1969: Boxford pull off a hattrick of wins
Revisiting the archives of the Newbury Weekly News
Boxford pulled off a tug of war hat-trick by giving three opposing teams a ducking in the cooling waters of the river Lambourn in July 1969.
Taking part in the event were Newbury Ladies Football Club, Shefford Young Farmers, James and Co and the teams from Boxford village.
The event was to raise money for a play centre with swings and slides in the village.
They raised a total of £160.
150 years ago: 23 January 1868
The Globe Inn, Newbury
Messrs. Temple & Moate – having bought the above Inn, respectfully inform the inhabitants of Newbury and the public generally that they intend supplying dinners from 12 to 4 daily on very liberal terms.
Chop and Potatoes....7d.
Steak and ditto....9d.
Good Dinner Porter and Ale....4d. a quart
Best Ale and Stout....6d.
A choice collection of Wines and Spirits, Burton and Bitter Ales, Billiards and Pool, Good Beds, Good Stabling.
* * *
ON Tuesday evening as one of Mr. Welch’s flys was bringing a party to the ball at the Town Hall, the horse by some means took fright and commenced to plunge in a manner which frightened the occupants of the vehicle, who fortunately succeeded in escaping without injury.
A lamp, against Mr. Mortimer’s, the baker, was however broken by the collision, and Mrs. Lancaster, who was on the
pavement between her own residence and the Royal Exchange, was knocked down, and carried into the latter place where she remained unconscious some time.
Mr. Bursey attended on a message being forwarded to him, and his patient revived and was able to be removed later in the evening to her own home, where she still lays suffering from the injuries she then received, which are of a severe character.
The horse, we are given to understand, was brought into Newbury for the first that day, although Mr Welch has had it some months, and has hitherto found it tractable.
It was slightly injured by the accident, and will be removed from Newbury at once.
125 years ago: 26 January 1893
Newbury Michaelmas Fair
To the Editor of the Newbury Weekly News: Sir – With many other ratepayers, I must protest at the undue taste on the part of a majority of the Corporation in adopting the petition signed by a comparatively small number of persons, and these signatures obtained chiefly by paid canvas for the abolition of the above Fair.
Why not have adjourned the matter to allow persons of an opposite opinion to express their views, either by public meeting or petition?
As the Corporation have sent their resolutions to the Home Secretary, those in favour of retaining the Fair must petition the hon. gentleman to that effect. Forms of petition will be found at many of the Tradesmen, and a canvas made for signatures.
I am, sir, yours truly, Harry J. Lucas
* * *
Stephen Ward was charged on remand from Tuesday with obtaining, by false pretences, from Mr. W.C. Deacon, of Speenhamland, a whip, value 2s.6d, on December 7.
Edward Henry Jeliff, in the employ of Mr. Deacon, said prisoner came to the shop about two o’clock and said he was to ask for a whip which Mr. Kingham would pay for.
Witness knew that prisoner had been working for Mr. Kingham.
Mr. John Kingham, a farmer, residing at Woodspeen West, said prisoner used to work for him, but he did not authorise him to go to Mr. Deacon’s for a whip in December last.
He added that the “poor old chap” was a little queer in his head, and was not always responsible for his actions.
Mr. Deacon hoped the magistrates would take as lenient a view of the case as they could.
The Mayor told the prisoner that it was a serious offence, and might have resulted in a long term of imprisonment; but in consideration of the recommendation of Mr. Kingham and Mr. Deacon he would be discharged.
Prisoner appeared very grateful and expressed his thanks to these gentlemen as well as to the magistrates.
100 years ago: January 27 1918
A councillor’s pigs
MR F. Carter, having obtained permission to bring forward a personal matter, said that the local Inspector of the Rural District Food Control Committee had called at his house and asked his wife whether he had been killing pigs and selling out the meat.
He had his doubts as to the action of the Inspector in view of the following letter from the Secretary of the local Food Control
Committee (the Rev. Kinglesy Kefford) as follows: “Dear Sir, If you make it a part of your regular business to sell bacon, you must keep returns of sales, etc, so that they can be inspected.
“It all depends on what extent you sell, if the quantity is small and at irregular times, so long as you as you keep within the fixed prices, I do not think it is necessary for you to do anything further.
“I should be glad of an estimated scale of sales for last year, so that I can judge better.”
The Inspector had also stated that he must cease killing pigs and selling out, but must sell to a pork butcher.
By killing an occasional pig at irregular intervals and selling out the surplus meat, people were enabled to obtain a joint who otherwise would have to go without.
Did the Council consider he would be justified in reporting the visit of the Inspector to the local Committee, and asking if such a visit was in order?
