Shopping - October-December 2001
Twenty five years ago just as the foot and mouth disaster was coming to a conclusion the horrific September 11th (9/11) attack on the World Trade Centre in New York was foremost on the world stage. Locally this led to a panic about possible terrorist attacks and the Army and Navy store on Rolle Quay in Barnstaple sold out of anything resembling a gas mask.
Pupils from Grenville College wanted to do their bit to help people who had suffered from the attack and so the proceeds from a fashion show featuring clothes from Gems of Bideford will be donated to the Red Cross in aid of the relief fund.
Many stories begin to feature Christmas planning for parties and bookings had to be made. How many of these places are still trading 25 years later?
Coach companies were organising trips to cities as Christmas shopping got underway – so there is nothing unusual about Christmas starting early! I think now the consensus is that Christmas should not start before Remembrance Day on 11th November. Then anything goes.
It is interesting to see the “What’s On” Listing for October.
And also the Classified Ads. Be honest, how many of us used to turned to the Ads straight away when we got the paper to see if there were any bargains?
A trend for cheeky calendars was started by the Rylstone and District Women’s Institute in North Yorkshire in 1999. The film Calendar Girls was based on this story. As you can see the regulars of the White Hart in Bideford were happy to carry on the theme for charity.
25 years ago people were writing to the paper bemoaning the urban sprawl that was engulfing the landscape. This correspondent points out that it is government plans that set the pace for planning and it is no good blaming the planners who have very little power in the matter. Two things remain the same today, the government set the pace for development and the planners get the blame.
Another theme that is still very contentious today is that we all know that renewable energy must be the main source of power for the country in future but nobody wants the infrastructure anywhere near them. 25 years ago wave power was seriously considered. Major advantages would be that the infrastructure is off shore out of sight and that waves never stop. Wave power was experimented with off the coast of Orkney, the unit looked like a giant snake moving through the sea. Apparently it is still being experimented with and has not yet been produced commercially. Perhaps we should try a bit harder with it.
Mindful of the need for public transport from East the Water the council put on a bus on an experimental basis to take people to the still functioning Pannier Market.
Unfortunately the bus was not taken up and withdrawn shortly after.
Many communities were losing their shops, post offices and pubs 25 years ago and people thought that this took the heart out of villages. Monkleigh reviewed their community in the year 2000 and decided that a shop and village centre were needed so they set about providing one. A huge effort was put into it and the Community Shop opened in November with the aim of being convenient for local people and providing an outlet for local producers.
The Torrington bonfire tradition of building a huge and impressive structure was started in 1970 according to this article. In the millennial year the Great Fire of London was recreated. This article talks of a smaller scale event for the year 2001. Therefore the Torrington Cavaliers must be extremely pleased that huge fires and themes have been back for a while.
There will not be a fire in 2026 but next year on Saturday 28th August 2027 a life sized replica of the White House will go up in flames with the aim of raising £150,000 for local charities. American themed entertainment will run throughout the town. What a wild and splendid tradition.
As Halloween is still in the air we can look back with this story. The Big Sheep was full of good ideas in 2001. Here is an army of pumpkins being carved by visiting children at a time when we celebrate ghouls and ghosts. The pumpkin tradition is of course a fairly modern adaptation. Many of us will remember carving turnips in our childhood. The whole idea reaches back thousands of years even before Christianity when people felt closer to their ancestors when the veil is thin between this world and the next, conjoured up by mists, dark nights and owl activity. When Christianity arrived on these shores the festival was transformed into All Saints Day November 1st and All Souls on November 2nd which also commemorate the dead. When this country split from the Catholic Church Guy Fawkes night 5th November enabled this festival to continue in a Protestant world. It is fitting indeed that Remembrance Day falls at this time of year on November 11th, commemorating, of course the end of World War I but also these days a chance to think of all those who have gone before us.
And so we move into December 2001.
For the first time in many years a Christmas Tree was provided for the village of Westward Ho! by the resident’s association with generous donations from local traders. It was dedicated with a short service and singing of carols accompanied by mulled wine and mince pies. Special celebrations are also described at Appledore led by the Appledore Pirates.
J Collins the Antique shop held a sale, just in time for Christmas, at it’s high street shop. At the same time the family business announces that it will focus on restoration work more in future. How sad to see that the shops on the Pill Road and Charles Avenue have now closed and the business is gone from the town.
To end this look at 2001 on an upbeat note this story focuses on the positives of life in Bideford. At an exhibition at Atlantic Village, which will move to the Pannier Market for Christmas week schools have entered art works to celebrate their impressions of life in the town. Which is indeed a great place to live.
