Category Archives: Local People

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

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Free parking days in Torridge for December.

This December, Torridge District Council is supporting Small Business Saturday, which aims to highlight small business success and encourage consumers to ‘shop local’ and support local shops, restaurants, and other Torridge businesses. The festive season is an important trading period … Continue reading

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‘Active Torridge’ contract extended to 2032.

  Approval granted for fourth Active Torridge Centre at The Old Library, Bideford. Torridge District Council has announced that it has extended its contract with Active Torridge to run its Leisure Centre Services until 2032. Since taking over the contract … Continue reading

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“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

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“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

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‘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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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