Coordinates: 51°00′58″N 4°13′02″W / 51.0162°N 4.2171°W / 51.0162; -4.2171

Bideford
Bideford and River Torridge
Bideford  Bideford shown within Devon
Population	14,599 (2001 est.)[1]
OS grid reference	SS4426
District	Torridge
Shire county	Devon
Region	South West
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BIDEFORD
Postcode district	EX39
Dialling code	01237
Police	Devon and Cornwall
Fire	Devon and Somerset
Ambulance	South Western
EU Parliament	South West England
UK Parliament	Torridge and West Devon
List of places: UK • England • Devon

Bideford ( /ˈbɪdɨfərd/) is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.

History[link]

The River Torridge is spanned at Bideford by the 13th century Long Bridge, which has 24 arches all of different sizes. A New Year's Eve tradition was to try to run across the Long Bridge in the time it takes for the bells at nearby St. Mary's church to chime midnight.

In the 16th century Bideford was Britain's third largest port^{[citation needed]}. It was rumoured that Sir Walter Raleigh landed the first shipment of tobacco there, although this is a myth, as Raleigh was not, contrary to popular belief, the first to bring tobacco to England. In honour of Raleigh, several roads and a hill have been named after him in Bideford. Today the narrow town centre streets lead down to a tree-lined quay, which bustles with fishing vessels, cargo and pleasure boats. Ball clay and wood is the principal exports loaded onto boats at Bideford. The quay was refurbished, with completion in 2006, to provide flood control and also to incorporate a large fountain and modern public toilets.

The Bideford witch trial in 1682 involved three women, Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susannah Edwards, accused of witchcraft and resulted in the last ever hangings for witchcraft in England.

This area of North Devon was home to the author Charles Kingsley, and is where he based his novel Westward Ho!. A small seaside town, named after the book, was built after the book's publication. Westward Ho!, which is the only town in the United Kingdom that officially contains an exclamation mark in its name, is approximately three miles (5 km) from Bideford. A statue has been erected in honour of Kingsley by the town park's car park.

The city of Biddeford, Maine, USA, was named after the English town, using the original old English spelling. Also, the town of Bideford in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada, is named after the English town.

Transport[link]

Bideford is served by the Atlantic Highway and A386 roads. The nearest railway station is at Barnstaple 7.5 miles (12.1 km) away.

A ferry operates between Bideford quay and Lundy, which lies about 22 miles (35 km) away in the Bristol Channel. The same ship, the MS Oldenburg, also provides evening cruises from Bideford along the River Torridge in the downstream direction, M.S.Oldenburg is too big to pass through the Bideford Long Bridge.

Bus There are a number of bus services provided by Stagecoach South West, First Devon and Cornwall, and Beacon Bus:

• 21/21A NORTH DEVON WAVE - W.Ho!/Appledore - East the Water - Instow - Barnstaple - Ilfracombe (21A)
• 1/2 - W.Ho!/Appledpore - Instow - Barnstaple
• 315 - Barnstaple - Torrington - Crediton - Exeter
• 319 - Barnstaple - Abbotsham - Woolsery - Hartland
• 85 - Barnstaple - Holsworthy
• 118 - Barnstaple - Torrington - Okehampton - Tavistock
• 70 - Weare Giffard - Torrington
• 372 - Bradworthy
• 15/16 - Bideford Town Services to Atlantic Village/East the Water

Many routes are subsided by Devon County Council.

Railways[link]

Map of Bideford from 1937

In 1855 the Bideford Extension Railway opened, linking the town with Fremington, Barnstaple and beyond. In 1872 the railway was extended to Great Torrington and Bideford railway station was replaced with a new one nearer the town centre. Bideford's passenger train services ceased in 1965 and freight trains ceased in 1982^[2] Much of the course of the former railway has been re-used as part of the popular Tarka Trail footpath and cycleway. Parts of the route are also shared by the long-distance South West Coast Path footpath.

