May 10 -17
11:02am Monday 12th May 2008
This week in 1988:
ST Mary's Church in Sansome Walk, Worcester - under threat of demolition for 10 years - looks set for salvation under a remarkable scheme to transform the building into 30 apartments.
A London company is about to submit a detailed planning application to the city council for this highly imaginative conversion project. City conservation officer Will Scott believes the scheme could be good for Worcester in ensuring the survival of St Mary's.
The preservation of the church's tall and imposing spire will also have to be a key feature of the scheme.
* Dangerous equipment has been stripped from Worcester's playgrounds following a major city council safety purge.
About 50 unsafe and old items, including swings and rocking horses, have been removed after a full-scale survey of the 40 council playgrounds uncovered the disturbing effects of vandalism and decay.
This week in 1978:IT is understood that Prince Philip will have dinner with the Bishop of Worcester at Hartlebury Castle when he makes a Royal tour of Worcestershire next month.
The Bishop, the Rt Rev Robin Woods, was chaplain to the Queen at Windsor before coming to Worcester and prepared Prince Charles and Princess Anne for confirmation.
The royal train will be "parked" overnight near Hartlebury while the Duke of Edinburgh takes dinner with the Bishop. (There is a famous story about Bishop Woods, who is said to have declared during an after-dinner speech at Worcester's Giffard Hotel: "There's nothing the Queen and I hate more than name droppers.") * Worcester MP Peter Walker and his wife Tessa have been celebrating the birth of their fourth child - a boy - at the Westminster Hospital, London.
He is to be christened, Robin Casper. (Robin Walker is now hoping to follow in his father's footsteps - he is the Conservative's parliamentary candidate for Worcester).
This week in 1968:THE notices issued to more than 70 people employed at the Bromyard Tile Works last week have been withdrawn. Mr KHR Gibbs, the managing director, said: "Nothing is final and the whole situation is looking brighter. Several firms are now interested and, if a take-over does go through, the men's jobs will be secure."
The Tile Works has been in existence for nearly 100 years and its closure would be a catastrophe for Bromyard and district.
Few of those made jobless would be able to find other work in the area.
* A flying squad of motorcyclists is being set up by West Mercia Police to descend from time to time on various parts of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire to try and create an impact on the motoring public.
The idea is that the squad will converge on a town or city like Worcester and deploy themselves along the various main roads for several days. It is hoped that by "showing the flag" in this way the police motor-cycle squad will make the motoring public mindful of the need to drive more carefully.
This week in 1958:George Ward, Secretary of State for Air and MP for Worcester, told the annual meeting of the city's Conservative Association at the Star Hotel, that there were signs in Britain of a mood of emotional pacifism - a form of escapism and refusal to face reality - which could greatly endanger the national safety.
It had been similar during the 1930s. He was fully backing Britain's hydrogen bomb "deterrent" policy. He said: "The West will never start a war against Russia but, unfortunately, Communism is a militant ideology and the possibility that Russian might start a war against the West cannot be excluded until disarmament is complete. This can only be achieved by Summit talks."
* James Tiernan, the 26 years-old Irish jockey who was kicked by a horse after falling clear from his own mount Rectitude in the 3.30 at Worcester Races on Monday, died in the Royal Infirmary on Tuesday from severe head injuries and without regaining consciousness. He was attached to the Cheltenham stables of PV Doherty.