Hopkins Transport
Tolley and Smale
22 February 1974
Yeehaw!16 May 1951
Road completely blocked15 August 1952
Bideford Wheelers28 June 1938
Western National Bus Company2 April 1971
Dr Toye and his Benz8 February 1938
High hopes of success1913
No roundabout13 February 1976
Improvements continue14 February 1972
A close match17 March 1978
Inspires ConfidenceDecember 1956
A television star11 August 1961
What a great adventure!1 September 1961
Proposed bypass road26 January 1973
Did you see it?5 August 1960
Western National Omnibus Co24 November 1972
72 ton engine24 November 1972
Safe driving awardsDecember 1971
'Onward Christian Soldiers'16 January 1959
Tolley and Smale22 February 1974
A scene reminiscent of an air raid
was left after a fully-loaded, driverless articulated lorry crashed into two bungalows at Brenacott Road, Bideford, after leaving a trail of damage for 300 yards.
Amazingly, no one was hurt, although for both families it could have been a very different story had they been in the front of their homes instead of the rear. In both cases young babies would have been in bed in the front rooms had the crash occurred a little later. It is anticipated that both bungalows will have to be demolished and rebuilt. In addition, six cars were damaged as the vehicle careered down the hill from the haulage firm premises where it had been left parked.
After the heavy lorry had been unloaded and pulled clear, Mr and Mrs Paul Weeks with their daughter Karen, found the front bedroom open to the sky. He explained: “My wife and I with Karen and my mother, were watching television in the back room where we heard this tremendous crash.” The Weeks family have moved into furnished
...
Yeehaw!16 May 1951
Late on Tuesday afternoon, with the sun setting gloriously in the west,
came the comman from the Navy, “Commence loading!” Lundy’s steers and ponies were shepherded up the ramp of the tank landing craft from the pebbly beach, and they will be the ‘stars’ at Barnstaple Cattle Market.
A simple story – but there’s real romance about the whole transaction.
In past years the owner of Lundy, Mr M C Harman, has used the former drifter, m.v. Lerina, now lying alongside Bideford Quay for shipping his cattle ashore but prohibitive expense forced him to lay her up. Mr F W Gade, Mr Harman’s agent on Lundy since 1926 sought other shipment possibilities. He approached the Admiralty for the use of a landing craft, and they readily agreed but the weather has been unsuitable for months.
The Tank Leading Craft, which did the ‘operation beef’ was herself in grave peril in a pre-Christmas gale, and sought shelter in Lundy’s shipping roads.
However, all was set for last week. Four experienced cattle...
Road completely blocked15 August 1952
Clovelly Road 'Hold-Up'
Passengers leaving Bideford by bus on Saturday morning for Clovelly, Hartland and Bude little dreamt the Army had an assault course all prepared for them en route!
On Fairy Cross hill a Matador 10-ton Army truck completely blocked the road and passengers had to alight from one bus, climb through the truck, and board a second bus waiting on the Hartland side.
It appears the truck, towing a 3.7 A.A gun, had left Cleave Camp, Morwenstowe, with a party of six men of the 37th Regt. R.A. returning from a practice camp to their unit at Tonfanau, North Wales. As the truck was proceeding down the hill at about 10am traffic lights controlling single-line traffic past cable-laying works changed to ‘Stop.’ The driver applied his brakes, but those on the gun did not respond and the lorry was swung across the road.
Prompt action by police and A.A and R.A.C motor patrols quickly had traffic diverted on to the main Bradworthy road, sealing off the blocked section of the trunk...
Bideford Wheelers28 June 1938
A typical group of cyclists
Left to right – C Jewell, Mr J D Grant (vice-president, Bideford Wheelers), G Short, Miss E Viersee, H Tithecott, Mr H C Lay (president, Bideford Wheelers), Miss E Johns, Miss D Slee, J Heywood, Miss E Beer, A Sherborne, Mrs A Sherborne, M Jenkins, W Cox, T Thompson, G Vanstone, C C Prust, A Lay, R Halbert, G Hill (hon. secretary, Bideford Wheelers), Miss D Sluman, G Popham, G Bray, P Squire, J Bray, A Lillicrap (Minehead), L Page, S Moor, W T Lloyd (hon. secretary, NCU, Devon and Cornwall).
Gazette article dated 28 June 1938
Western National Bus Company2 April 1971
Among 75 employees of the Western National Bus Co honoured
for more than 40 years with the firm, at a dinner at Exeter, were a number from Bideford district.
The dinner was the first of its kind organised by the company, and the long-serving staff members were presented with inscribed watches by a director and general manager, Mr Henry Ellis.
Award winners included: R A Parker, A M Beer, A E Cole, G E Kelly, S Lamey, W H Braund, E Daniel, R M England, W H Parkhouse.
Mr Ellis said the award earned by Mr S Lugg, who died last October, would be presented to his widow.
Gazette article dated 2 April 1971
Dr Toye and his Benz8 February 1938
Bideford’s First Car
Interesting reminiscences by the late Dr E.J. Toye
Only a few weeks before his most lamented death Dr E.J. Toye was good enough to grant an interview to a Representative of the “Bideford Gazette,” and for the benefit of our readers recall some of his interesting experiences during his pioneer motoring days in North Devon.
