THIS WEEK IN 1960:

THE Croome Hunt Farmers are being banned from using Worcester Guildhall again for the next two years, by order of city councillors. At the hunt farmers’ annual supper dance, held just over a month ago at the Guildhall, a large and valuable painting of Alderman Thomas Rowley Hill, a former Member of Parliament for Worcester, was damaged. It is believed that the gash in the canvas, about four inches in diameter, was caused by a bread roll. The painting has hung at the Guildhall since 1881. City councillors decided this week to inform the Croome Hunt Farmers that the corporation’s property must be “properly protected”, hence them not being allowed the use the Guildhall for the next two years. Councillor Stan Marshall said: “We feel strongly about this sort of behaviour.” The hunt farmers have stated they are willing to pay for the repair of the painting.

THIS WEEK IN 1970:

AN ambitious £1,750,000 scheme was disclosed yesterday for the creation at Worcester of a seven-and-ahalf acre riverside “village”

with a large marina – the whole development to be “reminiscent of a Cornish fishing hamlet or a mini Monte Carlo”. This comprehensive project for sloping Severnside land below Martley Turn near the Dog and Duck Ferry would probably be the biggest inland development of its type in the country and would certainly be unique in the Midlands. Envisaged is a 25,000 sq ft marina for several hundred small boats, a riverside hotel, six shops in a curved gallery, a tower block of luxury apartments, a smaller block of flats, a split-level car park for about 200 vehicles, a filling station and an assortment of expensive “Canadian box type” houses. There would be a long promenade by the marina and possibly a small swimming pool. The project is being promoted by Allan Abrey of Thos R Jones and Co, estate agents of Worcester on behalf of the executors of the late HT Lancey who owned much of the land involved at King Stephen’s Mount, Henwick Road.

THIS WEEK IN 1980:

WORCESTER police may have to deal with more drunken drivers in the wake of a magistrates’ decision to let country pubs open later in the summer months. The decision, taken by county magistrates on Thursday, will leave the city’s pubs high and dry during the week. While pubs in the countryside will now be able to stay open until 11 pm on Monday to Thursday, in Worcester closing time will still be at 10.30pm. Now police fear Worcester drivers will try and cross the city boundary to get the extra half-hour’s drinking.

Country pubs already stay open an hour later at lunchtime.

THIS WEEK IN 1990:

DARING thieves have escaped with three old and valuable revolvers after bypassing an alarm system and avoiding security staff and members of the public at a Worcester museum.

Two of the guns taken are still in working order and police have issued a warning to firearms dealers to be on the look out and are also contacting neighbouring forces to try and trace them as soon as possible. The thieves entered the City Museum and Art Gallery during opening hours and went to the military section where, unnoticed by either of the two attendants, they prised open the door of a display cabinet and made off with a 19th-century German Mauser, an Enfield and a Colt Navy revolver. An alarm failure allowed the thieves to walk casually out of the museum.