June 28 to July 5

11:07am Monday 30th June 2008

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100 Years Ago:

Considerable excitement was caused on Saturday evening in High Street and the Shambles when fire broke out in the rear of the premises occupied by Sarah Jane Winkle, china dealer in the Shambles. (She was a forerunner of Pratleys). The Shambles was still the scene of great activity and trading at the time the flames began spreading through a large warehouse at the rear of the shop. The chief constable was in charge of the fire brigade who, with the Norwich Union firemen, worked in admirable fashion. Water was obtained from three street hydrants, two in High Street and the other in the Shambles and after about two hours’ work, the fire was subdued. The warehouse, however, was wrecked and a large stock of glass and china destroyed.

• Sarah Andrews (30), single woman of Lock Street, Worcester, was charged at the City Police Court with stealing from outside 6 St Swithin’s Street a pair of men’s boots value 4s.11d, the property of Messrs Noake Bros. She said she took the boots for her ailing father whom she looked after. She was sent down for 14 days, sobbing: “My poor old father. My dear daddy.” The chairman of the bench, Alderman JS Cook asked if Worcester shopkeepers could be persuaded to keep their goods inside their premises as undoubtedly they were a great temptation to poor people hanging outside. The chief constable said previous such appeals from the magistrates had proved fruitless.

150 Years Ago:

THE new Worcester and Hereford Railway company has given notice of a public meeting to be held of the parties who have common or other rights upon Pitchcroft for the purpose of appointing a committee to treat with the company for the purchase of land which may be required for the proposed branch line or siding from Foregate Street alongside the Butts to the river. Operations for the construction of the Worcester-Hereford line continue as vigorously as possible. Workmen have broken the surface near Whitehall on the Bransford road and are working towards Leigh. The survey of the proposed siding along The Butts to the Severn is completed and plans will be deposited publicly tomorrow.

• The Russian guns presented to Worcester Corporation as trophies of British prowess in the Crimea have today been removed from the position they hitherto occupied in the Guildhall area into the Lower Hall where they are placed one at either end.

200 Years Ago:

A MOST unfortunate accident happened on the march of the Usk Militia Volunteers from Cardiff to this city on Wednesday. A poor sailor was suffered to ride with two of the corps in one of the baggage waggons in which were several casks of powder and some baggage. While the sailor was carelessly smoking his pipe, some sparks fell into a cask which exploded with a tremendous report, totally destroying the cask and it contents and wounding the wagon driver and three other men, two of whom are not expected to recover.

• A public subscription has been set on foot for the purpose of installing new casing on the east end of St Helen’s Church in this city, the present appearance of which to High Street is certainly no credit to a city in all other respects one of the most elegant in the kingdom.

250 Years Ago:

Our races at Worcester begin on Wednesday next and it is expected there will be extraordinary good sport and a numerous appearance of the nobility and gentry each day. To prevent accidents happening by dogs being on the course while the horses are taking their exercise or on the days of running, it is earnestly desired that all persons would keep their dogs confined and, as the sheep on the course are also a great interruption to the horses in their exercise and are likely to occasion many accidents, it will be esteemed very considerate and obliging if owners would cause them to be removed.