The Bideford Railway Heritage Centre were at first no longer operating the heritage railway Torridge Train along a short length of track at Bideford due to encroachment on the track bed by a housing development, However this has since been lifted and the Centre including the heritage track remain in place. The new Barnstaple Western Bypass is designed to allow the Barnstaple to Bideford section to be restored should the finance and wish ever exist.

Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway[link]

The Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway was an unusual and short-lived railway built entirely on this peninsula with no direct connection to the rest of the British railway network. The locomotives were fitted with skirts to protect pedestrians as at one point the line ran along the quay at Bideford. The line had eleven halts which largely served visitors wishing to enjoy the bracing air along the coast or the fine beaches around Westward Ho!. The railway, although authorised in 1896 was opened only as far as Northam by 1901 and finally opened to Appledore in 1908.

The railway fell into financial difficulties until in the First World War the War Department requisitioned all of its equipment for use in France. Bideford's 13th century Long Bridge was temporarily converted into a railway bridge to carry the locomotives and rolling stock onto the main line railway near Bideford Station.^[3]

East-the-Water[link]

The town of Bideford has grown to cover land on both sides of the River Torridge; the area located east of the river is known as East-the-Water. Much of the land that has been built on is drained marshland.

East-the-Water has its own primary school, local shops, a few factories, approximately 3 bars and pubs, a small health centre and a small industrial area consisting largely of locally owned businesses. The community also has its own community centre and association, both of which are self funding and run by a committee of local residents. A key historical feature is Chudleigh Fort, built by the Parliamentarian Major-General Chudleigh during the English Civil War.^[4] The area is surrounded by agricultural land.

Governance[link]

Bideford Town Council^[5] has 16 seats representing four unequal wards, North, South, East and South Outer. At the May 2011 local elections, seven Conservatives, three independents, two Liberal Democrats, two Labour and one Green were elected (there was one vacant seat).^[6] There is a mayor and Town Clerk. The town council received widespread attention in February 2012 when the High Court ruled that prayers as part of meetings were not lawful by the Local Government Act 1972.^[7]

Torridge District Council^[8] is the next level of local government and most decisions are made by Devon County Council.^[9] The local MP is the Conservative Geoffrey Cox and the MEP local aristocrat Tory Giles Chichester.

Bideford College[link]

Bideford College has approximately 1,650 pupils all of whom are in Years 7 to 11 plus sixth form, and is led by Principal, Ms Veronica Mathews,^[10] is the only local community secondary state school in Bideford. The college was granted specialist science status in 2004. Because of its specialist status, it receives extra funding from the government for extending its wide variety of educational activities. It is currently undergoing a £55 million project, £32 million of which was funded from the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, to build a new school on its existing site. The building works will be completed during the summer of 2010 and students will move in at the start of term in September*. Figures published by the UK Government in February 2008, show Bideford College had made significant improvements in the Key Stage 3 exams taken by 14 year old students. Over the previous four years (2004 to 2007) the school’s aggregate score for the exams in English, Maths and Science has risen from 177 out of 300 to 237. This placed Bideford College joint 21st nationally in the table of most improved secondary schools published by the DCSF. Bideford is also in the top 20 percent of schools nationally based on the progress made from Year 7 to Year 9.

*Note: The £55m project is now complete, and the new school includes a media suite, library, town square, sports hall, and a huge hall dubbed 'The Devon Hall'.

Sport and recreation[link]

Bideford has two King George's Fields, which are memorials to King George V. One field is used primarily as the home ground of the main local rugby union club, Bideford RFC (Chiefs) who currently play in the Tribute Western Counties West League.^[11] The other field, commonly referred to as The Sports Ground, is the home to Bideford AFC, the town's main local football club. East-the-Water also has its own football club, Shamwickshire Rovers FC, which plays at Pollyfield.