In these days of learners’ licences, Belisha beacons, automatic traffic signals and a hundred and one other precautions to control traffic it hardly seems possible that only thirty-six years ago the people of our district were vastly impressed with “one of those new motor cars” when it took to the streets in 1902. It does not look very imposing according to modern standards but it had some adventures and deserves a place in Bideford’s history.
It belonged to Dr E J Toye, former Mayor of Bideford and founder-President of Bideford Rotary Club to mention but two of his many spheres of public interest. As far as he knew it is looked upon as the...
High hopes of success1913
French aviators and inventors
continue to devote time and thought to the construction of a machine which will permit man to fly entirely by their own exertion. No motor or other outside power enters into the making of these small machines, called ‘aviettes’, the fundamental idea being to propel them by human force alone.
Results so far have not been strikingly successful, but high hopes are entertained of several new ‘aviettes’ now under course of construction. The formula followed by these inventors was obtained by M Magnan, director of a French technical school, who, after years of study, declares he has succeeded in translating the principle of bird flight into machines. By applying his formula to the measurements of a bird, M Magnan obtained the following dimensions for an ‘aviette’ of the monoplane variety, whose maximum weight, including the pilot, should not be more than 440 pounds: Wing surface, 32.67 square feet; weight of wings, 34.45 pounds; spread of wings, 16 feet; width of...
No roundabout13 February 1976
Devon County Council are spending thousands of pounds
to reduce the width of the Raleigh Hill junction on the main road between Bideford and Northam.
This is one of the widest junctions in the Torridgeside area - but its very width has contributed to accidents, say traffic experts.
Future traffic conditions are also being helped by the provision of a bus lay-by on the Glen Gardens side of Kingsley Road. Cost of the improvements now being carried out is about £17,000.
Mr Garman said a roundabout at the junction would not be justified at the moment.
The full Gazette article is dated 13 February 1976
Improvements continue14 February 1972
The route of the motorway link road to North Devon has not yet been decided
Northam Chamber of Commerce have been told by the Department of the Environment that a number of lines for the link road are being examined but that ‘considerable investigation and survey work remains to be carried out’ before draft orders can be published.
It was impossible to give a time schedule for the proposed link road, apart from saying that the draft orders were unlikely to be published until the middle or late 1970s.
But copies of the order would in due course be sent to the Chamber the Department promised.
Gazette article dated 14 February 1972
A close match17 March 1978
Competition in the Bideford and District Road Safety schools’ quiz was so keen
that victory in the junior section was decided by only one point and in the senior section there had to be a tie-breaker.
Eighteen teams took part, 13 of them in the junior sections which resulted: 1 St Mary’s A; 2 St Mary’s B; 3 Stella Maris.
The winning team comprised Robert Trewin, Cassandra Clyde, Caroline Parsonson and John Richards. The senior section resulted: 1 Stella Maris A; 2 Stella Maris B; 3 Bideford School. The Stella Maris winning team consisted of Anne Wheatley, Gillian Shaw, Dawn Lidstone, Rachel Walden and Sara Douglas (reserve).
The quiz was organised by Mr S A Bennett, road safety officer for North Devon, and Mr J G Wood, vice-chairman of the Bideford committee, was question master. Prizes were presented by Mrs E J Brown, Mayor of Bideford and chairman of the Bideford committee.
The Bideford ambulance team which won the adult quiz – Messrs John Braund (captain), Michael Hammett, Ian...
Inspires ConfidenceDecember 1956
Inspires public confidence says Mayor
It was good to know that the borough possessed such a band of careful drivers and that was something that must fill every user of the ‘buses in the area with a sense of real confidence, said the Mayor of Bideford, Mr J H Sharley, when he presented safe driving awards to the drivers of the Bideford depot of the Southern National Omnibus Company on Friday.
The Mayor had a special word of congratulation for Driver R A J Parker, of Lessines, Alexandra Terrace, to whom he presented the Exeter Accident Prevention Council’s highly commended certificate.
Thanks to the Mayor, who had been introduced by Mr F H Holmes, were expressed by Mr T J Pester who was accompanied by Mr C E J Piper.
Awards were given to: G E P Kelly, E L Daniel, K F Lewis, J Reddaway, W H Braund, R A J Parker, R T Shute, L J Balment, D C J Blight, D F Broad, F Symons, E Jackman, C H Williams, S G Adams, S Bowden, F C Brown, A E Cole, J H Elliott, W H Johns, W R Langdon, J O Morrish, J L...
A television star11 August 1961
Retired at the Hoops Inn
Famed years ago for its 40 mile a day route from Lynmouth, the ‘Lorna Doone’ stagecoach is now gracefully retired in the grounds of Hoops Inn, Horns Cross.
Mr Hugo Irwin, of Hoops, recently agreed to loan his coach to Westward Television and the coach, at least 60 years old, made the 62 mile journey on the back of a lorry.
