SS4329 : Wreck on Westward Ho! Beachnear to Westward Ho!, Devon, Great BritainThe Geograph Britain and Ireland project aims to collect geographically representative photographs and information for every square kilometre of Great Britain and Ireland, and you can be part of it. Read more…

Wreck on Westward Ho! BeachVery little is known about the wreck. The size and shape of the wreck has intrigued experts and its periodic appearances had been commented on in books and local newspapers since 1850′s when it was described as a ‘very old wreck’. In the 1940′s and 50′s it was described as a ‘Viking ship’ and a ‘Spanish Galleon’ During the summer of 1973 it was photographed and noted by A.X.E(Army Experimental Establishment) based at Instow, who were doing beach trials at Westward Ho!, but no clear indications of its origins could be found from the remains then exposed. It became clearly visible again in 1997. Its structure which was then 82ft(25m)long and 23ft and (7m) at its widest part. The present wreck measured in Feb.2005 is only 77ft(23.5m) long as the stern post has fallen forwards and sideways.Candidates for the wreck are the Salisbury of London lost on the night of 2-3 March 1759 on Northam Burrows. The Sally of Bristol wrecked on Northam Sands on 17 September 1769. No other wrecks of sufficient size are recorded until mid 19th century and that one the Pace wrecked 28 Dec 1868 was later salvaged.The remains could be the Sally but until further research is undertaken it still remains a mystery.

Readers will remember from previous Bideford Buzzes  the interesting articles about the history of Moreton House and the cottage at Jennetts Reservoir. This is another opportunity to visit the  grounds of the Reserve and also help to raise funds for charity.

Walk the informative History Trail around the unspoilt grounds of Jennetts Nature Reserve on  August 20^th/21^st and 27^th/28^th 11am – 5pm in aid of Harbour Drop in Centre and St Swithin’s Church Littleham. Entry will be £3 with refreshments. There will be a family quiz with creative activities for children in the woodland camp  11.30am – 1pm and 2pm – 3.30pm .

How to get there. See www.bidefordbuzz.org.uk for a map of the route. From the A39 follow the signs to Littleham but turn left at Moorhead Crossroads,  before you reach the village. The house is in  the valley. Park near the bridge over the stream. The entrance to the trail is first left after crossing Jennetts Stream.

One hundred years ago from the Bideford Gazette No bandstand A  visitor reminds us that Bideford is without a bandstand in the park although it has a town band and a territorial band. A sale of work Opening a sale of work on the hospital ketch  Alice Fisher at Bideford Quay in aid of the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, the superintendent  recalled that two of the Mission vessels the Cholmondley and the Edward Birkbeck were built at Bideford and christened at Restarick’s yard adjoining the  Long Bridge. Appledore- Shipbuilding Shipbuilding is very brisk here. The SS Penwith is in dock undergoing repairs whilst the SS Cadoc is outside Richmond Dry dock completing repairs. The New Quay dry dock is full of work and shipwrights have their hands full. Pleasure Trip The last trip for the season on the SS Hebridean is a trip to Lundy leaving Bideford at 9am. Return fare is 3 shillings. Tickets from T Pollard, East the Water. Mike Davy  (Photo courtesy of Derek Barnes)

(I came across this the other day in the North Devon Journal for 20^th August 1891. We all know the present librarian is nothing like the one
described here – but when are we going to get real fires back into the building – I would love to be able to relax in front of one with a book
in hand! )
Peter Christie

Sir Would you kindly allow me to make a few remarks respecting the librarian? The library certainly is a great blessing to the town and neighbourhood of Bideford generally and to the working classes especially a great benefit

in that it has kept many of  our young men from those public houses and beer shops where a great deal of their time and money would be worse than thrown away. It certainly must be

very accommodating for  anyone, when time will

admit to go in and get the daily, current passing events of the political, literary or commercial world. And as a ratepayer I must cheerfully subscribe my proportionate share towards its support. But sir, while I am so taken up with the library, I  am sorry to say it is not so with the Librarian, for there are some things of which I have had reason to complain. If I am rightly informed, when anyone comes into the library and asks for a book or paper(if there) it is the place of the librarian to supply them with it;

also in the winter to get the rooms comfortably heated by fire. But Sir the way in which he discharges his duties amounts almost  to his being disagreeable. Some other persons having made similar complaints, I just mention one of the few of my own. Last winter I went into the

book-room just after lighting up, which I sometimes do, to get  a little historical,

scientific, geographical and other information. While sitting there with a book in my hand, (by the fire) the librarian in a most deliberate manner, poked out the fire. After that he went and pushed up the window to give free admission to the cold air. There was a very cold easterly wind blowing across the river at the time. A gentleman came in just after,  and feeling the wind so piercing went and pulled the sash down again. If the librarian is not removed, or an improvement made in this respect towards visitors to the library, I for one, shall protest against anything more being done towards the support of the Bideford Free Public Library

Yours respectfully

H Holloway

One Hundred years ago from the Bideford Gazette

King of Lundy

The venerable white bearded cleric, the Reverend HG Heaven in deciding to quit Lundy island for the mainland for health reasons, is leaving a cliff bound home where he has spent seventy three years of his life. His father, a West Indian planter,  purchased the island. With the exception of a disused lighthouse and the old keep the only building on the island was a straggling farm house. The long rule of this uncrowned king has been a wise one and has justified the old joke that  his people live in the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’

Swimming

On Saturday evening three members of Bideford Swimming Club -Messrs Waldron,Yarnold and Babb attempted to swim from West Appledore to Bideford Bridge – a distance of 4 miles. Two completed the swim,  and the other, about three-quarters the distance.

Bideford Children’s Court

At this Court at Bideford a fourteen year old youth was fined one shilling (5p) costs for using obscene language in New Rd.

Gas Lighting

At Bideford Council Meeting the Mayor said he thought  the fixing of the gas lights in the town was going on satisfactorily. They were a great improvement and all would be in position by the

Winter

Mike Davy – Bideford Archives

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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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