Bideford is renowned for its New Year's Eve celebrations, when thousands of people - most in fancy dress - from surrounding towns, villages and around the world gather on the quay for revelries and a fireworks display.^[12][13]

The South West Coast Path National Trail runs through the town, and gives access to walks along the rugged North Devon coast.

Local media[link]

Local radio is provided by Heart North Devon, the station was originally called Lantern FM and was based in Bideford in a building named "the Lighthouse", it later moved to an industrial estate in nearby Barnstaple. In April 2009 the station was rebranded as part of the Heart Network losing the long standing Lantern FM name. In August 2010, the station was merged with its sister operations in other areas of Devon and all operations moved to new studios in Exeter and the station was renamed Heart Devon, as a result, numerous members of staff at Barnstaple were made redundant.

Bideford have three main local newspapers, the North Devon Gazette and the North Devon Journal which are published weekly, and the Bideford Post which is published monthly. The Gazette was founded in Bideford, and was originally known as the Bideford Gazette. It is now a free newspaper, delivered to most local homes, and is now based in Barnstaple. The regional daily paper, the Western Morning News, is also available. A local newsletter, the 'Bideford Buzz,' is published monthly by a team of volunteers, and has its own website at www.bidefordbuzz.org.uk

Notable people[link]

Admiral Bedford Clapperton Trevelyan Pim was born here in 1826. Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susanna Edwards of the town were the last people to be hanged for witchcraft in England. Edward Capern (1819–1894), known as "the rural postman of Bideford", published four volumes of verse and was given a Civil List pension. Cricket umpire David Shepherd was born in the town but at the time of his death resided in neighbouring Instow. Stuart Anstis, one time lead guitarist with black metal band Cradle of Filth went to School in Bideford, and now runs a guitar shop there. Derry Brownson, formerly of the band EMF is frequently seen around town and helps run a music studio in the town called Yard 1 studios. Actor Joss Ackland lives near Bideford. T. V. Smith and Gaye Advert, from the punk band The Adverts, are from the town. Crime fiction author Hilary Bonner was also born and raised in the town. Bristol Rovers Defender Gary Sawyer was born in Bideford.

Twinning[link]

The town is twinned with Landivisiau in France.

On 20 October 2006, British ex-patriate David Riley came to mark the “20-year link” between Manteo on Roanoke Isalnd, North Carolina, and Bideford. The Bideford town clerk, George McLauchlan, told him that locals had never heard of Manteo and the only town Bideford was twinned with was in France. Mr Riley handed over a clock to "celebrate" the twenty year link, while the Manteo Town manager Kermit Skinner said the link started in the 1980s during the 400th anniversary of Walter Raleigh’s voyages to America.

It turns out the 'twinning' of Bideford with Manteo had been established 20 years before. But the story goes back much further, 500 years, to the mysterious disappearance of a colony of more than 100 people on Roanoke Island, many of whom were migrants from Bideford. The colony was established by Richard Grenville, who bought back two native Indians, one of them Manteo which gave the North Carolina town its name.^[14][15]

See also[link]

• Henry de Bracton

Notes[link]

References[link]

• McCurrach, Ian (2002-12-08). "TravelEtc: Ring in the New". The Independent on Sunday (Independent News & Media). 
• Prince, Dominic (2005-12-17). "Top 10 New Year Crackers". The Daily Mail (Daily Mail and General Trust). 
• Coles, John (21 October 2006). "Massive clock up in Bideford". The Sun (News International). http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006480884,00.html. Retrieved 2006-10-21. 
• "Gifts from an undiscovered US twin town". The North Devon Gazette (Archant Regional). 18 October 2006. http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/northdevongazette/news/story.aspx?brand=NDGOnline&category=news&tBrand=devon24&tCategory=newsndga&itemid=DEED18%20Oct%202006%2013%3A10%3A50%3A900. Retrieved 2006-10-21. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bideford

