Northam Twinning Association

Northam Twinning with France and Germany has been going on for almost 40 years, with a good deal of bonhomie, entente cordiale and freundschaft during all that time.   Some of our members were there at the start, and we keep it going because we have such a very good time with our French and German friends.  Mondeville, outside Caen, Normandy, and Buddenstedt in what was East Germany, are our link towns, and for the majority of us, we ‘clicked’ straight away.   We soon  realised that we all have the same ideals, laugh at the same jokes, love our children, take pride in our homes and the hospitality we offer to guests;  we have  attended weddings as well as funerals, birthday and anniversary parties, and we all have  grievances about our politicians and the way our countries are run – plenty to talk about there!   Many families have spent holidays together, apart from the Twinning.

We would like more people to share the enjoyment we have with our European friends, and we invite anyone, family, couple, or single, to get in touch with us if they would like to join the Twinning.     The exchanges take place in the Spring and Autumn, for a long weekend, usually Thursday to Monday.   Outings and entertainments are arranged, and we find that we get to know each other better by sharing enjoyment.  You don’t have to speak French or German;   most of us get along with sign language and pidgin-English! It all adds to the sense of humour we share.

If you would like to join the Twinning and be matched up with a family,  or  would like more information, please phone Jenny Rickard on 01237 473479who will be pleased to hear from and help you.

Diana Warmington, (Twinning member since 1971)

Bideford Bridge Trust

Book Grants are given both to students who live in the Parish of Bideford, who have just finished secondary education, and also to students who live in the north of the Parish but to the south of the Link Road. Discretionary Bursaries are only given to students living in the Parish of Bideford.

Persons living in Bideford and its immediate neighbourhood who are similarly going onto or continuing higher education may be eligible for assistance in the event of severe financial hardship (please note that “severe” indicates something over and above the necessity of seeking a student loan). Each of these cases are considered in any event on their own merits.

In addition, any other persons generally commencing a further education course are again eligible to apply for assistance to be considered on its own merits.  Grants were awarded last year up to £150.

For further information please write to The Steward, Bideford Bridge Trust, 24 Bridgeland Street, Bideford, Devon, EX39 2QB, or alternatively telephone The Steward’s Assistant on (01237) 473122.

Bideford Buzz has particular reason to be grateful to the Bridge Trust. They award us and many community organisations in Bideford an annual grant (ed)

A friendly group of people, dedicated to the growing and showing of Fuchsias.

Richard Stapley (Secretary)
4, Bowden cottages,
Blakes Hill Road,
Landkey,
Barnstaple,
EX32 0LR
01271 831292

Meets on the 1st Thursday of every month except for August (Annual Show), December (Christmas Lunch) and January (winter break).
The meetings are held in the Springfield Centre, Chanters Road Bideford and commence at 7.30 pm.

The membership fee is £4 single with a joint fee of £7.  Click here for website for more details.

The Devon Medieval Combat Alliance having recently returned from Wales and a trip 500 years back in time are looking forward to the new season, our eleventh .Based in Bideford, we are a non-political, non-religious organisation which sees education as its primary aim, through promoting public appreciation of life in the early Middle Ages (twelfth to fifteenth centuries in particular) ,by demonstrating the social and military customs of the period at both private and public events. We also aim to further the good fellowship between all medieval re-enactors, their families, friends and the public .

Ours is a totally self funding organisation which depends on its finances from performances and subscriptions paid by members. For the last ten years we have always performed for charitable organisations at cost for public displays or occasionally, for expenses, at many large ‘battles’ held throughout the country, many of which support charitable aims. The trip 500 years back in time referred to in the opening paragraph was in fact a re-enactment of a tournament held at Carew Castle in Pembrokeshire in 1507 when Sir Rhys ap Thomas, was honoured by being made a Knight of the Garter, . The celebrations included hunting with hawk and hound, feasting, music and dancing.
The Devon Medieval Combat Alliance is available for hire to help your fund raising efforts at cost.

Please Contact: S. Jewell ,Chairman, Devon Medieval Combat Alliance Tel: 07989 127697

www.dmca.org.uk

( Photo is of William Lewis May)

Recently at our local history society meeting, here in Netley Abbey, Hampshire, we had a talk about the First World War (WW1).  Afterwards my wife Betty spoke to the lecturer about a distant relative, who enlisted early, at 15 years old and who was killed at the battle of Loos on Saturday 25 September 1915, when he had just turned 16 years we understand.  This very knowledgeable gentleman said he would research the name and report back to her.  In a few days he was able to tell us that William Lewis May, a Bideford lad, had  joined the 8th Battalion of the Devonshire regiment and was killed in action during the attack on the Breslan Trench, on the first day of the Battle of Loos.  Further, thanks to the kindness of Betty’s aunt Lily, formerly of Westleigh, we are in possession of his medals and death plaque, together with a more detailed account of his last battle.

It was also suggested that, as we live very near a WW1/ WW2 Military Cemetery here in Netley Abbey we might like to visit the grave of another Devonshire Regiment casualty Private J Walling, who died on 24 September 1916 and who also came from Bideford.

