THIS WEEK IN 1989:

CITY and county publicans are being asked to clamp down on sales of lager and beer in bottles over the festive season in an attempt to stem their possible use as weapons or missiles. Police say the growing trend of young people to drink direct from bottles has led to an increase in incidents in which they are being used as missiles to smash windows and as lethal weapons during outbreaks of violence.

● Christmas sales in Worcester’s High Street are booming despite this year’s crippling interest rate rises.

One of the city’s largest stores, Russell & Dorrell reports “a bumper Christmas”

with traditional gifts and Christmas decorations high on customers’ shopping lists.

Trade is also brisk at Woolworth’s where Christmas sales are well up on last year.

THIS WEEK IN 1979:

● CAROL singing in the bar is not a special event, decided Upton-upon-Severn magistrates in rejecting applications from publicans for licence extensions. They turned down an application from A Marshall of the Yew and Lamb, Hanley Swan, who asked for extra drinking time to lubricate the throats of customers at a special carol evening in the pub.

Peter Allison, chairman of the bench, said: “Singing carols is not a special event and you could sing them all year round.” The JPs also turned down three extension applications for Christmas parties from F Higgs of the Plough Inn, Longdon.

● Worcestershire’s toy shops are checking their shelves after an alert over dolls which could be lethal.

Several Cutie dolls with long spikes fixing their heads to their bodies have already turned up at shops in the county. Hereford- Worcester trading standards department has urged shopkeepers to be on the lookout for these dangerous toys and remove them from sale so they are kept out of Christmas stockings.

THIS WEEK IN 1969:

DESPITE the continuing credit squeeze, the annual Christmas shopping bonanza reaches its climax in Worcester and the county this week with many stores already reporting record sales. However, the snow which paid Worcestershire a brief visit last week is unlikely to return and make it a white Christmas.

The police have issued a special warning about drinking and driving over Christmas and will be putting out as many patrols as possible. Many of Worcester’s large stores are having their busiest Christmas for sales, soaring above last year’s record level. All the seasonal lines are being snapped up, especially the women’s gifts.

● From Boxing Day until January 10 at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, starring Wilfred Brambell as Scrooge.

Tickets 6s. to 20s.

THIS WEEK IN 1959:

BERROW’S Journal: Christmas dangers.

Inevitably, fire risks in the home assume their greatest prominence during the winter months and particularly at Christmas time when the possibilities of disaster are alarming enough to merit special attention.

Decorations, flimsy dresses, wrapping papers carelessly thrown down, even the Christmas cards standing precarioulsy on the shelf over the fireplace are all potential sources of danger.

As Christmas approaches let us determine to increase our alertness so as to ensure that the enjoyment of this most beloved festival is unmarred by avoidable mishap.