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
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10 years ago – February 5, 2015
Centre of excellence
“It’s so much a part of people’s lives and it’s something they all appreciate,” was the view of Thatcham’s Nature Discovery Centre as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.
The centre has become part of Thatcham’s identity since it opened on January 19, 1995.
Indeed, visitor services manager Fiona Mackenzie, who was the centre’s education officer when the site opened 20 years ago, told the Newbury Weekly News that results of a visitors survey had shown its importance in local people’s lives.
“It’s so much a part of people’s lives and it’s something they all appreciate,” she said.
“For a lot of people it’s that green space to have a walk or let the kids let off steam.
“It’s taken to people’s hearts in Thatcham.”
Children from local schools have been putting their thoughts about what the centre means to them on 1,000 raindrops which will hang at the centre throughout February.
It cost around £150,000 in 1995 to convert the former boating house at the Thatcham lakes, beginning a partnership between Newbury District Council, the RSPB and English Nature.
The centre closed for a £750,000 refurbishment in 1996, with Vodafone choosing to allocate its developers contributions from the construction of its world headquarters to the project.
25 years ago – February 3, 2000
Road to nowhere
Newbury’s road system was described as failing to cope with the closure of a single local road, condemning drivers to the type of traffic jams not experienced since pre-bypass days.
The chairman of West Berkshire Council’s transportation subcommittee, David Becket (Lib Dem, Hermitage), identified the five-week closure of Hambridge Road as the main cause of the jams around the A339, the A4, Kings Road, Andover Road, and further afield, and apologised to local drivers for the delays.
He said: “We are convinced that the current traffic problems… are caused by the Hambridge Road works.
“Once traffic is displaced, the system cannot cope.”
Mr Becket also condemned the Highways Agency for not doing more, saying that he had asked the agency to help vehicles delayed at the traffic lights which it controls on the Kings Road and Robin Hood roundabouts.
50 years ago – February 6, 1975
Unseasonal adder
The unseasonal weather has brought spring flowers blossom months before time... and awakened some more sinister living things too.
Poisonous snakes are coming out of hibernation early on the heaths and commons around Newbury.
Last week a two-foot long adder – the bite of which can be fatal – was found on Newtown Common.
It was discovered slithering through grass by 55-year-old general dealer Mr Albert Smith, who lives at Craven Road, Newbury.
He had been on the common collecting fir cones when he suddenly saw the brown snake with its distinctive zig- zag markings slide past just inches from his hand.
Mr Smith quickly killed the snake with a stick.
“I was not taking any chances,” he said. “They can be dangerous.”
Although he has lived in the country all his life he has never seen an adder out of hibernation so early.
“It’s the warm weather that has done it,” he warned.
Although it is rare for an adult to die from an adder bite the snake’s venom can kill.