• Bideford at the Open Directory Project
• Bideford Town Council

v t e Towns, villages and hamlets in the Torridge District of Devon, England Alfardisworthy · Appledore · Bideford · Bradworthy · Buckland Brewer · Bucks Mills · Bulkworthy · Clovelly · Dolton · Great Torrington · Halwill · Hartland · Holsworthy · Huntshaw · Langtree · Little Torrington · Newton St Petrock · Northam · Milton Damerel · Peters Marland · Petrockstowe · Pyworthy · Quoditch · Stibb Cross · Tetcott · Welcombe · Westward Ho! · Woolfardisworthy

Bennie Owen
Sport(s)	Football, basketball, baseball
Biographical details
Born	(1875-07-24)July 24, 1875 Chicago, Illinois
Died	February 26, 1970(1970-02-26) (aged 94) Houston, Texas
Playing career
1897–1899	Kansas
Position(s)	Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football 1900 1901 1902–1904 1905–1926 Basketball 1908–1921 Baseball 1906–1922	Washburn Michigan (assistant) Bethany (KS) Oklahoma Oklahoma Oklahoma
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1927–1934	Oklahoma
Head coaching record
Overall	155–60–19 (football) 113–49 (basketball) 142–102–4 (baseball)
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Championships 2 SWC (1915, 1918) 1 MVIAA (1920)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1951 (profile)

Benjamin Gilbert Owen (July 24, 1875 – February 26, 1970) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Washburn College, now Washburn University, in 1900, at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas from 1902 to 1904, and at the University of Oklahoma from 1905 to 1926, compiling a career college football record of 155–60–19. Owen was also the head basketball coach at Oklahoma from 1908 to 1921, tallying a mark of 113–49, and the head baseball coach at the school from 1906 to 1922, amassing a record of 142–102–4. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1951.

Early life and playing career[link]

Owen was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1875 and his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri when he was 12. After he finished school, his family again moved, this time to Arkansas City, Kansas. There Owen served as an apprentice to a local doctor for three years. He then enrolled in the University of Kansas in 1897 to pursue his medical studies and he soon discovered his knack for football.^[1]

Owen played football at Kansas under two excellent, but contrasting coaches. Wylie G. Woodruff, an All American player from the University of Pennsylvania came to Kansas to coach football in the fall of 1897. Owen got a part time job working as a medical assistant for Woodruff and it was Woodruff who encouraged Owen to try out for the Kansas football team. Owen played under Woodruff for two seasons. Woodruff specialized in a tough, hard-hitting style of football. Woodruff's message to his players was "hurdle the wounded, step on the dead." Woodruff was released at the end of the 1898 season and Kansas hired Fielding H. Yost from the University of Nebraska. Unlike, Woodruff, Yost's style of football was based on innovation, speed, and cunning. Owen was the star quarterback for Yost's undefeated 1899 team.

Coaching career[link]

Upon graduating from Kansas, Owen took his first head coaching job at Washburn College. Following a one year stint there, he spent the 1901 season as Yost's assistant at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, he helped Yost develop the famous "Point-a-Minute" teams built around halfback Willie Heston.^[2] Owen got his first exposure to the Oklahoma football team while head coach at Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. His Bethany Swedes met and defeated two Sooner teams in 1903 and 1904.^[3]

Owen took over the Oklahoma football team in 1905, succeeding one-year coach Fred Ewing. He stepped in and immediately turned the fledgling team around, giving Oklahoma its very first win over the rival Texas Longhorns. Owen was loved by the players as he regularly would involve himself in scrimmages when he felt his players were lagging.^[2] Owen's first two years at Oklahoma were spent back and forth between Norman and Arkansas City. Due to a reduced financial budget, Owen only remained on campus during the football season. In 1907, Owen lost his right arm in a hunting accident.

