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Tag Archives: Bideford
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
A brief history of the Palladium Club.
The Club began life in 1919 as the stables for the Heavitree Inn. In 1926 it was the Palladium Cinema and the ticket office was situated where Patts’ Fruit and Vegetable shop now is in Mill St. Later it became … 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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Christmas in Nineteenth-Century Bideford.
by Liz Shakespeare. Today, our local newspapers are full of advertisements for Christmas presents, Christmas events and Christmas meals, but when we look at the newspapers of the nineteenth century, it is apparent that the festival was a less commercial … Continue reading
Posted in History
Tagged Bideford, Bideford Gazette, Christmas, Liz Shakespeare, North Devon Journal
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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
Freemasonry in Bideford.
‘Buzz’ has been very fortunate to receive various donations from Bideford’s Freemasons. They are well known for their charitable work and many local organisations have benefited from their fund-raising. I asked Peter Christie what he could tell us about the … Continue reading
A Nineteenth-Century Bideford Doctor.
William Henry Ackland was born in Bideford in 1825 and was the son of a doctor. His father, also William Ackland, had been apprenticed to a surgeon and apothecary in Bideford, but William Henry trained at University College Hospital in … Continue reading
Posted in Health, History
Tagged Bideford, Charles Kingsley, Dr. W. H. Ackland, Liz Shakespeare
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Bideford Home Guard, 1943.
Rear row – Ptes S Laird, P Cloke, WE Voden, CMS Gosling, Sgt. R Featherstone, Pte. TD Frayne, Cpl. GR Hill, Ptes FJ Clements, G Waldron, J Lock, Cpl. F Stacey, Pte R Raymont, Cpl. EJ Moyes. Third row – … Continue reading
More about the Bridge Trust.
Having talked about how the Trust came to be set up and its involvement with property in the town I will now discuss the very wide range of things the Trust has funded. Trustees have always been interested in … Continue reading
About the Bridge Trust.
As promised, and following on from my introduction to the Bridge Trust, I will discuss some of the history of the body. No-one knows when the Trust was set up but it must have been soon after the Bridge was … Continue reading
An 1844 view of Bideford.
“BIDEFORD (ST. MARY), a sea-port, incorporated market-town, and parish, having separate jurisdiction, and the head of a union, locally in the hundred of SHEBBEAR, Great Torrington and N. divisions of DEVON, 39 miles (N. W. by W.) from Exeter, and … 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
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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The font in St. Mary’s parish church, Bideford.
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 … Continue reading
Crossing the Torridge – 11 bridges between Bideford & Torrington !
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 … Continue reading
Posted in Environment, History
Tagged Bideford, railway, river Torridge, Rolle Canal, Tarka Trail, Torridge bridges, Torrington
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