We currently have a new exhibition charting the history of North Devon’s involvement with the Newfoundland fishing industry on display in the entrance foyer to the Local Studies Centre in Barnstaple Library.

For around 300 years after the discovery of Newfoundland by the explorer, John Cabot, at the end of the fifteenth century, the ports of Barnstaple and Bideford were major players in the English fishing fleets that dominated the trade in salted cod caught in the bountiful waters of the Grand Banks. Devon fishermen arrived in Newfoundland each spring, spending six weeks building ‘fishing rooms’, constructed from local timber and comprising a landing stage with areas for dressing the cod and pressing out the oil, or ‘train’.
Small open fishing boats were also built in Newfoundland each year. This work was finished by the end of May in preparation for the arrival of the cod shoals in late June and July.  The huge catches of fish were dried in the open air on vast drying racks set up on the local beaches, salted and then shipped back to be sold for the best possible price in the fish markets of Continental Europe.
At its peak in the 1630s it was estimated that around 20,000 English seamen were engaged in the Newfoundland trade. The presence of the Newfoundland Hotel on Bideford Quay was testimony to the importance of the North Atlantic trade in the history and prosperity of the town. That building is still there, and is now The Rose of Torridge restaurant.

Our exhibition, entitled ‘Cod ‘n’ Ships’, is on display throughout August.

If you would like further information on the North Devon Record Office, please visit our website at www.devon.gov.uk/record_office

The North Devon Record Office is part of the Devon county archives service provided by Devon County Council.

Tim Wormleighton

http://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/

I am  the Neighbourhood Beat Team (NBT) leader stationed at Bideford police station,  an officer of 29yrs service, having also  served in and around Plymouth for 20years . I work alongside regular officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs)  who together are responsible for the Neighbourhood policing of Bideford and surrounding parishes. There are also  patrol officers who cover 24hrs, CID who deal with more serious crime, the Special Constabulary and Neighbourhood Watch. Our Inspector is Shaun Kenneally who also has responsibility for Holsworthy and Torrington

The team  consists of five regular officers  for  Bideford Town, Bideford West, East The Water, Westward Ho! Appledore/Northam and parishes as far as and including Hartland. Each of these  is supported by a PCSO .

One of our  main responsibilities  is community engagement. PCSOs , for example, are expected to patrol their area for at least 80% of the time on duty. They are the eyes and ears of the police force, talking to people, gaining their confidence, and dealing with important community issues .    They attend local meetings, visit schools and clubs, and work closely with partner agencies

Regular officers are also expected to do this,  but have other responsibilities. They investigate criminal offences such as criminal damage and act upon intelligence gathered in relation to unlawful drug use. We are very fortunate in Torridge that there is not a big drug problem nor  a high rate of crime. A lot of this is down to the success of the NBT in dealing with issues when they arise

We believe it is important for the community to be able to contact the police. Of course there is the 999 system for emergencies;  if the call is not urgent we urge people to phone  08452 777444 which will go through to one of the Force Enquiry Centres (FEC) or 01237 428009 where a message can be left for the officer covering the area in which the caller resides.’ Sergeant Simon Bassett,

Click the picture for a larger version

After a few weeks the eggs hatch and the larvae can live in the undergrowth for one to three years, feeding on small snails. They paralyse the snails to “liquidise” them before eating them. Glow worm eggs and larvae can glow very slightly although they are usually well hidden out of sight. “The glow worm’s light is cold, and is a form of bioluminescence. It is caused when a molecule called luciferin is oxydised which then produces oxyluciferin, with the enzyme luciferase acting as a catalyst in the reaction.” (from UK Glow worm Survey) Male glow worms have the ability to glow but rarely do, as  they  have no need.
Glow worms like limestone and chalky areas. In North Devon you will find them along the Tarka Trail. Railway embankments and other open areas are favoured. The grass has to be just right – not too short and not too long. The females climb up a grass stalk and glow to attract a male late at night, well after dark. They retreat back into the undergrowth during the day. You are likely to see them during June and July, possible into early August.

There is a National Glow worm Survey where you can submit your record on-line at this web address:

http://www.glowworms.org.uk/newform.htm

You can obtain a form by post from this address:34 Fennels Way, Flackwell Heath, High Wycombe, Bucks HP10 9BY.

Janice Whittington

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 just fancy a visit to France with us on our coach in  September (23rd – 27th) and would like more information, please phone Maureen Palmer, on 01237 475836, who will be pleased to hear from and help you.

Diana Warmington, (Twinning member since 1971)

- Appledore & Instow Regatta –

- Saturday 7th August -

Rowing, sailing, swimming, crabbing, model yachts and other local events.

Commencing at 2.30pm

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.

