MALVERN Council introduced a new rule restricting the length of councillors' speeches, according to the front page of the Gazette of 50 years ago.

In a bid to cut down lengthy sittings - in the past, meetings had taken up to six hours - it was decided that speeches at monthly meetings would be limited to five minutes, unless they were proposing an amendment or had the chairman's consent, in which case ten minutes will be allowed.

Mr G T Baldwin, who moved the motion, said they did not want people to come to meetings and "just flap about". He said he that while was not endeavouring to restrict free speech, he had felt for a long time that the time allowed for debate should be cut.

The move was endorsed in the paper's editorial column, which said: "Debates have rather got out of hand and this motion by Mr Baldwin, which seeks to encourage people to be brief, should make for better, more effective, oratory.

"Now that the 'guillotine' has fallen in the council chamber, perhaps certain other organisations in the town, also given to lengthy meetings, may take note."