HMS JAGUAR

At the invitation of the Navy, parties of school children and holiday makers have been looking around HMS Jaguar, an anti-aircraft frigate, which anchored off Teignmouth this week. As a compensation for some of the worst holiday weather on record, visitors have been able to board the ship and get a first hand idea of what life is like for the 248 crew. On Monday, groups from local schools and the Teignmouth Sea Scouts were take on a four-hour cruise. Mr Ronald Doel, chairman of the committee, paid tribute to the management of the Royal Hotel when they helped members of the crew when they were stranded because of the fog.

SICK GANNET

A sick gannet was found on the beach last weekend and handed over to Mr Ernie Chapman, who runs a sea food shop near the New Quay. The bird is weak, and until it is fit to fly again, he is keeping it in his loft on the premises. The main problem is feeding. Normally gannets dive into the sea to catch their fish underwater. Mr Chapman thought of putting sprats in a bucket of water. It may not be exactly what the bird has been used to, but it is better than force feeding.

Gannets eat about 30 sprats every day. ‘It doesn’t bother me,’ he said, ‘I’ve got 1 cwt in my deep freeze.’

22-SEATER BICYCLE

The Rotary Club and the Round Table held a night of races on the longest bicycle in the world, on June 23. Unfortunately, the front axle broke in the course of one of the races, so they decided the remaining teams should have a walking race round The Den. The results were inconclusive, so it was agreed that the first prize of five gallons of Watneys Red should be drunk forthwith by all the competitors.

SLUMS SURVEY

The Public Health and Housing Committee of the Urban Council agreed that the housing officer Mr Peter Langston and his department should carry out the best possible survey of slums and older properties in the town. Mr Ronald Doel observed: ‘The Department of the Environment must realise that with re-organisation coming along, most authorities have a terrific lot of work to do.’  Mr Arthur Bladon said: ‘I think we can get over our own problem, but the rest is going to be a terrible task.’

CLAY DUST

Dear Sir: At an open meeting of the council and the clay industry some months ago, I asked ‘when was the clay industry going to stop making a mess and dust at the docks?’ The reply from the director was, and I quote: ‘Due to the very fine summer and dry weather, the dust was excessive and thus unusual.’ He was, of course, referring to the last summer. Now the council are to protest about the filth and dust made during the wettest summer for 100 years.

As for swilling down the docks and polluting the river, it is not an acceptable answer. Do we want Teignmouth to become similar to that infamous port and surrounding countryside some miles further down the coast, where the sea is polluted and the beaches ruined, where the rivers can no longer support any life and are nothing more than sewers, where the land and property values are below zero?

V S Clarance, Clarance House, Marine Parade, Shaldon.

RIVIERA CINEMA

Sunday for seven days: Sean Connery as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever.