THIS WEEK IN 1989:

TWENTY five years ago Worcester had three great claims to fame – the highest number of pubs per head of population, the greatest number of churches per head of population, and the greatest number of rock bands, rhythm groups, jive combos and pop groups to the square mile.

However, in the years since then, all three boasts have gradually been eroded and diminished by pub closures, churches being declared redundant and the demise of many local rock and pop groups.

● Residents of Barbourne, Worcester, must have wondered what was happening when several women were seen clutching bunches of enormous weeds.

However, they were only exhibits for the Biggest Weed Competition organised by the Barbourne Women’s Institute and won by Joan Sparrow.

THIS WEEK IN 1979:

AN action group is demanding a public inquiry into the plans to use 154 acres of farm land near Worcester as a rubbish tip.

Roy Brooks, the chairman of the newly-formed Lower Smite Farm Action Group, told more than 50 residents at the inaugural meeting this week: “What we are hoping at least is that we get a public inquiry out of this.”

The group is bitterly opposing the county council’s plans for an overland refuse tip at Lower Smite Farm to serve the Worcester, Droitwich and Redditch areas. The county council recently bought the land for a total of £340,000, a price of £2,200 an acre.

The dumping scheme was not announced until after the purchase. The action group fears that farms in the area will become “a dumper’s delight.”

THIS WEEK IN 1969:

HENRY Sandon, as curator of the Dyson Perrins Porcelain Museum, reported on the fascinating archaeological discoveries made on the extensive site prior to the construction of the Blackfriars Square shopping precinct. Among the most significant finds was the substantial circular brickwork of a 2nd century Roman well and a 150 ft length of Roman street running down the site. Also found was considerable evidence of Roman iron smelting and a significant number of mediaeval burials.

● The Odeon cinema, Worcester, has gone over to automation in its projection room. Two new projectors, each taking three times the normal footage of film, have been installed, and the whole programme including the operation of the curtains, lights and screen sizes is pre-selected on a panel. The advantages of the new apparatus, apart from the projection of a perfect picture, is that the changeover from one projector to another, usually occurring 12 times in each show, is cut to three or four.

THIS WEEK IN 1959:

FROM Crowquill’s Journal Jottings. I am always rather surprised at the interest women take in cricket, particularly at the County Ground. I note that every painting or photograph of “a typical English cricket scene” invariably includes a number of women in summer frocks among the spectators. But I always get the impression that they are there just because their husbands or boy friends are playing, while there’s a huge kettle singing softly in the pavilion behind them, waiting for them to get into action at the vital tea break.

Yet it seems that many women take a genuine interest in the game itself, and there are cases in which a wife is far more of a cricket fan than her husband. Of course, there is no real reason why women should not like cricket. It is cleaner and more attractive than, say, rugger and boxing and it is not difficult to understand.

● Alan Ormrod, the 16 years-old batsman and offbreak bowler from Kirkcaldy in Scotland, has been engaged for the rest of the season by Worcestershire CCC.