Events at your local library

Bideford Library (01237 476075)
Tuesday 3rd August – 10am- 12pm – Reptobug (travelling zoo)    Tickets only
Tuesday 10th August – 10am-12pm – Crafts in the library
Wednesday 18th August 2-4pm  Animation workshop (7+) ticket only – limited places
Tuesday 24th August 10am-12 noon Crafts in the library
Tuesday 31st August 10am-12 noon Join our inter-galactic hall of fame

Northam Library (01237 475111)
Thursday 5th August
10am-12 noon Space Rockets
Thursday 19th August
10am-12noon Fantastic Aliens
All events are free and aimed primarily at Children 5 years +

Northam Burrows Country Park  Summer Events

All activities free and are from 2-4pm. Meet at the Burrows Centre.

For more information tel 01237 479708

Water safety

We are lucky enough to live in a beautiful area with lovely beaches and rivers, but this does mean that teaching our children about water safety is vital. A baby can drown in as little as 5 cm (2 in) of water. This means that anywhere that water can collect can become a hazard—including buckets, wheelbarrows and paddling pools. Remember children drown silently, they do not cry for help. Make sure your children learn to swim. Torridge Pool in Northam runs regular swimming classes and crash courses for children. Phone 01237 471794 for more information.

For young children:
Always supervise children closely when playing in or near water such as paddling pools, at the beach, in parks and gardens.
Empty paddling pools after use, and either cover or turn them over.
Do not use inflatables at the beach.
Put covers on waterbutts.
Fit a strong cover, such as a heavy metal grid, over the garden pond or fill it in.
Armbands are not lifesaving devices.
Teach children the meaning of  warning flags or signs at beaches and other bodies of water. Red and Yellow flag – Safe to swim between these flags; Black and white flags – Show surfboard and kayak zones. Never swim between these flags.

For more information, go to www.rospa.com and www.childsafetyweek.org.uk.

Help us to help you. John Emms of Lathwells Restaurant in conjunction with Bideford Buzz, is offering Lathwells vouchers to the value of fifty pounds to the smartest/ most appealing/ most improved business in central Bideford.

Our judges , two well known Bideford people, will be making before and after visits in the next 2 months and results will be announced in September’s Buzz.

So come on, let’s see what you can do. No need to enter your name; we will assume you are taking part if your shop/business is within the main shopping area.

Don’t have a business? No worries. Tell us why you think a local business deserves to win – there will be a separate prize for the best answer. Send your entries to us by the 15th August for September’s Buzz.

Detective Fiction

This month I hope to introduce a new section into Buzz about books and reading.

One of my favourite genres is detective fiction, a taste shared with many other people.

I thought that on this page you might like to advise me of what you think, suggest new authors, or tell us what books you’ve recently read.

Crime novels can essentially be divided into two or three categories. There are first and foremost (my personal favourite) the good old fashioned detective stories set in England with an old fashioned detective to solve the murder;  generally the police are involved, though sometimes the private detective is much better than the police. ( I always feel one should suspend disbelief at this point)

Secondly there are the medieval/historical mysteries- an increasingly popular  genre set in the past; some the more recent past like the Victorian era (Anne Perry’s  books) or the medieval past like those by Michael  Jecks  and Ellis Peters.

Then there are the crime scene  thrillers,  American style involving the FBI,  or court room dramas

And there are the psychological thrillers -   those by  Mary Higgins Clark  or Robert Goddard, but I don’t consider them true crime writers.

I’d like to list here some of my all time favourite detective writers.

PD James – the plots are perhaps not as good as they once were and again you have to suspend disbelief- Can  Adam Dalgleish and his team of two really solve a murder without any outside help?

Ruth Rendell the Wexford novels-  She also writes psychological thrillers and other books under the name Barbara Vine.

Cynthia Harrod- Eagles Not a writer normally associated with crime fiction, but her series with Bill Slider  is excellent

Kate Ellis- who combines past and present very effectively

From time to time a new author appears and such a one is Brian Cooper, recommended to me in the library ; his books are set in 1950s Britain and are quite naïvely written, but they keep you guessing; this has to be the  essence of a good story-  if you can’t work out who did it until the last page. Enjoyable like trying to solve a crossword clue though I can’t do crosswords!

Finally a short quiz for you- answers next month

What is the connection between these three detective stories ?

‘Curtain’  by Agatha Christie

‘The Remorseful Day’  by Colin Dexter

‘The Blue lamp’ by Ted Willis

Please send me in  your comments, suggestions and ideas for this page.  Email editor@bidefordbuzz.org.uk or send them in to Bideford Library   Hope to hear from you soon

There are many sources of reading material in Bideford. Aside  from your local library, there is a huge selection of all kinds at the Pannier market and  good bookshops like  Walter Henry’s  in the High Street

For second hand books try Allhalland Books  or charity shops. RA