100 Years Ago

May 5, 1906

The frost of last Thursday night and Friday morning did considerable damage to the fruit crop in this district. In the low-lying places nearly all the fruit was killed, but in the higher lying plantations there appears to be about half a crop of plums left, with the exception of damascenes, which appear to be nearly all killed. Gooseberries are also killed badly, with no more than a quarter crop left in most places. Vegetables were not forward enough to be killed to any great extent. Luckily the strawberry crop was not far enough advanced to receive the same severe treatment as the plums, but even on the higher ground some of the leaders have been caught. The apple and pear crops have been very badly mangled.

75 Years Ago

May 2, 1931

Looking more like a film hero than the hardy Britisher he is, Captain C. D. Barnard, the famous pilot, stepped from the "Spider," his monoplane, on arriving at Stratford-on-Avon on Thursday. He was given a cordial welcome by the Mayor (Mr. R. M. Smith). The Mayor and seven others were taken to see the town from the clouds. The weather was fine and visibility accordingly good. Mr. A. E. Bennett, of Stratford, was the first of the 12 successful Journal readers to take his flight and, like the Mayor, had never been "up aloft" before. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

50 Years Ago

May 5, 1956

Evesham's £200,000 sewage disposal scheme is expected to be operating by next winter. On Thursday last week 73 municipal engineers from all over the West Midlands sailed down the Avon in the pleasure steamer "Hurley" to inspect the disposal works which are being constructed on the east bank of the river below the Black Bridges. The work, started in March last year, have been designed to serve a population of 15,000; it is calculated that Evesham's population will not exceed this figure if the borough's boundary is unaltered. The existing works in Abbey-road, originally designed for a population of only 3,000, have been obsolete and inadequate for many years and they will be dismantled. The visitors were welcomed at the Town Hall by the Mayor (Councillor E. A. Andrews) and afterwards they inspected the council's main post-war housing estates at Fairfield sand the old sewage disposal works. They visited the new works after lunch at the Crown Hotel. The new drainage scheme was discussed after tea at Avon Bridge Tea Rooms.