Author Archives: Tango Alpha

‘Red Velvet’ cake (courtesy of Blazeys of Bideford).

Red Velvet Cake. Easy, super moist, melt-in-your mouth soft with a light chocolatey red velvet taste – decadent, delicious and delightful ! Ingredients – Cake 250g plain flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda. 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon … Continue reading

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One hundred years ago – February 1913.

Wealth Dream Shattered. When Captain Geoffrey Newbold, formerly of the Royal Marines, and Commander Frank Worsley R.N.R., formerly Captain of ‘The Quest’, Shackleton’s Polar Ship, set sail in the ‘George Cochran’ from Appledore last summer with three Appledore men, Messrs … Continue reading

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Bideford Bridge goes to war – Part 2.

Peter Christie continues his history of Bideford in wartime. June 1941 onwards- More notes from Frank Whiting’s reports. The next few months are taken up with surveying and costing the damage to the Bideford Laundry buildings (which had earlier been … Continue reading

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Richmond Dock status – December 2012.

Photographs taken at Richmond Drydock on 11th December. First two photos – disassembly of the ‘Bryher’ has now been completed.    The nearly-finished vessel on the right is the  ‘Annaliese’, and only the ‘Silver Harvester’ appears mostly intact.     The ‘Monkleigh’ will … Continue reading

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One Hundred Years ago – December 1912.

(From the Bideford Gazette). Advertisements for  Christmas. After the jollification of Christmas , the damaged wallpaper and the scratched paintwork will show up – in all these matters Mr R Pye of 8 and 9 Meddon St will be found … Continue reading

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Mysteries at St. Margaret’s, Northam.

Whilst clearing ivy from gravestones in Northam Churchyard recently, we came across a very well-carved stone commemorating two families, the Blighs and the Copners. Francis Bligh was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy and died in 1825.   Also named were … Continue reading

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Bideford Bridge goes to war – Part 1.

Little has been written on Bideford life during the Second  World War.   Admittedly we weren’t bombed, but we did provide facilities for training both British and U.S. Servicemen and  the area played host to the top-secret Combined Operations.   One source … Continue reading

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Rubber duck.

In January 1992 the Chinese container ship ‘Ever Laurel’ was carrying 1,810 containers from Hong Kong to Tacoma in America’s Washington State.    All was well until the tenth of the month when, during a great storm, twelve of the 40-foot … Continue reading

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Bideford Chamber of Commerce.

You are never too far away from a Chamber Member.   If you have a business in Bideford, Westward Ho!, Northam or Appledore and wish to find out more about joining, just give them a call. Bideford and District Chamber of … Continue reading

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Behind the scenes at Richmond Dock, Appledore.

Work progresses on the recycling of old vessels  –  photos Norman Hardaker. (Compare with our September article here ).

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Waxcaps.

These mushrooms are considered by many as the orchids of the fungi world.   They come in a variety of bright cheerful colours and often have shiny caps.   They belong to the genus Hygrocybe.    As with most fungi, autumn is when … Continue reading

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Wonky Conker.

The “Helping Hand”, which holds up the “Wonky Conker tree”, near Kingsley Statue on Bideford Quay, very nearly didn’t happen at all.  Some years before  its construction, it was decided to chop down the mature trees on the riverbank in … Continue reading

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Richmond Dock revivified.

On Thursday 6.9.2012 Richmond Drydock, Appledore, came back into action  as a working dock with the arrival of the beam trawler ‘Anneliese’ crossing over the sill  on her final voyage to be broken up.    She had been towed from Penzance, … Continue reading

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Recollections of Reed’s.

Dear Editor, Further to September’s BUZZ WORD re Reeds Cafe, as a member of the Reed Family I can give you more information! Albert Reed was the son of Alfred (my great-uncle) and Esther Reed who owned the Baker’s Shop … Continue reading

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S.S. “Hebridean” – July, August 1911.

Helped by a nautical author,  I have been researching the S.S ‘Hebridean’.   We know that in the summer months she left Scottish waters and went south, to Bristol, St Helier and France, but your Bideford Buzz has added another chapter … Continue reading

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