The font in St. Mary’s parish church, Bideford.

Posted on 30/09/2013 by Tango Alpha

There is little doubt that the Font in St Mary’s Church is the oldest artefact in Bideford.

It has been expertly confirmed that it dates from about the year 1080, and it has been described as an exceptionally fine and unique example of any font in this country.

It has a massive bowl of local stone, the top being divided into eight panels surrounded by twisted cables. Only the three largest panels are carved and the centre one contains a Greek cross. In those days the stonemason responsible for this treasure would never have imagined how long his piece of craftsmanship would have survived.

In common with many other churches which suffered at the hands of Cromwell’s troops during the Civil War it is said that this font was thrown out of the Church and used as an animal trough.

One only wonders just how many people have been baptised in this font down through the ages, including the North American Indian brought by Sir Richard Grenville in 1588.   The Font is still in regular use – in 2012 there were 60 baptisms, and to date 41 in 2013.

Mike Davy.

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Carnival 1992.

Posted on 29/08/2013 by Tango Alpha

One of the winning entries, 1992

Carnival on the Quay, 1992.

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Westward Ho! celebrates 150 years.

Posted on 29/07/2013 by Tango Alpha

150 years ago the “Northam Burrows Hotel & Villa Company” was formed following the success of Charles Kingsley’s novel “Westward Ho!” which he wrote whilst living in Bideford. The company planned to build a whole resort, marketed at wealthy Victorians and enticing them to stay and spend money in the newly built hotel and villas alongside the long, golden beach with its unique pebble ridge.

In 1863, at the time when the company began, there was nothing much to see in Westward Ho! apart from a couple of farms among fields and a few hedges. The company began to build and create an elegant resort centred around a 33 bedroom gothic style hotel. (This building was still standing until the year 2000 and “Ocean Park” apartments now occupy the site, the lower section constructed using stone from the original hotel). Nearby there were stables and then a house at each entrance where Victorians would show their tickets, at Upper Lodge which still stands today at the top of Fosketh Hill and Lower Lodge in Golf Links Road.

By 1870 there were swimming baths, schools, shops, the oldest golf club in England had been built, a church and even a 600ft pier. Rudyard Kipling attended the United Services College between 1878 and 1882 and today it is named Kipling Terrace after him. The Westward Ho! project had been a success and in 1901 a railway was built to connect it to Bideford ( later extended to Appledore.)

Coastal erosion has always been an enemy to Westward Ho! and after destroying the pier and several houses the sea wall was built between 1928 and 1931. Top Camp Holiday Centre was built along with several holiday parks and campsites and the resort continued to thrive as an attractive location for holiday-makers. During the 1990s many of the Victorian landmarks were demolished to make way for modern developments and Westward Ho! looks very different today to the scene enjoyed by the Victorians.

Stan Andrews

For more information visit www.westwardhohistory.co.uk and “Westward Ho! History Group” on Facebook. Photos from their collection.

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Crossing the Torridge – 11 bridges between Bideford & Torrington !

Posted on 08/07/2013 by Tango Alpha

It’s surprising how they add up once you set out to count the bridges.!


The oldest of course were the pack-horse bridges dating from around the 12th century of which there were three, Bideford, Rothern and Taddiport. All these show clear evidence of various widening works over the centuries to enable initially carts and carriages and eventually motor vehicles to cross, although still supported on the original stone piers except in the case of Bideford Long Bridge where it is believed that an original timber structure is embedded within the more recent, 13th century, masonry arches.


No new bridges were built until the Aqueduct was constructed to carry the Rolle canal across the valley in 1827 but this was quickly followed by Halfpenny Bridge connecting Weare Giffard with the new Turnpike road in the 1830s. (No prizes for guessing the amount of the toll charged for crossing the river).


The coming of the railway in the 1870s entailed a further four bridges to carry it in a fairly straight line up the valley and, while the first of these, at Landcross, is a basic iron girder construction, the three near to Lord Rolle’s residence at Beam Mansion are made up of handsome stone built arches illustrating the power of the aristocracy to preserve the beauty of the landscape.


Rothern Bridge at Staple Vale, having stood alone for some five centuries, was now joined by a spectacular wooden viaduct to carry the Marland Light Railway across the valley, bringing in clay from the Peters Marland clay pits for transshipment to the main line railway to Bideford. This was in turn replaced by another iron girder viaduct similar to that at Landcross when the mineral line was upgraded to standard gauge and extended to Halwill Junction.


