April 19 - 26
10:11am Monday 21st April 2008
This week in 1988:
Facelifts for down-at-heel and derelict shop fronts are a key feature of a major revival plan for Worcester's Lowesmoor area.
It has been produced by Ian McConaghy architects and sets the scene for the drafting of more detailed and definite proposals. Among the advocated measures are a comprehensive and co-ordinated improvement of all shops along Lowesmoor, incentives to encourage the upgrading of derelict or rundown properties, the residential use of vacant upper floors and the eventual pedestrianisation of the street with seats and greenery.
New and imaginative uses for the old Vinegar Works are also suggested.
* Worcester Bridge will soon be lit up at night on a permanent basis. The city council's planning committee has agreed to commission Philips Lighting to produce a flood-lighting scheme for the historic Severn span this spring at a cost of about £21,500. The firm is considering installing 24 floodlights, mounted in pairs in the centre of the bridge arches and pointing downwards.
This week in 1978:A motorist could not believe his eyes as he drove along the Worcester-Bromyard Road on a cold January night. The headlights of his car picked out a man jogging along the road - completely naked.
John Taylor of Fern Croft, Bringsty Common watched in amazement as the man eventually disappeared along a side lane. At Worcester County Magistrates Court on Monday, a 35 year-old Birmingham shop manager admitted behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace. He claimed he had been bird watching. He was bound over in the sum of £100 to be of good behaviour for 12 months.
* The wooden huts in Worcester's Sansome Walk which have served the county's motorists for the past 30 years as the local motor taxation offices, closed their doors to the public last week. The service is being moved to nearby Haswell House. This week in 1968:
Pershore Festival Committee has abandoned plans to produce the controversial play Oh, What a Lovely War! at its festival in June. It is understood that objections were raised when the script was read.
* Family planning advice and treatment for teenage couples, currently thrust into marriage by force of circumstances, would save the country thousands of pounds by eliminating the burden of unwanted children, said Alderman EJ Broughton at yesterday's meeting of the Worcestershire Health Committee. He added: "Nowadays youngsters of 15, 16 or 17 are having to get married because there is a baby on the way and I have been amazed how many of these couples have three or four children around before they reach anything like the age of 21.
"Therefore, I am convinced that any money invested by us to bring family planning advice to these young people would be very well spent."
However, the committee voted decisively to continue its ban on family planning advice for pupils in the county's schools.
This week in 1958:Worcestershire County Cricket Club is to get £3,000 from its Supporters' Association to help with team building. WE Poulton, chairman of the association, said: "We hope the club will take advantage of this offer and try to build a super team." County captain Peter Richardson said that Worcestershire coming bottom but one in the county championship last season had been a huge disappointment. The team did need strengthening. He said: "A side is always as good as its reserves and I admit our staff is a little on the thin side."
Sir Geoffrey Tomkinson, president of Worcestershire CCC, was rather more blunt in his statement. He said: "This season the players must practice more, take their cricket more seriously and have more guts."
* Dawn on Wednesday revealed a drab and depressing scene for 42 years-old WK Beard of Leigh Sinton Farm near Worcester. Late on Tuesday night, a fire ravaged a large timber and asbestos building in one of the fields of the 230-acre farm. All that was left was a mass of charred debris and a few blackened timbers pointing forlornly to the sky. Lost too was almost an entire mushroom crop of more than 1,000 lbs.