Mr Irwin travelled with it and was interviewed on the ‘Look in for lunch’ recording screened on Bank Holiday Monday. The photograph shows the programme team: Pat Michael, Bruce Gordon, Neville Whiting and Jane Fyffe.
Gazette article dated 11 August 1961
What a great adventure!1 September 1961
‘Esmerelda’ did not jib at highest mountain passes
A skilled mechanic might well boggle at the idea of taking a 1937 car for thousands of miles across Europe, but Miss D Knowles, of Orleigh Court, Buckland Brewer, whose mechanical knowledge is slight, has done just that.
And it was virtually a trouble-free journey although the car climbed considerable heights in the Alps and travelled along roads that, by comparison, made North Devon cart tracks resemble the A1.
Miss Knowles attributes her good fortune to local garage proprietor Mr L C Warmington. He and his staff scoured the county for an Austin 10 touring car and prepared it for the trip.
From door to door, ‘Esmerelda’ travelled 3,058 miles and for five of the six weeks Miss Knowles was on her own. From Bideford Miss Knowles drove to the New Forest to pick up her cousin, who was co-driver. Thereafter the route lay through Dover, across the Channel to Calais and on to Dunkirk, across the border to Brussels, then into Germany and to...
Proposed bypass road26 January 1973
Fears that the village will be cut in half,
with the linking up of the new Barnstaple by-pass road at Venn Cross along Anstey Way, are being expressed by residents of Instow.
They say that they are already having trouble in negotiating the road since the introduction of the 40mph speed limit, and the increasing number of heavy industrial vehicles using the road.
Instow Parish Council is to protest to the Ministry of the Environment, and ask that an alternative route, on the line of the old Barnstaple-Bideford road, should be considered.
Gazette article dated 26 January 1973
Did you see it?5 August 1960
Ten weeks’ spare time work went into the making of this primrose coloured hill climb and trials special, pictured here a few days after coming off its solo assembly line.
Builder and owner of the care is 23 years old Mr Peter Newcombe, 9 Coldharbour, Bideford, who is employed at Raleigh Garage, Bideford.
Using equipment borrowed from the garage, Mr Newcombe has been working on it in the evenings and other spare time. Most of the components of the car are new, but a few have come from a variety of other cars, so that it is a hybrid. Motive power behind the special is a Ford engine of about 800cc. There is also a Ford gear box and back axle.
The body work is all hand made – “I just bent and hoped” Mr Newcombe told a Gazette reporter. Here welding equipment from the garage was used.
The special has had trials on the roads, but Mr Newcombe is not sure when he will start using it for trials, as several modifications have yet to be made. “ Mostly curing of rattles” he explained with a...
Western National Omnibus Co24 November 1972
Regret that complaints should have been made so soon after the much-needed extension for the bus service to High Park Estate had been arranged on an experimental basis was expressed by Cllr. Clifford Coates, chairman of Bideford Town Council’s Highways Committee.
If people would use their garages or hard standing to park their cars there would be no problem, he said.
The Council were told that the Western National Omnibus Co. Had written pointing out that in the interest of road safety they had on this new service avoided the reversing of one-man operated buses. If the bus stop in the vicinity of a house were withdrawn – and they would agree to this – intending passengers would have to board at the terminus or at the entrance to High Park Estate, and there would be no stops in front of dwellings.
The letter added that it was not possible to provide a morning service for schoolchildren as this would mean obtaining an additional vehicle solely for the purpose. And so far as the...
72 ton engine24 November 1972
Special arrangements had to be made over the weekend to transport a 72-ton engine through Devon roads on its way to Appledore Shipyard.
Because of its weight and size it was not possible to bring it by direct route and the journey from Manchester was via Exeter and Holsworthy.
Extra power was called for in tackling Woodford Hill, part of which is a 1 in 6 gradient, and a ‘tug’ went out from Bideford to assist, as seen above.
On the last stage of the journey the value of the new eastern by-pass at Northam for such traffic was well illustrated.
Gazette article dated 24 November 1972
Safe driving awardsDecember 1971
Among employees of the Western National and Devon General Bus Companies who won safe driving awards in 1970 were three drivers from Bideford.
They are G E Kelly, R A J Parker and E K B Jackman. To qualify for awards drivers must have been free from blameworthy accident for at least 20 years.
Gazette article dated December 1971
'Onward Christian Soldiers'16 January 1959
No Hartland schoolgirls come by bus to Bideford
First round in the battle between parents of children attending Hartland School and Devon Education authority over the authority’s plan to send senior girls by bus into Bideford, 14 miles away, one day a week for domestic science lessons, went last Friday morning to the parents.
In a biting wind supporters of the protest gathered around the school entrance with eight School Managers who were headed by their chairman, Mr H Mitchell. When the bus due to make the trip to Bideford drew up, the cars of two managers, Mr H Harris and Mrs W Turner, were parked immediately behind and in front of it. After waiting some time the bus driven by Mr W L Heard, went off empty.
Parents outside the gates pointed out that the travelling by bus to school and then on to Bideford and back would mean a round trip of about 50 miles a day for some girls, and that they considered the move was the thin end of the wedge towards the closing of Hartland School...