The last new bridge was built in the mid 20th century, in between Rothern Bridge and the railway viaduct, to relieve the old turnpike bridge from all he fast and heavy traffic of the new, enlarged main road, the A386. This leaves Taddiport Bridge as the last of the original three pack horse bridges to remain of single track width and yet carrying a significant classified road linking Torrington with the country to the west.



Chris Hassall

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Memories of St. Peter’s Church, East the Water.

Posted on 08/07/2013 by Tango Alpha

This church was consecrated on Saturday June 28th 1890 by the Bishop of Exeter.    The cost of the site and building, over £2,000, was defrayed by the then Rector of Bideford, the Rev. Roger Granville.     At the conclusion of the service, a public luncheon was served at the Royal Hotel, and then the new cemetery at East the water was consecrated.

One of the greatest benefactors of the new church was Mr.C Strachan Carnegie of ‘Clevelands’, Northam (cousin of Andrew Carnegie who endowed Bideford LIbrary, and who opened the new library in 1906).     The stone from the building was obtained from a quarry at Cornborough and was built by Mr Glover of Abbotsham.     The church was built on the site of an allotment and a tollgate.


As the years passed the town of Bideford grew in size and the church was no longer able to accommodate them, and a larger meeting place was needed.


Sadly for numerous reasons St Peter’s Church has not been in use for some time and now the sale of the building has been completed. Many people will have very happy memories of their church at East the water.

Mike Davy.

Do you have any memories of St Peter’s Church? Please share them with us.

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Memories of Bideford Hospital.

Posted on 02/07/2013 by Tango Alpha

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 a junior hospital doctor, just registered! to be the sole senior house officer in residence. My wife and I lived in a two roomed flat above the casualty department with our baby son and our meals were cooked and brought up to us from the hospital kitchen each day. I was expected to be ‘on call’ except for one half day a week, (which ended at midnight) and the local GPs were on hand for help and advice. Mr. Stirk and Dr Hewetson did the major surgery and I was their assistant, while Dr Shaw and Dr Hunt did most of the anaesthetics.

Consultants from Exeter came regularly – Mr Capener for orthopaedics and Dr Brimblecombe for paediatrics, visiting the tiny children’s ward next to our flat. Dr King and Dr Smart (of Marwood Garden’s fame) were the physicians.


It would be true to say I became a better doctor in the next few months as casualty officer as well as my other duties. We had a patient with an adder bite and sent for anti venom from Exeter. I didn’t know how to give it, but happily one of the staff nurses had worked in India and told me how to inject it into the abdominal wall muscles. Another patient arrived one evening asking to have his ears syringed. I said I thought he should be going to his doctor as it was hardly an emergency. ‘I’m the catcher of the the trapeze artist in the local circus’ he said. I syringed his ears.


We used the stomach pump for overdoses, always a hairy moment, but I do recall someone from the shipyard at Appledore when the casualty floor was awash with cider. He must have drunk about a gallon! We also had a smallpox scare that year when there was a big catch-up with vaccinations, rather like the recent measles epidemic.


I left to work in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, prior to finding a general practice in Sussex and have only returned to our roots in the past eleven years, but Bideford has always been where we wanted to be.


Michael M Wilks M.B. MRCS. LRCP.D.Obt; MRCGP.



Bideford Hospital 1940

I spent some time in Bideford Hospital as a child.I lived in Orpington, Kent and suffered frequent sore throats so my Doctor thought I should have my tonsils out .As the 2nd World War had started my parents did not want me to be in hospital there and arranged for me to come to Bideford where some relatives had already moved.


I was about 7 years old and remember vividly my confusion and embarrassment being carried to the operating theatre with the back of the gown being apart and my posterior being visible to the other children! I didn’t much like having my hands held down when the anaesthetic was given either. Afterwards I was given thin bread and butter slices – with the crusts cut off! It was disappointing to find subsequent ones had the crusts on!


I was longing to get out of bed and play with the rocking horse and doll’s house, although I don’t remember doing so.


The girl in the next bed – the end one- had doctors to see her without at first drawing the curtains and I was fascinated to see that she had all sorts of tubes coming out of her. When they saw me looking they pulled the curtain and I could see no more; I often wondered what she had wrong.


My aunt by marriage, Phyllis Prentice, was a ward sister at Bideford hospital for some time before she became Sister Tutor before retiring. In her retirement she spent about a year as a patient- in the new buildings and did her best to keep the nurses on their toes!


Mary Maine



Jean Summers

I noticed in the June Buzz that you are hoping to run a feature on Bideford Hospital.