Early in Stratton D. Brooks's tenure as president of the University of Oklahoma, Owen was fired by the state legislature. They believed his salary of $3,500 was far too great for an athletics coach and used the loss of his arm as an excuse for dismissal. They recommended he be terminated and shortly thereafter, he was. However, when Brooks heard of this news, he quickly got the decision rescinded. Owens did not learn of his "dismissal" until a week after his "re-hiring."^[4]

Owen's undefeated team of 1915.

Early in Owen's tenure as head coach, funding for athletic teams were very much an issue. Due to costs involved in travel, Owen's teams would regularly go out on long, grueling road trips. In 1905, his Sooners played three games in five days and in 1909 they played three games in six days.^[5] Owen is also known for introducing the forward pass to football in the Southwestern United States.^[5] This allowed his team to quickly score against lesser opponents. In 1911, his team defeated Kingfisher College, 104–0. Largely because of their accomplishments during Owen's era as head coach, the Oklahoma Sooners have scored the most points of any team in college football history. In 1,154 games through the 2009 season, the Sooners have scored 30,897 points with over 5,000 of those being contributed by Owen's teams. Owen's Sooners twice scored over 150 points in a game and won three games in 1915 by a combined score of 258–0. Owen's overall record at Oklahoma was 122–54–16. Along with Bud Wilkinson, Barry Switzer and Bob Stoops, he is one of four coaches to win over 100 games at the University of Oklahoma. No other college football program has had more than three coaches accomplish the feat.^[6]

In addition to coaching football, Owen also spent 13 seasons as the Oklahoma men's basketball head coach. In those 13 years, he won nearly 70% of his games, had two undefeated seasons and only two losing seasons.^[7]

Honors and death[link]

While the name of the Oklahoma football stadium is the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, they originally played at Boyd Field during Owen's tenure and later moved and renamed Owen Field in his honor. The playing surface itself still retains the name Owen Field and many still refer to the stadium as a whole as such. Owen was a charter member of the College Football Hall of Fame, elected in 1951.^[8] He died February 26, 1970 in Houston, Texas at age 94.

Head coaching record[link]

Football[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Bennie Owen at the College Football Hall of Fame
• Bennie Owen at the College Football Data Warehouse
• Bennie Owen at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Brian Christopher Broad, usually known as Chris Broad (born 29 September 1957, in Knowle, Bristol)^[1] is a former English cricketer and broadcaster who currently serves as a cricket official. As an opening batsman, he played 26 Test matches for England and scored six centuries, together with 34 One Day International matches with a respectable over 40 average. He is known largely for his feats during the 1986/87 Ashes series where he hit three centuries in consecutive Tests, and for his fiery demeanour at the crease.

Broad's children are both involved in cricket. His son Stuart is an all-rounder who, like his father, represents both England and Nottinghamshire, while his daughter Gemma is a performance analyst with England's One-Day squad.^[2] Cricket correspondent Colin Bateman noted, "Chris Broad pressed the self-destruct button on a career that promised so much. His lack of self-control at the crease brought a sad end to his reign as England opener at the age of 30, when he should have been enjoying his prime years."^[1]

Early life and domestic career[link]

Born in Knowle, Bristol to parents Ken and Nancy, Broad suffered from osteomyelitis at the age of 15, which delayed his development as a cricketer.^[3] His first-class debut came for Gloucestershire in 1979 and he secured a permanent place in the team the following summer.^[3] As well as Nottinghamshire, he also played for Orange Free State. Returning to Gloucestershire in 1993,^[1] Broad retired at the end of the 1994 season with a hip injury.^[3]

International record[link]

Broad made his Test debut for England in 1984, in the second Test match against the West Indies at Lord's. Opening the batting with Graeme Fowler, Broad scored 55 in an opening partnership of 101 runs. Fowler went on to score 106 runs, however England were bowled out for 286. The West Indies reached 245 in response. England's second innings began poorly, Broad being dismissed for a duck having faced only nine balls, and the West Indies reached the 342 run target set for them thanks to 214* from Gordon Greenidge.^[4] Broad therefore averaged 27.50 in his debut Test match.^[5]