The Military Cemetery at Netley Abbey was a part of the largest Military Hospital ever built to care for the wounded and sick of the wars being fought by our troops abroad.  Opened in 1863 as a direct result of Queen Victoria’s insistence that her soldiers fighting for her abroad, should have proper and better hygiene and treatment, as more soldiers were dying of disease and poor treatment than in battles, it was claimed.  At this point Florence Nightingale became involved, and was asked to suggest how this new Military Hospital might be built to take into account the above problems.  It seems however that not too much notice was taken of her suggestions because the hospital buildings were too advanced in construction for them to be incorporated.  The Royal Victoria Military Hospital played a major part during WW1 and WW2, but was allowed to become derelict, finally being demolished in 1966.  All that is left is the Chapel building, now a visitor centre and viewing tower.

We wonder if any of J Walling’s relatives still live in Bideford. We already know those  from William Lewis May’s family;  as they may like to know that on the very few occasions each year we walk around the war graves, we pause at Pte. Walling’s headstone, just for a quiet moment with him.

John and Betty (Nee May) Lawrence

3 June 2010

We wonder if any of J Walling’s relatives still live in Bideford. We already know those  from William Lewis May’s family;  as they may like to know that on the very few occasions each year we walk around the war graves, we pause at Pte. Walling’s headstone, just for a quiet moment with him.

John and Betty (Nee May) Lawrence

3 June 2010

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You write ……

Congratulations

on your first 10 years, well done! Although not now resident in Bideford, we have read the Buzz from issue one and think it an excellent publication. Please keep it going.

John and Betty Lawrence

Torridge pilot gig club

Pilot gig rowing is becoming an increasingly popular sport, with U14, U16.

Ladies, Mens, Mixed, Veterans and Supervets  categories, it caters to a wide range of ages and abilities.

The Torridge pilot gig club is based in in Appledore, and  has seen its reputation and success grow in recent years The Club is looking for new members  in order to do even better. If you would  like to try a sport which can be competitive and physically demanding yet also extremely sociable and exciting, you are welcome to attend a ‘general row’

All year round these  are normally held on a Sunday as near to high tide as possible. During the summer they will also take place on Thursday evenings from the Ferry Crabbing slip, opposite the old Co-op.

Please visit www.torridgeoilotgigclub.org.uk, or the facebook group entitled ‘Torridge Pilot Gig Club.’ or  contact club chairman Jeff Sharpe on 01237 422336.

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Welcome to the new and improved on-line edition of the Community Newsletter for Bideford, North Devon, England and surrounding area.

Bideford Buzz is produced and distributed by a team of volunteers, with financial and practical assistance from Devon County Council’s Library and Information Services, Bideford Town Council, Devon Community Foundation and Bideford Bridge Trust.   If you are also interested in helping produce and develop this newsletter we will be glad to hear from you.

Please note for commercial notices there is a charge from £15 per month – cheques payable to Bideford Buzz Newsletter Group. Contact Rose Arno

You can submit your article on floppy disc, or e-mail. If you have a PC with Ms. Word you can save us the typing by downloading on to disc. However, snail mail is equally acceptable. Material for publication should reach us by the 15th of each month. Rose Arno, Bideford Library, New Road, Bideford, EX39 2HR. Tel: (01237) 476075, Fax (01237) 424825, E-mail: editor(@)bidefordbuzz.org.uk

It’s  a place where if you like you can stay all day, reading, browsing the newspapers, keeping warm, using computers, discovering new facts -  and it costs NOTHING . Where else can you do this without someone trying to sell you a product?

This is just a small sample of what’s on offer……

Up to 12 books can be borrowed for three weeks- longer if you renew them- costing nothing (except a small fine if you are late returning them)

Hire of CDs and DVD for a small charge,but free spoken word loans or cd loans if you are disabled

Access to any books in the County system (50 libraries to choose from) or out of County for that hard to track down, out of print book

Free Internet access and access on your own home computer to on-line reference sources like Newsbank and Encyclopedia Britannica (If you come into the library you can also access the family history site Ancestry free of charge). Access at home to the on line catalogue where you can reserve books of your choice.

We’ll give you a funky new library card with a key fob, a smart ‘welcome’ pack and  a smile. For more details contact your local library on these numbers

Appledore tel 477442  open Tuesdays 10am-12pm; Thursdays 10am-12pm 2pm-5pm Saturdays 10am-12noon

Northam 475111  open Mondays 9.30am-1pm; Weds 9.30am -1pm 2pm-7pm

Thursdays 9.30am-1pm; Fridays 9.30am-1pm 2pm-7pm  Saturdays 9.30am-1pm

Bideford 476075   Mondays 9.30am-7pm; Tuesdays 9.30am-5.30pm’;Wednesdays 9.30am-12pm; Thursdays 9.30am-7pm; Fridays 9.30am-5.30pm and Saturdays 9.30am-4pm

If you’d like a talk  from us to your group about the library service, just ASK

http://www.devon.gov.uk/libraries

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NEWS  FROM  THE  BURTON  ART  GALLERY  FOR  JULY

The Friends of the Burton Gallery arrange events throughout the year for all; phone 01237 471455.

The  Cafe du Parc will feed you;  the Museum will give you an insight in Bideford’s history;  the Ceramic Collection will inspire you to be creative;  the Tourist Information Centre will help you to enjoy North Devon;  the Shop will provide you and your family with books and playthings, and when you have seen it all, you can have a pleasant walk in Victoria Park, one of the very best in the area, family friendly and free. Have a good Summer   Diana Warmington