Northam News

Strange friendships in Northam household Northam Garden Centre Lenwood plan goes ahead

Work started on connecting a £400,000 holiday bungalow development at Lenwood Country Club, Northam

Mink Farming at Northam

Mink farm at Northam Burrows

A foal is on the way

27 January 1978

Opened by Mrs Joliffe

7 July 1950

Mr Marsh buys it

12 May 1972

Prize winning Ayrshire

10 August 1951

Good wishes for the future

14 August 1964

Mr Northcott lays the stone

12 July 1968

£2 fine

7 February 1958

Property sold

4 May 1918

9 February 1973

A story passed down through the years?

27 February 1959

Lived in Northam

18 January 1963

Miss Margaret Pollock's idea

February 1962

2 February 1973

Mr Peter Fletcher leads the opposition

20 January 1967

Robert Stevens is fined

1 December 1972

Miss Davis

1 December 1972

Strange friendships in Northam household

A menagerie

When Ann Prance, of 6 Honey Street, Northam, brings snakes into the house her mother puts her foot down - although not on the snakes!

But Mrs Prance must rank among the most long-suffering of mothers for at the cost of not a little inconvenience and a good deal of extra work, within limits she encourages her daughter's love animals.

And that accounts for the unusual picture. The tally at the moment is two cats, a rabbit, a dog, two hamsters and a budgerigar, and the remarkable thing is that they not merely tolerate one another, but are happiest when they are having fun together.

Gazette article dated 23 December 1960

Trees, Roses, Shrubs ...

Availabe from F Dunsdon Ltd in Chope Road.

Gazette article 4 January 1974

Lenwood goes ahead - 1976

EMBARGO REPORT SOUGHT

£400,000 LENWOOD PLAN GOES AHEAD

Yesterday work started on connecting a £4000,000 holiday bungalow development at Lenwood Country Club, Northam, with the mains drainage system. Mr Harry Capper, site agent for the developers, J and R Rooff Ltd, of West Ham, who are replacing 17 former Service huts with 59 fully furnished bungalows told the Gazette "Obviously we have got the necessary permissions otherwise we would not be able to do the work." At Torridge District Council's Planning Sub-committee this week, Cllr Lieut Cdr Michael Sumner siad that to allow Lenwood to connect to the main sewer would make the sewerage embargo look ridiculous, but the planning officer, Mr Tony Hodder, said that the developers had told the South West Water Authority that they intended to exercise their statutory rights under the Public Health Act to do so. Mr Hodder said it was no surprise to him or the Water Authority as the provisions of the Act were known. But...

Mink farming at Northam 24th August 1956

One of the lesser-known but none the less interesting enterprises in the district is a mink farm tucked away in a field just off Northam Burrows.

The farm has been built up by Mr W J Pearce of Church Park, Fairy Cross, and Mr J Pitschmann (Jimmy), an ex German P.O.W. who has settled down happily in England and whose wife was formerly Miss Norah Bishop, of Northam, where they now live at 2 Tower Street.

Two Shetland ponies who are the pets of two Northam children may have to be given away if grazing cannot be found for them.

At the moment Muppet, a seven year old mare which stands 34 inches high, and Rupert, one year younger and eight inches shorter, graze in a field at Northam.

But the land is now needed for development purposes and so far attempts to find alternative local grazing have not been successful.

The ponies belong to Dominic, aged give, and his sister, Alexandra, aged four, the children of Mr and Mrs McKerchar, who live at 24 Fore Street, Northam.

Mrs Kerry McKerchar told the Gazette: “If grazing can’t be found locally then we shall have to let the ponies go to a good home. I wouldn’t sell them after all the stories you hear about animals being slaughtered.”

Shetlands can live until they are 30 years old or more. Muppet, incidentally, is expecting a happy event in May. “But Rupert had nothing to do with that!” explained Mrs McKerchar.

“We’ve advertised for grazing without...

Baby Show

Nearly forty babies from a wide district around, their ages ranging from two month to two years eleven months, were entered in the baby show staged at Diddywell, Northam, by the Home Work Committee of Northam Parochial Church Council in aid of Church funds on Wednesday.
Miss C F M Spring had kindly placed the lovely grounds of Diddywell at the disposal of the Committee for the event and judging proceeded on the lawn until rain forced a retreat to the house.
The babies which came from Northam, Appledore, Westward Ho!, Bideford, Instow, Muddiford and from even as far as Tawstock, were judged by Mrs Carey, Miss Stanley Smith and Nurse Arundel.
The show was declared open by Mrs G H Joliffe, who was presented with a bouquet by Victoria Holmes.
A baby stall was run by Mrs Holmes and Mrs Pester, and a buffet tea stall by members of the Home Work Committee.
Prizes were presented to the winning babies by Miss Spring, announcement of the awards being made by Mrs J D Wyatt.
The...

