemy coasts was in evidence in the Torridge estuary last week.

Observers from the Ministry of Defence in London, together with those from other experimental and development units in the UK, watched as a 50-ton Chieftain tank, which has been converted into an armoured recovery vehicle, went completely underwater, except for a snorkel, from the beach at Instow across the river bed to Crow Point.
The new equipment in use has been developed at the

Switch to automatic

The new automatice exchange at Instow will be brought into service at 1.30pm on Wednesday, February 7th. Subscriber trunk dialling facilities are not being provided at the outset, but should be available for non-coinbox customers later in the year. The new building is at Back Road, Instow, and the equipment was installed by Post Office engineers.

All customers will be able to dial 30 local exchanges and 999 (Emergency) and Speaking Clock facilities will also be available. Local calls will be untimed as at present.

Although the existing manual exchange at Instow will close, operator services will

Lights not gates at Instow railway crossing 12th January 1979

Level crossing gates at Instow on the Bideford-Barnstaple railway line will disappear when barriers operating in conjunction with flashing red warning lights will be installed.

Junior Section's Enterprise at Instow 16th August 1957

When a junior section of the Instow Men's Club was formed earlier this year it was first of its kind to be formed in North Devon.

Leader 17 yr old Tony Molland decided to form a skiffle group.  Boys in the picture are Paul Butcher, Peter Fieldhouse, Michael Datson, Bunny Shepherd, Keith Joy, Tony Molland (sitting).  Standing are Christopher Curd, Bryan Richards, Nicholas Rowed, Louis Hubbard, Malcolm Joy, Ronald Brend, and vocalists Peter Datson, Michael Chandler and Christopher Burgess.