Back in the day….We delve into our archives to see what was going on 10 years ago, 25 years ago and 50 years ago this week
Back in the day….for the next instalment of our new online series, we delve into our archives to see what was going on 10 years ago, 25 years ago and 50 years ago this week.
If you have any photos or memories you would like to share with us, please email us at newsdesk@newburynews.co.uk
10 years ago – March 10th, 2014
It’s not so fine
West Berkshire’s councillor in charge of highways has admitted she cannot understand why more than 10,000 motorists have been fined on Park Way bridge in Newbury.
Critics of the system say the reason is clear – the signs are inadequate, at least for motorists exiting the car parks.
Last week the Newbury Weekly News reported that an independent tribunal had upheld an appeal by Reading motorist Peter Jeffries, who was fined £60 on September 12 last year for exiting one of the Wharf car parks into the bus, taxi and bicycle only lane.
The council has rejected repeated claims that Park Way bridge warning signs are inadequate and designed as a revenue generator.
Within the first year alone – from November 2011 when it became a bus, taxi and bicycle lane – 6,080 motorists were fined for driving over it, equating to £170,000 in revenue for council coffers.
An additional 3,900 people had been fined for driving in the bus lane – in either direction – since November 2012.
In February 2012, the council had to cancel a number of fines after it emerged that the signage had not been properly illuminated after dark.
25 years ago – March 18, 1999
Furze favourites
Mr Nick Roffe and his wife Susan celebrated 15 years at the Furze Bush Inn, Ball Hill, by returning to 1984 prices last Tuesday.
For one memorable day only, bitter was a lip-smacking 90 pence a pint (1999 price, £2.05); Guinness, a creamy £1 (£2.35); wine, 90p (£1.75); and shorts, a nostalgic 60p (£1.35).
“When people moan about prices going up, it’s not just the cost of the drink that pushes them up,” said Mr Roffe.
He said that business rates had increased to 15 times what they were in 1984 – £10,000 per year, compared to £700.
By comparison, drinks have, on average, only doubled in price.
The Roffes bought The Furze Bush from former National Hunt jockey Mr Colin Brown and trainer Mr Tom Marshall.
When they took over, on March 9, 1984, it was a small country pub.
They have since added a new pubic bar, kitchens and a restaurant and bought more land.
50 years ago – March 21, 1974
Tricky tractor
Cold Ash Parish Council are putting up for sale what to them is their most useless possession, but could turn out to be their greatest asset.
It’s an old tractor, bought for a mere £12 some years ago which they reckon could fetch a price several times the amount they paid for it.
The council feel that a vintage tractor enthusiast or even someone who wants some good honest work out of it would not be disappointed with it.
But there’s one snag. You need a strong arm to start it up. Or as the council’s advertisement says “Handle swingers only need apply.”
The tractor, a vintage Fordson about 50 years old runs on petrol/TVO which means it starts on petrol and switches over to tractor vaporising oil.
Although the council have not used the tractor for several years, it was still in good working order last year when it was successfully started by Rob Piper, brother of the council’s vice-chairman, Reg.
It was bought during the late Lew Stewell’s term as chairman and, according to the present chairman, Mr EJ Ettridge, “gave us yeoman service for a long while”.
And pictured above is the Beynon building, one of the most iconic in Newbury.
It started out in 1827 as Burgess, a draper and clothier store in Market Place. Richard Beynon took over and renamed the store Beynon Ltd in 1890 and it finally closed in 1990.
Beynons was one of a number of other popular independent shops in the town. Others included Daniel’s, which sold furniture, and department store Toomers.