Broad opened in the next Test match against the West Indies at Headingley, Yorkshire beginning on 12 July 1984, scoring 32 and two.^[6] He scored 42 and 21 in the next Test, and four and 39 in the final Test of the series,^[6] ending his first series with 195 runs at 24.37.^[7] Broad then played one Test match against Sri Lanka, scoring his highest score thus far, 86 in a drawn Test match.^[6] Broad did not play for England again until 14 November 1986 during the 1986 Ashes series. He began quietly with eight and 35*, however in the second Test at Perth he scored 162 and 16.^[6] He then scored 116 and 15* at Adelaide, 112 at Melbourne and six and 17 in Sydney.^[6] He ended this Ashes tour with 487 runs and three centuries from nine innings.^[7] He scored centuries in three consecutive matches, only the eighth Englishman at the time to have achieved this feat (four more have achieved it subsequently).^[8]

At this time Broad made his One Day International debut in 1986, against Australia in Perth, Western Australia where he scored 76 and England won by 37 runs.^[9]

In his only tour of Pakistan in 1987. Broad was severely reprimanded by the tour manager after refusing to walk when given out caught behind in the second innings of the Lahore Test match.^[10] Broad had stood his ground and almost a minute elapsed before Gooch persuaded him to go. The game was marred by numerous allegations of unfair dismissals by the umpires. Mike Gatting, the England captain, let his views on these decisions be known, both on the pitch and in the press conference after the day's play.^[11]

He was dropped ostensibly for a lack of form, but it was also widely viewed that the England management did not agree with his temperament - he famously knocked his stumps out of the ground after being bowled in the 1988 Sydney Bicentennial Test. He was fined the maximum permitted (£500) by the tour manager. Broad last played for England in the second Test against Australia in 1989, having played in 25 Test matches with a high score of 162 and an average of 39.54. Unusually, he made all of his centuries outside England - four in Australia, one in New Zealand and one in Pakistan.

Broad was a member of the unofficial and controversial 1990 rebel tour to South Africa

Test official[link]

In 2003, Broad became an ICC Test official, acting as match referee for Test matches and One Day Internationals, including the first match of the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal and serving as match referee in the World Cup Super Eights game between the West Indies and Australia.

Broad was the match referee for the Second Test of the Sri Lanka in Pakistan series,^[12] and was in a convoy of vehicles that was attacked by terrorists in the 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team.^[13] During the attack he allegedly risked his life to protect an injured umpire. He and umpire Simon Taufel subsequently criticised the level of protection provided to officials and players, saying in a press conference, "We were promised high levels of security and in our hour of need that security vanished".

Achievements[link]

Test cricket[link]

Performance against each opponent[link]

Opponent	Matches	Innings	Not out	Runs	High Score	100	50	Average
Australia	8	14	2	708	162	4	0	59.00
New Zealand	3	4	0	204	114	1	1	51.00
Pakistan	7	13	0	397	116	1	2	30.53
Sri Lanka	1	1	0	86	86	0	1	86.00
West Indies	6	12	0	266	55	0	2	22.16
TOTAL	25	44	2	1661	162	6	6	39.54

First-class centuries[link]

The Broad Appeal[link]

Broad's second wife, Miche, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in May 2009.^[2] She took her life the following year in July.^[14] Together with his children Stuart and Gemma, Broad established the charity The Broad Appeal in February 2011 to raise both awareness of and funds for MND.^[14]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Cricinfo Player Profile : Chris Broad
• Profile at Jon Holmes Media Ltd.
• Official Website of The Broad Appeal

v t e England squad – 1987 Cricket World Cup (runners up) 1 Gatting (c) 2 Athey 3 Broad 4 DeFreitas 5 Downton (wk) 6 Emburey 7 Foster 8 Gooch 9 Hemmings 10 Lamb 11 Pringle 12 Robinson 13 Small