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Felicity’s sustainable fish cookery – December.
Many people have asked me about the different smoked versions of Clovelly Herring that are so plentiful in December. Traditionally the herring would be smoked to eat through the winter months, so I have added a very simple recipe … Continue reading
Posted in Food & Drink
Tagged bloaters, bucklings, fish cookery, herring, kippers, red herrings, sustainable fish
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Bideford’s ‘prefabs’.
During the Second World War huge numbers of houses were destroyed by enemy action, and as early as 1944 Winston Churchill announced an EFM (Emergency Factory Made) housing programme. In 1945 the new prime minister Clement Atlee began implementing the … Continue reading
Posted in History
Tagged Bideford, Bowden Green, EFM housing, Grenville estate, Peter Christie, Prefabs
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Felicity’s sustainable fish cookery – November.
Here is a Devon version of ‘Stargazey pasties’ made with Clovelly herrings. Devonshire Stargazey Pasty. Ingredients. 450g puff pastry. 225g potato (cubed). 4/6 Herrings – filleted and sliced. rashers of bacon. 1 onion. 50g butter . 1 tbsp. chives – … Continue reading
Rope Walk – “The Battle of the Posts”.
Rope Walk today is a narrow but well used roadway running parallel to the Pill. Its name obviously records the presence of the ropemaking industry which was once so important to the ship-owning merchants of Bideford – but how many … Continue reading
Felicity’s sustainable fish cookery – October.
Here is a wonderfully flexible and tasty recipe for a pasta cod dish. The original is a recipe from a restaurant in Rome -so an authentic Italian / Mediterranean dish. The best fish to use is salt cod. I used … Continue reading
All the fun of the Fair!
Fairs have been visiting Bideford for one hundred and fifty years at least and even though today they face huge competition from computer games and local attractions the travelling show people still come. The history of the fair in Bideford … Continue reading
Another ‘lost shop’ – Taylor Brothers.
Shops come and go all the time in all towns, with a few lasting for some time – but even these eventually close. One that fits this latter category is Taylor Brothers’ shoe shop in Mill Street. I first started … Continue reading
A brief history of the Custom House.
Bideford’s buildings are constantly being reinvented – and anyone walking along to the Post Office will have noticed the old Custom House has become a new coffee shop – with some of the best views over the river from its … Continue reading
Posted in History
Tagged Bideford Bridge Trust, Custom House Bideford, Peter Christie
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A brief history of the Palladium Club.
The Club began life in 1919 as the stables for the Heavitree Inn. In 1926 it was the Palladium Cinema and the ticket office was situated where Patts’ Fruit and Vegetable shop now is in Mill St. Later it became … Continue reading
Walking the Coast Path; Mouthmill.
This is a beach of contrasts. A stream idly trickles through football-sized boulders down to the sea, while soothing sweeps of light-brown sand provide a backdrop to jutting rock formations that point arrow-like towards the Atlantic. It’s a place for … Continue reading
Beavering away for Bideford flood protection.
There are proposals under consideration for raising the level of the Kenwith Reservoir dam to give the necessary added protection from fluvial flooding resulting from anticipated climate change and the amount of new housing development in the catchment area. In … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, Environment
Tagged beavers, Devon Wildlife Trust, flood protection, Kenwith valley
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Bideford’s Newfoundland links & the Chope Collection.
Devon has strong historic links with the Canadian Province of Newfoundland dating back to the 16th Century, when boats from local ports sailed to the waters of Newfoundland to fish for cod. Initially men left Devon in April and returned … Continue reading
Posted in Books, History
Tagged Bideford Library, Chope collection, Devonshire Association, Newfoundland
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Buzz Byte – printers.
Welcome to this new series of articles about home computing. This month’s tips are about printers. Most home users will have an inkjet printer which will use either a colour and black cartridge or a black with individual colours, … Continue reading
HMS ‘Alliance’ visits Lundy.
During the month of April 1967, the submarine HMS ‘Alliance’ was operating in home waters in the South of England and for a day or two anchored off Lundy. One submariner, whose name is unknown, came ashore and probably spent … Continue reading
Two Bideford-built schooners of the Nineteenth Century.
“Buzz” was contacted in June by Roger Banfield of Scilly seeking information on the schooner “Vivid”, built in Bideford in 1851 (see Shipping Notes 136, July edition). Mr. Banfield undertakes maritime history research for his own interest, and also in … Continue reading