Brambleberry, Limers Lane, Northam, a 12 year old four bedroomed detached bungalow, was sold for £19,500 at an auction conducted by Messrs John C Webber and Son. It was bought by Mr H Marsh of Harrow.

Bidding for the bungalow, described as having delightful gardens overlooking the Torridge estuary, began at £15,000. The vendor was Miss J E Fulford.
Gazette article dated 12 May 1972

Mr Eric Withecombe, of Bone Hill Farm, Northam, and his prize winning Ayrshire which won the Fulford Challenge Cup for the best exhibit in the dairy cattle section at Instow Show on Saturday.

The trophy is being handed over by Mrs Gamble, wife of the President of the Show, Lieut-Col H Gamble.
Gazette article dated 10 August 1951

Members of the indoor and outdoor staffs of Northam Urban Council have presented a gold travelling clock and premium bonds to Mr Michael Glover as joint farewell gifts.

Mr Glover, who has been employed in the surveyor’s department for the past 16 years, leaves at the end of this week and towards the end of the month will join the staff of the East Devon Water Board at Honiton as an accountancy assistant.
The gifts were handed to him by the Surveyor, Mr Howard Bishop, coupled with his good wishes for the future. Other speakers included Mr Reg Harris and Mr Glover responded.
Mr Glover has been a member of the Converts skittles team, a former secretary of Bideford Snooker League and secretary of Northam Methodist Church.
Gazette article dated 14 August 1964

The foundation stone of Northam’s new junior school, the starting date of which was brought forward to be included in the 1967/68 building programme following pressure about conditions at the existing school, was laid on Tuesday by Mr George Northcott, chairman of the Northam Urban Council, who was a pupil at Northam school over 60 years ago.

To be known as St Margaret’s and sited in Seaview Road, the new school is expected to be ready by next summer.
The new school will be an educational show piece when completed – “We are thrilled with it” said the headmaster, Mr George Harrison. All the 260 children of the present school were among those assembled for the ceremony on Tuesday. Others present included members of the Urban Council; the Vicar of Northam, Rev J M Lucas, chairman and other School Managers, parents and friends.
Mr Northcott was invited to lay the stone by two pupils of the present school, Alister Whyte and Trudy Hookway, and the Archdeacon of Barnstaple, Ven A F Ward, was...

£2 fine
7 February 1958

Gazette article published 7 February 1959

He drove 40,000 miles a year covering the South-West and had held a clean driving licence for 30 years and it was galling to be summoned for an offence at home, wrote Richard Colin Walters, of Glengarth, Durrant Lane, Northam when he pleaded ‘guilty’ by letter at Bideford Magistrates Court last week to parking a car on the highway without lights in Bideford on January 4th.
The Bench imposed a fine of £2.

Northam

At the King's Head, Northam, on Monday afternoon, Mr A W Cock FAI, sold by auction the dwelling house and garden, cottage and store at the corner of Lennard's Road, as advertised.

Mr W Heaman became the purchaser at £242. Messrs Bazeley, Barnes and Bazeley were the solicitors for the vendor.

Gazette article dated 4 May 1918

Northam Urban Council has its youngest member – at least for many years.

He is Mr Joseph Thomas Need, aged 29, of 2 Darracotts Court, Appledore, who has been elected to fill the Appledore seat vacated by the former vicar, Rev Royston Dixon.
Mr Need had a 166-vote victory in Thursday week’s election over a fellow employee of Appledore Shipbuilders Ltd, Mr Philip Bale Waters.
Mr Need is the youngest member of Northam Burrows Committee and of the committee of Northam Residents’ Association. He is also a member of Appledore Preservation and Conservation Society. A joiner, he is social organiser of the Shipyard Angling Club.
Gazette article dated 9 February 1973

A 21 year old Northam girl, Miss Annie Glover, vowed that she would never marry anyone younger than herself. ‘Of course you won’t’ her ’21 year old’ boyfriend, Mr Ernest E Copp, a mason, assured her.

