THIS WEEK IN 1960:

AS a result of the recent torrential rains, the heights of rivers and streams throughout the county rose rapidly this week, covering thousands of acres of land and swamping many homes and business premises.

It was the worst flood since 1947, reaching a peak of 16ft 7ins above normal at Worcester. In the city, traffic conditions were chaotic on the first three days of the week with riverside roads under water, not least New Road where plank bridges were laid for pedestrians.

There were huge traffic jams on both sides of the river at Worcester and people and children were late for work and school.

Other places badly hit were Upton-upon-Severn and Bewdley where thousands of pounds worth of damage was done to homes and property. Powick and Bransford also had roads under water. The river Avon too, burst its banks, and roads were covered at Evesham, Pershore, Fladbury and Eckington.

THIS WEEK IN 1970:

THE Government’s health department has attacked the fact that some elderly people are spending their twilight years in Powick Hospital when they should not be in a mental health establishment at all. It appears there are quite a number of elderly people who have been admitted to Powick suffering from senility and other effects of old age rather than from psychiatric disorders. More than half of Powick’s 700 patients are more than 65 years of age and, according to the Whitehall report, “many of these elderly patients would be better placed in geriatric beds, but there are not enough of these in Worcester. The distribution and quality of geriatric facilities in Worcestershire leave much to be desired.

There are 200 beds in Kidderminster, under 200 in Evesham and only 108 in Worcester. It is significant that almost all Powick’s geriatric patients come from the Worcester area.” To overcome the crisis, the early construction of a 56-bed £270,000 geriatric unit at Newtown is proposed.

THIS WEEK IN 1980:

A MORE southerly route for Worcester’s £6 million second river bridge and southern link highway was the one firmly chosen by county councillors yesterday.

No hands were raised in opposition despite warnings that there would be strong objections from landowners and an inevitable public inquiry.

The selected route will take the southern link from a point south of Teme Bridge on the Malvern Road, over the Severn to link with Bath Road south of the Ketch Inn, and then on to join the Norton and Whittington roads.

County surveyor Vivian Jones expressed personal disappointment that the county council was forced to route the bridge and highway so far south, “away from where the real traffic action is.” Official forecasts are that the new bridge and highway will attract only between 15 and 20 per cent of the traffic currently using Worcester Bridge.

THIS WEEK IN 1990:

NINETY-four years old Harry Darcy Jones, a former soldier of the Worcestershire Regiment, is to be honoured at a lunch commemorating his part in “the last classic cavalry charge of the British Army” – 73 years ago.

On November 8, 1917, Harry joined 179 other men in Palestine in a cavalry charge over a distance of about 1,500 yards against artillery and machine guns.

They not only overran the enemy positions but routed a massively superior force of almost 2,000 troops.

This weekend, Harry and Bill Wood, aged 100 of the Warwickshire Regiment, another survivor of the famous cavalry charge, will be presented with copies of the Lady Buller painting which immortalises their valour. This will be at a lunch hosted by the Queen’s Own Mercian Yeomanry in Coventry.