In 1975 my mum Jean Summers worked as one of the cooks alongside Mandy and Edna. I also worked as a kitchen assistant with Janet Evans,Joanne Moody,Sheila Mugford, Mary Mugford and a lady from Torrington (Dorothy Stapleton) and the Scottish gardener called Jock who lived at Fairy Cross. We had a lot of fun and laughter as my mum had a brilliant sense of humour.


After a while they shut the Bideford Hospital kitchen down, and re-opened it a few years later after refurbishing it. Hope you print this as my mum, who passed away last year in March, was a well liked lady.


Janet Summers

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Graham Frisby (1958-2013).

Posted on 02/07/2013 by Tango Alpha

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 he ran an art stall selling his pictures, or from seeing him around town. Graham and Becky both helped a lot with Buzz in its early days with distribution and typing.

It was obvious from the size of the congregation that there was a huge love and respect for Graham and his family. We sang the Devon Hymn (new to me) to the tune of Morning has Broken which summed up Graham’s love of the Devon countryside and all things rural.


Devon Hymn

Celebrate Devon. embracing Heaven,

Green fields and pastures, seaside and moor,

All that the Lord gives throughout the ages

Is ours to treasure from shore to shore.


Give God the glory! Sing Devon’s story

Glorious Devon, this we adore;

Poets and painters, seamen and farmers,

All these enrich us for evermore.


Walk on the highways,stroll in the byways.

Swim from the gold sands,cycle the lanes.

Cherish the beauty of field and flowers,

Churches and chapels, all God’s domain.


Heaven in Devon! Praise the creator

For all the past years and those to come.

Bells will ring out now all over Devon.

We shall praise God here Amen! Amen.

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Street art.

Posted on 23/06/2013 by Tango Alpha

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Some memories of World War 2 in Bideford.

Posted on 01/04/2013 by Tango Alpha

REME soldiers were stationed at Instow and many families made friends with them.

The church in Bridge St on a Sunday evening hosted by various churches would put on a singsong after church services, and somehow provided simple refreshments for those troops who liked to come. On the return from war service many were presented with a leather wallet inscribed with the Bideford coat of arms, together with a letter from the then Mayor, Mr WH Chubb, and either a ten shilling (50p) or a £1 note. The wallet and letter I still have, but not the monies I’m afraid.

My elder brother was a navigator, Flt. Lieutenant in the RAF,and flew 50 bombing raids, after which he became navigator to Sir Archibald Sinclair (air minister) and sometimes Sir Winston Churchill. Another important mission was to navigate the plane which flew Rudolf Hess for the Nuremburg trials from Scotland.

Many local lads came home rather sick from prison camps, which was very sad to see. My father was in the Home Guard during which he had one nasty experience from an exploding mine.

Kath Akerman nee Langland



Although I was very young during World war 2 Peter Christie’s articles brought back a few memories. I remember the bomb crater on Clovelly road as we kids looked for shrapnel, the bigger the lumps the better. However I am interested in the crash of a RAF Bomber on “round hill” East the Water. I was there at the time and I think that there were no survivors. Can you help me with this topic? Thank you
Peter (Australia)

There is a small permanent memorial to this event by the Tarka Trail. It gives brief details of date, aircraft, and crew ; I can take a photo next time & forward it to you, if that would be of interest. (Ed)

And a reply –

Dear Editor, re letter in April’s edition from Peter Lamprey (Australia)  I have some information from the Public Records Office at Kew, that I requested as “something to do” after I took early retirement due to ill health, always being interested in local history and having heard about the crash from older residents of ETW I decided to try and find out more, and here it is :

The record class AIR 27 covers Squadron Operation’s Record Book’s (or ORB’s).   The ORB for 407 Squadron Royal Canadian Airforce at RAF Chivenor in 1945 is (PRO Ref) AIR 27/1795.   This document is kept at the Public Record Office in Kew.   The ORB for 7 March 1945 records “Tragedy struck the squadron early this evening when F/L Ernie Duckworth J.25370 Pilot and Captain of “P” Peter, taking off shortly after 20.00hrs on a routine SE Homing Flight under perfect conditions, was unable to gain height because of engine trouble and crashed into a field near Bideford some minutes later.   There were six men on board the aircraft, of whom four were casualties (three were killed and one was badly injured).   The ORB states that the casualties may have occurred when the aircraft “in skidding along the ground went through one of those four to six feet thick walls of stone, dirt and shrubs which in this part of the country is known as a hedge” (written by a Canadian).   The names of the airmen who died are provided (they were all Canadian) : F/L E.V. Duckworth J 25370, P/OC.J. Butler  J88278, P/O Andrews J90251.