They were married within a short while, but Miss Glover did not realise until she signed the register at Northam Parish Church, on her wedding day, that her husband was, in fact, only 19. This happened 50 years ago ‘but I forgave him long ago’ Mrs Annie Copp, now aged 71, of 3 East View, Meddon Street, Bideford, told a Bideford Gazette reporter.
Bideford Quay front proved a romantic spot for them, for that is where they first met one afternoon. At the time Mrs Copp was a domestic worker and one of 11 children of the Glover family living in Honey Street, Northam. Mr Copp also came from a large family, being the eldest of 10, and lived just a few yards away from his present address, at Strawberry Cottage, Meddon Street.
Strawberry Cottage is at the very end of a cul-de-sac off Meddon...

Lived in Northam
18 January 1963

Service In Borneo - Meets fellow officer from Northam in Singapore

A 27 year old RAF officer from Northam, Flight-Lieut Peter Sands, has recently been serving with the British Far East Forces engaged fighting rebel troops in Borneo.

Last week Flight-Lieut Sands, son of Mr and Mrs Reginald Sands, of Restharrow, Higher Clevelands, Northam, returned to Singapore where he was posted in Traffic Control 18 months ago, and where he was accompanied by his wife, When he returned from Brunei he found he was living in the same block of flats Flight-Lieut Henry Hopkins, son of Mr and Mrs Hopkins, 9 Seaview Terrace, Morwenna Park, Northam who has been stationed at Singapore with his wife, Brenda, and two children. The two officers had not previously known each other.
The full Gazette article is dated 18 January 1963

A tablecloth, measuring four and a half feet square, containing 156 signatures, is shortly to be sent to Melanesia, a group of Pacific islands north-east of Australia.

Responsible for this unusual gift is Miss Margaret Pollock, of Tor View, Lakenham, Northam. She thought of the idea about nine months ago and since then she has visited the majority of parish church members and her personal friends, who in turn inscribed their signatures on the tablecloth under the heading ‘Passenger list’. The signatures were then expertly embroidered by Miss Pollock, who is secretary of the Northam branch of the society.
Also depicted on the gift is the m.v Southern Cross, the new Mission ship, due to be launched next month.
Last weekend Miss Pollock sent the gift to Mr R P Garrity, head of the Mission in London.
Two of the oldest parishioners to inscribe their names are Mr J H Taylor, the world-famous retired golfer, and Mrs M C Pinhay, both of whom are in their 90s. Youngest is Melinda Jackson, of...

It is being recommended to Northam Urban Council Finance Committee that provision be made in the forthcoming estimates for additional seats in the Square as a memorial to the Rev Alfred Green, a long serving member and former chairman of the council.

It is also recommended that £3,000 should be allocated to widen North East Street.
Gazette article dated 2 February 1973

Objectors may fight on ‘over a principle’

Although Durrant House Hotel at Northam has been refused permission to develop, people living in the locality who opposed the scheme to extend it are still to meet Mr Peter Mills, MP, today to discuss the matter.
Mr Peter Fletcher, who led the opposition, told the Gazette that the main point to be considered was the principle involved. ‘Many of us’, he said ‘are not happy, and we are going to try to press this matter that people can be affected by a planning decision and have no right to demand an inquiry.’ They should not, it was felt, have to appeal ‘to this and that’ and finally to the Queen, as he had done.
The objectors would also like to know why this particular application had been ‘called in’ (taken out of the hands of the local planning authority to be decided by the County Planning Development Plans sub-Committee), he said. But mainly their concern was the principle involved that people affected by a policy decision could do nothing...

In a letter to Bideford magistrates on Tuesday a 21 year olf Northam shipwright, Robert Sydney Stevens, of 6 Honey Street, asked why Princess Anne was let off with a caution for speeding instead of receiving the punishment he would probably receive.

'We may not be high-class or Royal Family, but that does not mean that she should not receive the same punishment as I and other citizens will probably get' he added.
The magistrate did not answer his question, but fined him £20 and endorsed his licence for exceeding the speed limit at Instow on his motorcycle.

Celebrating her 95th birthday on Sunday was Miss C M Davis, former sub postmistress of Northam.

Although her health does now permit her to venture beyond her home, The Cairns, Windmill Lane, Miss Davis continues her alert interest in local affairs. Five years ago she published a history of her native Northam.

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NorthamA Selection of News Articles Related to Northam