THIS WEEK IN 1961:

SCIENTISTS from the Royal Radar Establishment will now be able to explore the universe more accurately than ever before. This deeper investigation has been made possible by the construction on the former airfield at Defford Common of a giant radio telescope dish at a cost of more than £240,000.

The equipment is built on two railway tracks to facilitate movement. Not only will it be able to improve radio and radar techniques in tracking ballistic missiles, Earth satellites and “space ships,” but it will also observe radio signals originating from the stars and other heavenly bodies.

In the upper atmosphere, investigation can be made of meteors, auroras and other atmospheric phenomena.

THIS WEEK IN 1971:

ELM disease in Worcestershire has reached such serious proportions that the county council is urging the Forestry Commission to make an order for its control.

Many cases of the disease are being reported across the county, particularly affecting young elm trees that seem to be dying. Older trees are also beginning to turn brown in patches.

The county council wants the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Agriculture to enforce the speedy felling of diseased elms and to pay compensation to the farmers or landowners involved.

The Forestry Commission says it is carrying out a special survey in order to pinpoint the most badly hit areas of the country and is also conducting an urgent research programme.

THIS WEEK IN 1981:

THE anti-nuclear pop rally which was expected to attract 7,500 young people to Worcester on Saturday, was banned by the city council because of recent nationwide street riots. The Guildhall’s last-minute shock intervention was as a result of a plea from West Mercia’s chief constable Robert Cozens for the event to be postponed or cancelled “in the interests of public order in the city”.

Organisers of the rally were “appalled” by the decision and estimated they would lose £3,000 on the venture.

They also feared that large crowds of young people would turn up on Pitchcroft looking for the festival. As it turned out, there were no incidents as a result of the cancellation.

A handful of supporters did arrive on Pitchcroft but left peacefully when they realised there was to be no rally.

THIS WEEK IN 1991:

WORCESTER is bidding to become the first no smoking city by the year 2000 under a new joint plan from the city council and the district health authority. Under the scheme the numbers of no smoking workplaces in Worcester will increase to 100 per cent, and up to 80 per cent of public places will see a ban on smoking by the end of the century. All marketing, promotion and sponsorship of smoking will also be reduced to zero.

􀁥 Worcester Tories celebrated Peter Walker’s 30th year as MP for the city with a special celebration supper in Perrins Hall of the Royal Grammar School.