The ORB records that S/L C.W. Taylor DFC, Flight Commander, wrote a short poem in the Flight Daily Diary “to Commemorate the passing of the three of the best of the 407 breed”.   The words of the poem are recorded. ( I have not located this poem).

Hope it’s of some interest, not too boring.  I enjoy the Buzz very much, keep up the good work.

Brian Lacey, Sentry Corner.



The ‘Bowden Green Bombs’.

Readers who have been following my articles on the Bridge Trust during the Second World War may recall my saying that no bombs fell on any buildings in Bideford. Well, Ronald Joy, who now lives in Tavistock wrote to me with his eye-witness account of a bomb that greatly damaged his house at Bowden Green. During the war he was living at No.33 when ‘2 large bombs hit our house sideways on’. Ron describes how these ‘blasted all our windows out, and the glass was stuck in the walls opposite our windows. All our doors that were shut were blown off their hinges’, adding ‘the worst was the lath and plaster heavy ceilings all fell down’. Ron and his brother were both in bed at the time and were hit by this plaster – indeed Ron still has a scar on his wrist to this day. Ron’s sister Muriel was home on leave from the WAAFs at the time and received some cuts to her head – leaving her with a scar as well. The bombs (thought to be parachute mines) left two huge craters; one of them some 28′ across, which Ron and his friends later used as a ‘wall of death’ cycle track! The other was opposite the town waterworks up the road a little way. Apparently the borough council officials turned up and had felt roofing material put over the broken windows, causing Ron’s father to describe the interior as being ‘Dark as a cow’s gut’ – although later they were properly repaired with glass.

I was thrilled to read this account as war news was heavily censored in the local papers, and I have never seen the near-fatal effects of these bombs referred to anywhere else – so thank you to Ron for sharing his memories with us.

Peter Christie.

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Bideford Bridge goes to war – part 4.

Posted on 29/03/2013 by Tango Alpha

Peter Christie concludes his history of Bideford Bridge in World War 2

More notes from Frank Whiting’s reports.

That the Allies were winning the war is shown from an entry in April 1944 which reads, ‘Now that the Government have given sanction for all the sign posts to be re-erected again, I see no reason why the bronze tablet to commemorate the widening, should not be refixed again.’    Evidently the authorities had ordered its removal, probably back in 1940, to ensure invading Nazis didn’t know where they were.    A few months later, in September, 1944, Whiting was asking the Trustees to ‘consider the lighting of the Bridge’ after the black out regulations were lifted.

By 1945 it was clear that the war was being won – and long delayed repairs to the Bridge and the Trust properties began to be noted.    Thus in April ‘Various lengths of the Bridge coping of the parapet have been pointed in during the month.’    The May report then notes the painting of the ‘Lamp Standards’ on the Bridge, another harbinger of peace.

This May entry also notes a wonderful example of a ‘Jobsworth’ and how Whiting outsmarted him.    He records ‘Knowing you would like the Bridge lights on as soon as possible I sent a reply paid telegram to the Secretary of State asking if we could put them on for 1½ hours on VE [Victory in Europe] Day.   The reply was by wire was: “Bideford Blackout Area Lighting not permissible. Home Security”, which was rather what I expected.    On May 11th, three days after VE Day, the Blackout ban was lifted in Bideford and all coastal areas, and I asked the Gas Company if they could get the lights on that evening.    At 5 o’clock they told me they were ready to put them on but the Inspector would not allow it, as it would be contravening the Fuel & Power order that street lighting should not start till July 16th.    The Gas Company told him that the Bridge was private property, and he was surprised to hear that the Bridge paid for the lighting, but even so it was public lighting according to the law and he could not sanction it.    I went along and saw him and pointed out that after 5½ years the lighting would have to be tested, and I could not see why this could not be done at night as well as the day time, and further that a light each end were [sic] navigation lights and as the ban on shipping coming up the river at night had been lifted, these two would have to be on from sunset to sunrise. He accepted this and I believe the lighting was very much appreciated and quite a number of people went to the Bridge to see it.’

A month later he records how he had asked the ‘Regional Allocation Officer’ in Bristol for two masons and one labourer to carry out repairs to the Bridge – but the gentleman had cited the need to prioritise work on housing as a reason for rejecting his request.   Not to be thwarted he then wrote to the ‘Director General of Ministry of War Transport’ – who approved his request but told him to find the men himself.

