In this week’s Newbury Weekly News

Former Newbury District Council chairman John Morgan preyed on pensioner Beryl Gittens after gaining her trust and power of attorney over her affairs, jurors were told.
But he gambled away a staggering £154,000...and the once-proud, immaculately dressed Mrs Gittens, who used to own the former New Inn at Hampstead Norreys, had to be given a pauper’s funeral when she died in 2012 aged 92, Oxford Crown Court was told.
The married father of three served as a councillor on the former Newbury District Council from 1984, becoming chairman in 1996.
He was later elected to West Berkshire Council where he sat on the Downlands area planning committee and represented Leckhampstead, Brightwalton, Chaddleworth and West Ilsley.
Mr Morgan,aged 75, who used to live in Beedon, denies committing theft between March 2005 and January 2012.
Also this week, two decisions which will affect Newbury town centre, are due to be taken today (Thurs).
West Berkshire Council’s member for transport is due to approve town centre on-street parking charges, and the district council is also set to approve plans to enter an agreement with the Sterling Industrial Estate developer to build the Kings Road link road.
In other news, a guard honour was staged by crews at Newbury ambulance and fire stations on Monday as a funeral procession for Thatcham man and former South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) travelled past the premises to allow former colleagues to pay their respects.
Around 27 SCAS employees and eight firefighters in the guard of honour for Andrew Evans, who died when the Subaru he was a passenger in was involved in a crash with a Ford Focus and a refuse truck in Woodcote.
Meanwhile, West Berkshire is in for a busy weekend as people arrive for the Hennessy Heritage Festival and the switching on of Christmas lights across the district plus an inaugural Christmas market.
Thousands of people, Steeplechasing superstars and a number of celebrities will attend one of horseracing’s most prestigious events when the £175,000 Hennessy Gold Cup returns on Saturday.
Christmas lights across the district will also twinkle into life and Newbury’s Victoria Park will become a winter wonderland as it hosts the town’s first Christmas market.
As always, there’s also a roundup of the week’s entertainment and sport, and of course this week’s £25 free fuel giveaway.
All this plus more in the Newbury Weekly News, on sale every Thursday.