-
Recent Posts
Categories
Category Archives: Local People
Bideford Town Band seeks players.
www.bidefordtownband.co.uk Do you, or have you ever, played the cornet? Or any other brass instrument? If so, we need YOU! If you want to reprise your skills and at the same time have a lot of fun then give us … Continue reading
Flourishing Culture awards – nominations sought.
The team behind northern Devon’s Flourishing Culture initiative is inviting the community to nominate individuals, groups, or organisations who have influenced them through their cultural contributions. Whether through art, music, performance, literature, heritage, sport or any other form of cultural … Continue reading
Bideford Blues celebrate new kit.
BIDEFORD BLUES CELEBRATE AS ROYAL MAIL FUNDS NEW KIT. Budding footballers from Bideford Blues JFC have unveiled their brand-new kit, funded by Royal Mail’s ‘Kits 4 Kids’ programme. They were nominated by Darren Pilkington, a postie and Bideford Blues volunteer … Continue reading
One Hundred Years Ago – December 1924.
A collection of articles from the ‘Bideford Gazette’ over December 1924, kindly selected by Bideford Community Archive. A notable feature of the Christmas was the overwhelming and unprecedented rush on the Bideford Post Office. All previous records were broken by … Continue reading
“Bideford Legends” – 2.
The Strand Cinema. The Strand Cinema was opened by Maurice Prince, Jewish entrepreneur, in 1938. During the war Maurice was a civil defence warden and he also helped Jewish refugees who were escaping from Nazi persecution by sheltering them in … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, History, Local People
Tagged Bideford Legends, Grenville Nursing Home, Strand Cinema Bideford
Leave a comment
“Bideford Legends” – 1.
Introducing “Bideford Legends”. My name is Tanya Harrison, I was born abroad and came to live in Bideford in 2017. By profession I am a Teacher of English to foreign students, not a photographer, not a writer, not an expert … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, History, Local People
Tagged Bideford Hospital, Bideford Legends, Bideford Library, Torridge Hospital
Leave a comment
‘Postcard Pals’ at Bideford Library.
I would like to draw your readers’ attention to a project we are launching in Torridge called Postcard Pals. This is a project which encourages people to micro volunteer by designing and writing a postcard to a stranger. I have … Continue reading
A tribute to Peter Christie.
Peter Christie. We were very sorry to hear the news of the death of Peter Christie, Torridge councillor, author and historian, and loyal contributor to “Buzz”. He wrote a host of articles over the years, all of which have been … Continue reading
The Huntshaw Church bells project.
Huntshaw’s Historic Bells drop into the limelight – After 500 years! For over a year the ‘Friends of Huntshaw Bells’ have been raising money through grants, sponsorship and events and have raised so far £17k. There is a long way … Continue reading
Posted in Events, History, Local People
Tagged bell ringing, Huntshaw Church, Huntshaw Church bell fund
Leave a comment
The ‘Way of the Wharves’ project.
‘Way of the Wharves’. The Torridge Estuary and Bideford have a long and fascinating maritime history with boat building documented back to Elizabethan times. On the east bank of the Torridge, opposite Bideford town, East-the-Water was an industrial and transport … Continue reading
Posted in Books, History, Local People
Tagged Bideford, East the Water, river Torridge, Way of the Wharves
Leave a comment
The “Freshspring” project.
Steamship ‘Freshspring’ celebrates four years in Bideford. During the Second World War, a fleet of freshwater-carrying steam ships was commissioned by the Royal Navy to deliver water to warships. These became the ‘Fresh’ class of ships and the last one … Continue reading
Posted in History, Local People, Shipping
Tagged Bideford, maritime history, SS Freshspring, volunteers
Leave a comment
Buzz Word.
Handy Cross POW Camp. I am from Oberhausen, Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia. I am currently working on a concept for a book about the World War 11 from the point of view of a German prisoner who spent his captivity at … Continue reading
Ladies’ Golf celebrates 150 years.
“The Westward Ho! and North Devon Ladies were very early pioneers in the history of Ladies Golf. The Reverend Isaac Gosset, Vicar of the Parish of Northam and a founder of the Royal North Devon Golf Club has to take … Continue reading
Bideford’s Nat West Bank.
An iconic building in Bideford, Nat West Bank (formerly National Provincial) closed on 29th May 2018. Peter Christie looks back on its history, and Gerald Waldron remembers his time as a bank employee. End of an era. The closure of … Continue reading
Posted in History, Local People
Tagged Bideford, Nat West Bank Bideford, National Provincial Bank
Leave a comment
Bideford Art School: a brief history.
Bideford Art School (now Bideford Arts Centre), a listed building on the Pill, has an interesting history. It started life in 1896 as a technical college, a result of ‘self help’ Victorian values. Our photo above shows the plaque on … Continue reading
Posted in History, Local People
Tagged Bideford, Bideford Art School, Bideford Arts Centre, Harry Juniper, John Butller
6 Comments