On July 26th he asks the Trustees to bear with him as his architectural office ‘is going through a rather difficult time owing to the amount of Post War Housing to be done.’    He did, however, manage to survey the Bridge arches and in a very worrying reference notes that the ‘concrete cantilever between the arches Nos.8 & 9 on the South Side’ was cracked to such an extent that ‘I hardly know what is holding it up.’    One wonders if the lack of maintenance during the war was a contributory factor to the later collapse of the Bridge arches in 1968?

I have saved one intriguing entry to the end.    During the war salvage drives for paper and metal were common often being carried out by local school children.   This may be put forward as an explanation why Bideford has so few original pre-war railings.   Such losses were very visible but one wonders how many historical records were sent for salvage when we read from July 1943, ‘Mr.Langford has handed over to me the Bridge Rent Roll of 1830 and asked me to present it to the Bridge Trustees on behalf of the Grammar School. The son of Mr.Short of Bridgeland Street found it when looking over the paper salvage.’    There are sizeable gaps in the Bridge Trust archives, and we can only suspect they went for pulping ‘to help the war effort’.    Be that as it may, we can be thankful that Mr.Whiting’s reports have survived to give us this glimpse of a traumatic period in Bideford’s history.

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The original “Lost Shops” list.

Posted on 11/03/2013 by Tango Alpha

Here’s the original list, serialised in “Buzz” over the last few months.  Thank you to everyone who responded with their own memories and additions.

Listed below are some of the businesses that Bideford has lost over the last 50/60 years  –

A.F.Beer & son ,Builder

Bawden, Butcher, Mill Street

Braund, Shoeshop, Mill Street

Boyles, Outfitters High St

Bennet, Ironmonger Market Place

W Beer Builder, East the Water

Beers grocers, Market Place

Beers Grocers ,East the Water.

Bideford Wines, Old Town

Boyles Cycle Shop, Allhalland St

Briggs Shoeshop, High Street

Brights Antiques, Bridgleand Street

Burtons Stores, Grocer, High Street

Bus Office, Quay

Blackmores Shipyard,New Road.

Blackmores Depository, Quay

Bideford Shipyard, Bank End

Bus Garage, Bank End

Bagelows Hat shop, High St.

Bideford Radio Service, Bridgeland St

Baters Furniture, Mill St.

Bartletts Builders Merchant (Now Jewsons)

Braunds Florist, Handy Cross

Bridge Street Chapel

Bromleys Cafe, High St

Brian French Chiropodist & Baby shop

Burrows Electrical, Bridge St

Basil A’Court, Mill St Jeweller.

Bideford Building Society, Grenville St.

Bideford Gazette, Grenville St

Bideford Dairies, Kingsley Road

Bartletts Record Shop, Bridgeland St.

Brights Gift shop, Jubilee Square

Bristol & West Building Society, Quay

Chubb’s Wool shop

Charlie Broughs, Outfitter Market Place

Convent, Strand

Cordings Outfitters, Grenville St

Couches Tobacconist, Mill Street

Currys, High St

Cecilles, Bridgeland St

Cox,Builders,Pill.

Cycle shop North Road

Chopes, High St (Closing in January 2011)

Cattle Market, Meddon St and Bank End

Daymans, Hairdresser, High Street

Dawes Grocer, High Street

Denis Dymond, Market place

Devon Creameries, Mill Street

Devon Trading, East the Water

Derrigans, Butcher Mill St.

Daddy Yeos, North Road

Encore Electrical, Mill St

Eastmans Butcher, Mill St

Freeman Hardy & Willis, Shoe shop, High St.

Fogaty Newsagent ,Mill St

Ford & Lock, Supermarket, Mill St.

Florist, Mill St. (opp Gales)

Fraynes Stores, High Street

Friendship (then Mitchells) Bakery and Restaurant, Market Place

Elliotts Garage, Kingsley Road

Frisby Shoes, Mill St

Gents (& Ladies Toilets), Pill

Gazette Office, Grenville St.

Gas Showroom,Quay

GasWorks, East the Water

Glover, Furnisher, Market Place

Giddy, Butcher, Old Town

Grenville College, Abbotsham Rd

Gales Sports & Toys, Mill St.

Gubb, Baker, Meddon Street

Hepworths. High St.

Heath, Ironmonger, Market Place

Hold, Tobacconist, Mill Street

Holman and Ham, Chemist, Quay

Hopcraft, Hairdresser, Mill Street

Home & Colonial, Grocer, High St

Hold, Butcher, High Street

Heywood & Cock, Genville St.

