Mayor commends new Bideford enterprise

Bideford’s first zoo would be ‘a great attraction and asset to the town, especially from the tourist angle’, said the Mayor, Mrs Vivian Patt, when she opened it on Saturday. Within three days around 1,000 people had visited the zoo at Ford House at the Torrington entrance to the town.

The proprietor, Mrs Katherine Tottenham, formerly of Northam and Instow commented : ‘It has been going surprisingly well. We haven’t finished yet by a long chalk but everybody seemed pleased.’ Already there is a fine variety of bears, birds, reptiles and animals to be seen with more being added daily as workmen complete cages.

Our picture shows the Mayor with the Mayoress (Mrs Phyllis Galliford), and Mrs Tottenham (centre) during their stroll around the zoo.

Gazette article 3 June 1966