► HURRICANE

Winds gusted up to hurricane force of more than 80 mph off Berry Head. Teignmouth was only lightly affected, but caused a great deal of anxiety to people living in the higher parts of the town, and the marquee erected for Remembrance Day Service was blown down.

Mr E A Marschner, who takes the weather records for the Teignmouth UDC, said: ‘I cannot remember a gale of this severity since I came to Teignmouth 15 years ago.’ He compared it with an official report of one which occurred between March 8 and 16, 1905. ‘On the Wednesday night, the town felt the force of the most terrific hailstorm known here. The hailstones were quite two and a quarter inches in circumference.

The experience under a corrugated iron roof can be imagined. Inhabitants of the lower part of the town had their windows cracked by the hailstones. One house on the Den had 35 cracked. At Shaldon, several hailstones were three inches in circumference. Two hundred windows were broken, and at the Wesleyan Chapel, 30 were smashed.’

► COW FILTH

Bishopsteignton’s Parish Council received a letter regarding the fouling of the entrance to Shute Farm. The filth occurred when the cows came back to the farm and could not be contained on the road. Mr Bond also reported cow’s droppings on the footpath by the pillar box at the end of Cockhaven Road, and it was agreed to ask the County Council to put railings round the verge at this point.

► BEARDED BOXER

Without a glove being raised, J Hunting of the Teignmouth club won the lightweight title at the Devon Novices Championships at the Carlton Theatre last Saturday. Just before he and J Vallejo entered the ring, it was found that the Plymouth Virginia House boy was sporting a beard, and he was disqualified.

► DANCE AUDITION

Katie Bierman (aged 12 years), a pupil of the Spencer-Edwards School of Dancing, has been successful in passing audition in London for the Arts Educational Schools. Katie will be attending the boarding school at Tring Park, Herts, in September 1973.

► TYRE THEFT

Making a routine inspection of Barton Hill car park at Dawlish at midnight, PC G Barry had a radio message calling him away. But before he left, he made a note of an Austin mini car which had attracted his attention. When he returned at 2am,  he saw that the rear-near-side wheel of a blue mini, near to where the Austin had been parked two hours earlier, was missing and the near side was resting on its brake drums.

Another officer, PC W Weare,  saw the Austin in Dawlish. When the driver was stopped and asked if he had been in Barton Hill car park the previous night, he eventually said: ‘All right. I took it.’ Later, he said that he had four cross-ply tyres on his car and one radial. He wanted a set of five cross-ply tyres.

The magistrates were told that he had just completed his boy’s service in the Army and had become a combat engineer. His adjutant and colonel were anxious to retain him. ‘He must be a very good soldier. I hope that this will be the last stupid offence he will commit.’

► WISE WORDS

It is difficult to keep quiet if you have nothing to do. The true may be sometimes not quite like the truth. It is better to love two too many than than one too few.

► RIVIERA CINEMA

Friday and Saturday: How to Steal a Diamond. Sunday and Monday: Monty Python’s And Now For Something Completely Different. Tuesday for five days: Barbara Streisand and Ryan O’Neal in What’s Up, Doc?