Heards Garage Showroom, Quay

Heards Garage Service Bay, Cooper St

Hardings, Blacksmith, North Road

Hope Hearson, Fancy Goods, Mill St.

Hutchings Electrical, Pill

Hair Modes of Mayfair, Bridgeland St.

Hopkins Garage, Meddon St.

Insley, Photographer, High Street

International Stores, Mill Street, (now Co-op)

Isgard, Cobbler, Meddon St.

Jon Brown, Furniture & DIY, Market Place

Jenny Forbes Cafe, Quay

Johns Printers, Lower Gunstone

Johns, Saddler, Buttgarden Street

Johnstone’s, Chemist, Mill Street

Kingsbury Fisheries, Mill St.

Kingsley Decorators, Bridgeland Street

Kingsbury (Bert), Honestone Street

Knighton Delve, Motorcycles, Bridgeland St

Kingsley Hotel, Quay

Lang’s, Upholsterers, Grenville Street

Lets Go Travel, Mill St

Littlejohns, Photographer, Mill St.

Leno’s Fish and Chips, Old Town

Laundons, High St

London Central Meat, Mill Street

Luxton, Tobacconist, High Street

Marshall Verren, Grocer, Mill

Mace shop Old Town – Now Complete Computing

MacFisheries, High Street

Mackenzie Dye, Bookseller, Mill Street

Madges Garage, Clovelly Road

Market Inn, Honestone Street

Margarets Ladies clothes, Mill St

Ministry of Pensions & National Insurance. Quay

Michells Paint Shop. Meddon Street

Magistrates Court

Merediths, Ironmongers, High St

Mounce, Ladies Fashions, High Street

New Inn, Market Place

New Street demolished

Nicklins, Records, Mill St

Neville Pullen Chemist, Mill St

New Street, Demolished

Number 5, Ladies Fashions Bridgeland St

Northcott, Jeweller, Meddon Street

North Devon Farmers, New Rd

New Road Garage

Orange Tea Rooms, Quay

Palace Cinema, Bridgeland St.

Polypress Printer North Road

Pridham, Saddler. Grenville Street

Princes, Outfitter, Mill Street

Providence Row Demolished

Pullars of Perth, Dry Cleaners, Quay.

Puddicombe, Toy Shop, High St

Post Office, (when in High St)

Perkins. Florist. Quay

Pickfords Quay.

Radclift, Grocer, Chingswell Street

Red Line Shoe Shop,Grenville St.

Red House Cafe, Quay

Ron Lake, Motorcycle, North Road

Railway (station and Goods yard, and eventually whole railway)

Raleigh Garage, Kingsley Road

Ridge, Wine Merchants, High Street,(later R H Salmon,Applegates, Westminster Wine, Peter Dominic, and Finally Thresshers (in Mill Street)

Royal Mail Pub, (now Tavern in the Port,& since closed)

Ring ‘O’ Bells Pub,Honestone Street

Rose Birds Glass and China, Mill St

Red House Antiques, Bridgeland St,

Rendles Paint shop

Seage, Butcher, High Street

Strand Cinema

Stephens & Brain, Ironmongers, High St

Sanguins Shoes, High St.

SWEB Showroom, High St.

Swan Inn, Mill St.

Scotts Model Bakery, Quay

Schillers Fish and Chips, Lower Gunstone and New St (demolished)

Sudburys Gloves. Silver St.

Talbot Inn, High Street (recently)

Taylors China Shop, High Street

Taylor (Miss) Ladies Clothing, Meddon Street

Taylor, Hairdresser, Clovelly Road

Taylor’s Boot Repairers, Old Town

Truscotts Newsagents, Quay

Truscotts Jewellers, High St

Torridge Inn, Meddon St

Trapnells, Haberdashers, High St.

Tradesmans Inn, Cooper St.

Trumps, Florist, Mill St

Turner Chemist, Mill St

Webbs, Furnishers, Mill St.

Woolworths. High St.

Wickhams Wine, High St.

West Bank, Girls college, Belvoir

Wynne Olleys, Hair Dresser, Quay

Wine Bar, Bridgeland St – next to Lavington Church

Walters Newsagents, Mill St

Warmingtons Garage, Bridgeland Street

Whitefield, Grocer, Grenville Street

Worlds Stores, Market Place

NEW TO BIDEFORD : –

Morrisons, Supermarket

Tesco. Supermarket

Asda, Supermarket

Co-op supermarket, formerly Somerfield, formerly International

Atlantic Shopping Mall

Texaco Filling Station, formerly Elliotts.

