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Category Archives: Local People
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
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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
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
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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
Posted in History, Local People
Tagged Bideford, Bideford Art School, Bideford Arts Centre, Harry Juniper, John Butller
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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
Memories of Bideford Shipyard.
Many thanks to Mr. Freddie Palmer, who provided these photos. We’re sure that they’ll be of interest to many people. “Buzz” is dating the photos of the trawler “Galatea” as 1975, since records show that as date of launch. Names … Continue reading
Posted in History, Local People, Shipping
Tagged Bideford, Bideford Shipyard, river Torridge, shipbuilding, shipyard, Torridge shipyards
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Time capsules and the Port Memorial.
Saturday April 11th saw an interesting event on the Quay when the restored Port Memorial and Ornamental Gardens were re- opened by the Mayor following refurbishment. Councillor David Howell had also organised a ceremony with the Sea Scouts to bury … Continue reading
Training the Army Horse.
(Whilst turning out old cassette tapes recently, I came across a recording in Devonshire dialect, made by my father, Percy Reed (1907 – 2001) of Northam, in 1985. It told the tale of a childhood incident in which he was … Continue reading
Posted in Animals, History, Local People
Tagged Devon dialect, horses, warhorse, World War 1
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Coronation Day, 1953.
Photos from Owen Vaggers. In the paper edition of November’s “Buzz”, we published this – Two photographs of the Coronation Day, 1953, which took place at the bottom of Pitt Hill, Appledore . I cannot remember all the the names … Continue reading
More memories of Bideford Hospital.
There were three wards: male, female and children’s. Off the corridor leading to the female ward were three rooms for private patients. The staff, as far as I can remember, included the Matron, Miss Daymond. There was one Welsh SRN … Continue reading
More memories of St. Peter’s Church, East the Water.
Following on from Mike Davy’s article (July Buzz), here are some memories. My first is of 1974 when I brought my elder daughter Caroline to the Sunday school run by Rosemary Butler. Living in Torridge Mount, it was only a … Continue reading
My role as Bideford’s Beadle & Macebearer.
In 2009 I had the great honour of becoming Bideford’s first lady Beadle, and later in 2010 of being appointed as the first lady Macebearer. Ever since I was a child I have been interested in the ceremonial and regalia … Continue reading
Posted in History, Local People
Tagged Beadle, Bideford, Bideford Town Council, macebearer
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Memories of Bideford Hospital.
Bideford Hospital 1962 My father had a chemist’s shop in the High Street and I married a local girl just before my final exams. From a London teaching hospital to Bideford Hospital was a steep learning curve for me as … Continue reading
Graham Frisby (1958-2013).
Last month I attended the memorial service for Graham at the new Westward Ho! Baptist Church. Graham’s sons spoke eloquently and movingly about their father, a lovely sociable man whom we all remember from trips to Bideford Pannier market where … Continue reading
Posted in Local People
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