The Chairman agreed that Mr. Carter would be quite within his rights in approaching the Committee upon the matter.
With regard to the question of the Inspector only to visit houses upon instructions, Mr. Brown said that the answer given at local sub-committees was as stated by Mr. Carter.
75 years ago: 21 January 1943
Stole £34 from his father
A 17-year-old boy, Charles Henry Gibbs, pleaded guilty at Newbury Borough Police Court, on Friday to stealing £34 in Treasury notes belonging to his father, George Gibbs, a widower, of 64, Camp Close, Newbury.
The money was hidden in a sewing machine in the house, and it was stated in evidence that the boy had spent all the money.
George Gibbs said it was his practice to leave home for work at 7 a.m. and to return at 6 p.m.
He had £34 in Treasury notes, which he locked in a sewing machine, carrying the key about in his pocket.
He knew the money was there on November 16th, and then on one wet day, about three weeks later, he found that it was missing.
The screws had been taken out of the sewing machine which made it possible to get at the money. The envelope which had contained the money was left behind.
Det-Con. Stewart said on December 16th he visited the Gibbs’ house, examined the sewing machine and searched the premises.
Accused strongly denied all knowledge of the money, but eventually admitted taking it.
Gibbs then made a statement, in which he said one Wednesday, three or four weeks ago, when his father was out, knowing he had some money, he searched the house until he found it.
He removed the screws with a screwdriver and got the money.
He went to Reading every day until he had spent it all and hadn’t a penny left. He took another boy on several occasions and paid expenses.
Inspector Chandler reported previous convictions against Gibbs, and a probation officer stated that accused had been in an Approved School for ten months.
Gibbs was described as being “incapable of sustained effort, sly and underhanded”.
The chairman of the Bench (Alderman C.A. Hawker) said the magistrates regarded this as a very serious case.
Gibbs would be remanded to Winchester prison for 14 days, and at the end of that time he would be brought before the court to be dealt with.
50 years ago: January 25 1968
Thieves steal 258 shoes
NEARLY £650 worth of men’s shoes were stolen when Penn and Sons’ shoe shop in Cheap Street, Newbury was broken into during Thursday night. Staff discovered the theft when they arrived at the shop on Friday morning.
The shoes were 86 pairs of black and 43 pairs of brown, ranging in sizes from seven to 12. They were of several makes, but mainly Kay’s.
“Apparently the thieves had some sort of key that would open the front door. The door was not simply forced,” said Mr. Arnold Penn, a director.
“The blind that covers the door normally taken down at night, was put up and they worked behind it,” he added.
“We have still got a good stock in and we are re-ordering by phone today,” said Mr Penn on Friday.
“The shoes were mostly lines that can easily be replaced.”
25 years ago: January 28 1993
Naked attacker strikes
POLICE believe a pervert responsible for committing a series of indecent exposures in Goldwell Park in Newbury last year has struck again.
Shortly after 7pm on Tuesday evening, two women were walking along the Old Bath Road when they spotted a young man, naked except for a pair of shoes, trying to climb on to the wall which separates the road from the park.
They ran to the nearby premises of Microfocus to raise the alarm and two security guards rushed to the park in a bid to catch the man, but he escaped.
In the meantime, a woman driving her car spotted the man getting dressed into a blue jumper, she too called the police.
However, officers searching the scene were unable to find the culprit.
The latest incident is being linked with four last year, all committed in the same area.
One indecent exposure took place in February, the other three in October.
All victims have described the man as white, in his mid to late 20s, fairly well built with short brown hair.
10 years ago: January 24, 2008
Police pilot scheme
POLICE in West Berkshire will visit every person who reports a crime during a six-month pilot scheme, to see if this will solve more cases.
The district is one of three Local Police Areas in the Thames Valley currently involved in the ‘attending more crimes’ pilot scheme, which began on November 1, and will run until April.
Every time a crime is reported, either a police officer or a police community support officer (PCSO) will visit the victim.
Under normal circumstances the police would always visit the victims of burglaries and
incidents involving violence against a person, but they would not usually attend any crimes where there were no witnesses or lines of enquiry.
The objectives of officers attending the scene under the pilot scheme are to: see whether attending more crimes will improve the quality of service police provide to victims; identify any leads to help solve the crime; make an early assessment and confirm that a crime has actually taken place.
Newbury MP Richard Benyon said: “It’s a great reassurance to people to know that they are going to be visited.
“People felt that when they
telephoned the non-emergency number, the call was just being logged and nothing was being done.”
These extracts are taken from the archives of the Newbury Weekly News. If you would to send in any old photographs for this page please email editor@newburynews. co.uk, attaching a copy of the picture with details about it, or send it to: Local History, Newbury Weekly News,Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2DW.