Burton Art Gallery

Kays, Ladies Fashions, Mill St

Factory Shop, formerly Woolworths

Farm & Country Cottages, Quay

Crabby Dicks, Pub in Cooper St

New Toilets in Park

Car Sales, formerly Bideford Dairies

Spar, formerly Heards Garage Showroom

The premises listed above are most of the places that I can remember being in our town from approximately the 1950s and 1960s which have since disappeared. Other shops have opened in their places in some instances, but a lot have come and gone, and I have not included them as they made no lasting impression.

I hope that  this will prompt memories of older Bidefordians, and perhaps they’ll be able to add to this list.

Mike Hudson, Westleigh.

Posted in History, Local Business, Local People | Tagged , , | 46 Comments

Bideford Bridge goes to war – part 3.

Posted on 25/02/2013 by Tango Alpha

Peter Christie continues his history of Bideford Bridge in World War 2

More notes from Frank Whiting’s reports.

No more war items are recorded for seven months when, in March 1943, the minutes contain the following, ‘A matter I have been rather concerned about recently, but for which I cannot see the remedy – is that when large tanks are passing over the Bridge, ordinary traffic cannot pass them, and I have even seen a motor car pull on to the pavement within one foot of the parapet, and about a week ago an unloaded lorry did the same.    If a really heavy lorry did this I am not experienced enough to say if it would be safe.’

That he was right to be concerned is shown in August 1943 when he notes ‘I know there has been a tank & carrier cross the Bridge the total weight of which was 75 tons.’   Given that the current weight limit is 3 tonnes, one can only wonder how these leviathans strained the Bridge.    Whiting had contacted the engineers who supervised the widening of the Bridge in 1925 for advice, and they replied that ‘the Ministry of Transport, Bridge Dep. Were rating safe loads of numerous Bridges’ and they would ask them to quickly look at Bideford.

That this was necessary is seen in the October 1943 report which notes that the kerbing on the Bridge had been damaged by ‘American Tanks’, whilst the next month there is a lengthy entry on the same subject, ‘On Wednesday Nov 3rd last a Convoy of American Tanks went over the Bridge, and appeared to be driving so carelessly that Mr.Eggins the Assistant County Road Surveyor who saw them rushed to the Police Station to see if he could get Police supervision.    I happened to see the tanks myself and also Mr.Eggins.’   As a result of this Superintendent Melhuish turned up to view ‘this serious damage to Bideford Bridge.’    Rather bathetically he only suggested erecting a notice board at the end of the Bridge – presumably requesting military vehicles to drive more carefully.    The Trust evidently applied for compensation, but on December 27 1943 Whiting could only admit ‘I have heard nothing further from the United States Claims Office in connection with the account I sent them in.’

Newspaper cutting from 1940 shows the extent of the feeling against the publication ‘Peace News’ in wartime.

 

ALSO …………..

A model gift. (From Bideford Weekly Gazette June 5th 1945).

A presentation of great historical and educational value to the town has been made to Bideford Bridge Trustees by Alderman FE Whiting FRIBA , for the past twenty years warden of Bideford’s famous Long Bridge.    It consists of a 9ft 6 ins scale model of the Bridge showing the various stages of its reconstruction from circa 1280 when it was first built as a wooden bridge.

Alderman Whiting has taken six and a half years to complete the model, embodying all his knowledge gained during the past quarter of a century and all authentic records available. With photographs he has produced an accompanying illustrated guide to the model, and this is the most compact and informative history yet written and is unique in that it represents a visual, as well as literary history of the Bridge .. (Still on view in the Burton Art Gallery and Museum)

 

 

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Floods and salt marshes.

Posted on 26/01/2013 by Tango Alpha

All sorts of habitats have been affected by the floods this winter, and in many places it’s the human habitation in low lying areas that has been the most spectacularly damaged.
Then, when you see the thick red-brown colouration of the
flood waters raging down the Torridge and the Yeo,
you realise how many thousands of tons of good agricultural
soil are being washed away from the farm land upstream, and
this must have a bad effect on the productivity of the land in
the long term.   If anyone had the time to take aerial photographs of the estuary at the peak of the floods they would have shown the coloured river water fanning out into Bideford Bay on the falling tide, and all that suspended soil will have sunk down to the sea bed carrying nutrients, and fertilisers, with it to contribute to further algal blooms in the hot summer we confidently anticipate for next year.

