100 YEARS AGO:

MARCH King Sousa to visit Worcester. Sousa and his band will visit this city on January 26. The tour is described as Sousa’s farewell visit to the United Kingdom, so this will be the last opportunity people will have of hearing his famous band. Sousa will give just one performance in Worcester at 8pm at the Music Hall (the Public Hall).

Those who remember Sousa’s previous visit to the city in July 1903 will have exhilarating recollections of the programme. This year’s concert will include many of Sousa’s compositions and also works by great German, Russian, French and British composers.

150 YEARS AGO:

THE Worcester and Hereford Railway.The works on this line between Malvern and Hereford are now progressing in a very satisfactory manner, so that it is confidently anticipated that it will be opened throughout in July.

On Saturday last W Fenton, chairman of the directors and WT Adcock, secretary to the West Midland Railway Company, accompanied by S Ballard, the contractor, travelled from Malvern to Ledbury and inspected the most important portions of the works on the line. We understand that Mr Fenton walked through the Malvern tunnel to No.4 pit where the tunnel ends, but there is yet about 100 yards of cutting to be laid open to effect a junction with the works on the other side.

In the Malvern tunnel, bricking is going on in several parts, and about half-a-mile is completed.

The Ledbury tunnel works are in about the same state and emerging from the tunnel, an extensive vale has to be crossed, which is effected by means of an embankment and viaduct, the latter consisting of 31 arches, each with a 30ft span and carried to an altitude of 60ft. The embankment is being formed by a quantity of 170,000 yards of material, brought in by many hundreds of lorry loads.

Five million bricks have been made for the scheme by the contractors, but they have experienced a scarcity of labourers generally.

200 YEARS AGO:

THIS week an inquest was taken at Upton-upon-Severn on view of the body of John Heming, aged 30, who was found on common land near there on Friday last. It appearing that the deceased was seen going to his work early in the morning but, being subject to fits and no marks of violence being observed on the body, it is supposed that he fell in one of such fits and, no assistance being at hand, died in consequence. Verdict: Died by the visitation of God.

250 YEARS AGO:

AS a servant belonging to Mr Hickman of the environs of Worcester was returning home in the evening from our last fair, he was stopped by a footpad who robbed him of about two guineas and then insisted upon having his watch. However, the victim refused to hand it over, saying he would part with his life before giving it up. Upon this a violent struggle ensued, and the footpad, ‘tis supposed, fearing that he should be overcome, gave a whistle and another fellow instantly came up to his assistance.

Both of them then beat the poor man most unmercifully with sticks but left him without taking his watch.