12:58pm Monday 6th July 2009
By Michael Grundy
THIS WEEK IN 1989:
THE Severn Trent Water Authority is maintaining a hosepipe and sprinkler ban across its domain including Worcestershire. A Severn Trent spokesman said: “We urge our customers to be prudent and not to waste water. Our water resources are holding up reasonably well and our treatment facilities are working flat out to match local demand.
“However, problems of poor pressure and loss of supply are being experienced and we are having to keep in place the hosepipe and sprinkler ban as a measure to conserve resources for our customers’ normal supplies.”
● The hot weather has brought a spate of thefts from motor vehicles in Worcester over the past month. There have been 58 reported offences – a marked increase over the early months of the year. Crime prevention officers are warning drivers against leaving car windows and sun roofs open.
THIS WEEK IN 1979:
ONE of Worcestershire’s stately homes, Croome Court, near Pershore, is being offered for sale at the knockdown price of £250,000.
Although it has not yet officially come on the market, estate agents Locke and England do not expect to have any difficulty in finding a buyer. A spokesman said:“We think it is an exceptionally good bargain.”
Built in the early 1750s for the sixth Earl of Coventry, Croome Court remained in the family until 1950 when it became a residential school.
The owners, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, want to sell the property because the pupils have been transferred to another school. In addition to the main house, the estate extends to 38 acres of land and has extensive stabling.
THIS WEEK IN 1969:
THE new Market Hall in the Blackfriars Square shopping development at Worcester joins the other flourishing markets already existing in the city. These are the General Market Hall in The Shambles, the Old Sheep Market in Angel Street, the Cattle Market in The Butts and the Fruit and Vegetable Market in Hylton Road.
As a form of trading, markets are long established and there is evidence of a market in Worcester as early as the ninth century. It was established at some time between 872 and 895 when the city was fortified by Ethelred, the Earl of Mercia. This first market place was probably in an area near the Cross.
● Strong protests have come from parents following the threat of the headmaster of Worcester Royal Grammar School AGK. Brown to expel 23 sixth formers who stayed away from school for three days last week.
Mr Brown wrote to the parents following the large scale absenteeism which he described as “unauthorised and distasteful.” However, there were some genuine cases of illness and all 23 boys are now back at school taking their exams. Mr Brown said that as long as the boys continued to make full attendance the matter would be closed.
THIS WEEK IN 1959:
WILLIAM Pomeroy Crawford Greene, Conservative MP for Worcester from 1923 until 1945, has died in London at the age of 74.
He won the city seat from Liberal MP, RR (Dickie) Fairbairn by a majority of 1,228 and retained it at five successive general elections.
He was born in Australia and inherited an estate there of 22,000 acres on his father’s death, but came to England for his education and graduated from Cambridge University.
Mr Greene served as an Army officer during the 1914-18 war.
In 1933 he achieved the record for what was then the longest flight in a chartered aircraft, travelling a distance of 50,000 miles in 10 weeks on a combined business and pleasure trip to Australia and back.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/trade_directory/