One habitat that might be expected to be little affected by floods is that of the salt marshes that line the estuary and the tidal reaches of the rivers further upstream.   After all, they are routinely flooded by the spring tides twice a month, and their special flora depends on this regular inundation with salt water.    But while they are quite happy to be flooded, the salt marshes in the upper tidal reaches have suffered from the excessive rains of recent summers, because no sooner than they get their regular soaking with salt water than down comes the rain and washes all the salt away again.    Thus the special salt marsh plants like the little pink-flowered sea spurrey and the tasty samphire, that are specially adapted to thrive in a saline environment, are being smothered by coarse meadow grasses that could not survive under normal salt marsh conditions.

So, while all the tourist attractions are hoping for a hot, sunny, and above all dry, summer in 2013, their hopes are shared by the wildlife that depends on the salt marshes.   A good soaking in salt water every spring tide, and then left to dry out for the intervening weeks, will result in the special salt marsh plants spreading and the invasive coarse grasses dying out, to the benefit of all the salt marsh community.
Nice that the people and the wildlife can share the same desires once in a while !

Chris Hassall [Photo shows Samphire, (Salcornia)]

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

Posted on 26/01/2013 by Tango Alpha

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 of salt, 2 tablespoons  of unsweetened cocoa powder, 400g sugar, 240ml vegetable oil, 2 eggs, 240ml buttermilk, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, red gel food colouring,1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar,120ml of prepared plain hot coffee.
Cream cheese frosting
225g full fat cream cheese, softened,115g butter, softened,2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 500g icing sugar.

Method –
Preheat oven to 325.F, 170C, Gas 3.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and vegetable oil.
Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring (enough to make a pretty red colour) until combined.
Stir in the coffee and white vinegar.
Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients a little at time, mixing after each addition, just until combined.
Generously grease and flour two round 23cm cake tins.
Pour the batter evenly into each pan.
Bake in the centre  of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over-bake, as cake will continue to cook as it cools.
Let cool on a cooling rack until the tins are warm to the touch.
Slide a knife around the inside of the tins to loosen the cake..
Remove the cakes from the tins and let them cool.
While the cakes cool, make the frosting.
Put  softened cream cheese into large bowl.
Pour in milk, butter and vanilla extract.
Mix until well combined.
Pour in half of the icing sugar.
Mix until combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar.
Mix until smooth and fluffy.  If too stiff add milk a few drops at a time.

Frost the cake with cream cheese frosting when the cakes have cooled completely, sandwiching the cakes together and covering the top.

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One hundred years ago – February 1913.

Posted on 26/01/2013 by Tango Alpha

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 Jewell, May and Fisher among the crew, for Georgian bay with prospects of a fortune to be gained by fishing in the Canadian waters, they failed to take into account the draft of their ship as compared with the depth of harbours on  the bay.   After an adventurous trip across the Atlantic, the party found that they could not get their ship out of the Parry Sound harbour, and thus their golden dreams were blown away.    The expedition cost the three involved many thousands of dollars. Newbold was stranded in Toronto,  while the other members of the party departed for England.
Bideford Gazette 22nd January 1924.
Thanks to Mike Davy and Bideford Archives for this and for the reader  (anonymous) who brought it to our attention.(ed)

Also
One Hundred years ago – February 1913.
Parkham
The school was closed and the Church concert postponed on account of the epidemic of measles.

Hartland
The first twenty five loads of stone for building the new United Methodist Church were hauled from Thorn Quarry on Monday.   The horses and carts were provided gratis by Mr T Heard of East  Tithen and Mr W Heard of Moor.

South Pole Disaster
Terrible news reached London that although Captain Scott, the well known Devonian explorer had reached the South Pole on January 18th last year the party was overwhelmed by a blizzard on the return journey.    Captain Scott and the entire  (land) party perished.
The ‘Nimrod’, in which Lt Shackleton made his famous trip in search of the South Pole, is still laid up outside the Richmond Dry Dock .   She is fitted for both steam and sailing. Many have come to look at her since the news of Capt.Scott’s disaster.* Photo “Nimrod’ departing for the South Pole, 1907.

*  In connection –
The next meeting of the Bideford Group of the Devon Family History Society will be on Sat 16th February at the Burton Art Museum, Bideford, 2pm-4pm.   Our speaker will be Marie Helvin with her story of Harry Pennell and the Scott Expedition 1910-1912. Meetings are free and open to everybody.   Any queries then please contact Len Collum at 01237 472883.

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