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
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 – January 8, 2015
Beauty rescued
A shire horse trapped in a wire fence in a Curridge field on Sunday morning, was hauled to safety, thanks to the efforts of a team of Newbury and Reading firefighters.
Fourteen-year-old Beauty slipped and became trapped in the wire fence in a field off Curridge Road, where her owner, Tash Callaway, and helpers from nearby Curridge Green Riding School, were unable to pull her free.
Two firefighting crews from Newbury and Reading were called at 9am, along with the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Animal Rescue Unit, from Caversham Road, Reading.
After cutting through the wire fence, the firefighters slipped a special belt underneath the horse and laid on her side, before pulling her clear.
Firefighter Simon Denman, of Red Watch at Newbury Fire Station, said: “It took 10 blokes to pull her free, she was a heavy horse.”
The grateful owner, Mrs Callaway, who lives near Curridge, said she wanted to thank the firefighters, including one in particular who knelt by Beauty’s head, stroking and talking to her to keep her calm.
“Beauty is on the mend – a little sore but on the road to recovery,” said Mrs Callaway.
50 years ago – January 9, 1975
What a whopper!
Thursday was a lucky day for Mr Richard Williams, of Dene Way, Newbury – for when he was out fishing on holiday in Poole he caught a monster 28 lb cod.
He caught the cod with a rod and line and says that it took him 10 minutes to bring in.
A keen fisherman, Mr. Williams has never caught anything large as this before, although he has been fishing for “quite a few years.”
He is having the cod cut up by a local fishmonger and plans to put it in his deep freeze.
It should last for quite some time, and with cod selling at 58p per pound will be a big saving.
The record weight for a cod caught with a rod and line is just over 54 lb.
75 years ago – January 12, 1950
Car for war hero
Mr Dennis Illsley, of Broomdewn Collage, Chieveley, who lost both his legs during the war, has been provided with a specially adapted Morris car by the Ministry of Pensions.
The first car to be issued by the Ministry in this district, it is one of 1,500 being allocated to war-crippled men and women all over the country.
Cars are individually adapted according to need and as Mr Illsley has artificial legs he has hand-operated levers to replace foot pedals.
Mr Illsley is 34, unmarried and lives with his mother, sister and brother.
He has a job as storekeeper with a firm at Hungerford, and leaves home each day at 7.20am getting back at 6.30.
As soon as he was well enough to get a job he bought himself a car with his savings and had a hand throttle put on.
As he is a competent driver Mr Illsley will not have to pass a special test.
Mr Illsley, who was in the Wiltshire Regiment, lost his legs while out with a fighting patrol in Germany in November, 1944.
He was taken to a prison hospital and received great care and kindness from the German nursing staff.
By a strange chance he met a lad from Reading, a civilian POW named Smith who acted as orderly in the hospital.
Mr Smith got a message, of Dennis’s fate back to his own parents in Reading and they travelled over to Chieveley to tell Mrs Illsley.
