New roundabout for Bear Lane in 1963 and a cake's 20,000-mile trip around the world
Old Memories Revived: A look back at the NWN archives
The new roundabout at Black Bear Lane came into use for the first time when a section of the relief road was opened in 1963.
This picture taken from the roof top of Newbury Post office.
150 years ago - May 7 1868
Cloth hawker robbed
A travelling gas fitter named George Townsend was brought before Charles S Slocock Esq, on Monday morning, charged with stealing from the person of a hawker in cloth of the name of Jabez Glen, the sum of 6s 6d.
The circumstances of the case, though not given in evidence, appear to be these.
Glen came to the Greenham police constable on Sunday night, saying that as he was coming across Stroud Green that evening, Townsend hit him in the face and otherwise pushed him about.
They went on together, however, to the Blue Ball, where Glen called for a pint of beer, and on going to pay for it found his money was gone, taxing at the same time the defendant Glen with taking it.
The constable hesitated under the circumstances about taking the defendant into custody, and conferred with his
Superintendent, to whom prosecutor repeated the same statement, and then it was determined to apprehend him.
The men, it seems with others, made a party which had been drinking together previous to this alleged transaction.
On the charge being called on, no prosecutor appeared and prisoner was accordingly discharged.
100 years ago - May 9 1918
Cake’s 20,000-mile trip
AN instance of the care taken by the Post Office in the delivery of soldiers’ parcels.
Last October a Newbury mother carefully packed a cake, a pudding, and other things, intended for her son’s consumption at Christmas away in British East Africa.
The parcel duly arrived, but the soldier had shifted. It followed him, but he was kept on the move.
Last week it was returned to the home address, and by happy coincidence the addressee arrived almost at the same time.
He was able to unpack his own parcel, which had travelled twenty thousand miles, and was over six months on the journey. The cake was crumbly, but the pudding was still in a state of good preservation.
Whether or no it was eaten, the informant did not state.
At any rate, it was a happiness to have the boy at home and for to personally realise that his parents had intended him to receive Christmas gifts.
75 years ago - May 6 1943
Saving for the war effort
Newbury and District’s Third Great National Savings Campaign starts on Saturday and continues throughout the week until Saturday, May 15th.
The target aimed at is £350,000.
Considering that during War Weapons Week in 1941, £393,800 were secured, and that last year Warship Week augmented this by £439,066, this year’s target should be easy to attain.
What we should aim at is to raise the total of the three campaigns to at least one-and-a-quarter million pounds – or more.
This will necessitate investments in National Savings being made during the week from May 8th – 15th to the value of £417,134.
All that is necessary is for the people of the town and district to show the same determination and enthusiasm which has marked the two previous efforts.
Now is the time for us to show our gratitude to the Royal Air Force for all it has done and is doing for the nation.
25 years ago - May 13 1993
Royals miss wedding
The Prince and Princess of Wales missed a society wedding in West Berkshire at the weekend, although they were invited.
However, Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles, a close friend of the Prince . . . was among guests at the wedding of Sarah Ward.
The bride’s father, Mr Gerald Ward, dismissed as “total nonsense” speculation that Mrs Parker Bowles’ presence kept the royal guests away.
Mr Ward, equerry to the Prince of Wales and godfather to Prince Harry, said “There is no story there.
“They were invited but they were otherwise engaged.
“I wouldn’t go into great detail but they were both doing something else.”
10 years ago - May 8 2008
Slow progress on Park Way
PARK Way’s redevelopment staggered one step closer this week, as councillors agreed a fresh set of concessions for financial backer Standard Life Investments (SLI).
Members of the western area planning committee voted 11 to one to agree to SLI’s demands to slash the amount of cash for improvements to local infrastructure and services.
With work due to start in August, Standard Life stood down its agents and architects last month as the wobbling economy risked turning the shopping scheme into Newbury’s white elephant.
The project looked likely to run aground in the council chamber after SLI asked for all 37 affordable homes planned for the scheme to be scrapped to drive up its profit projections.
But as reported in last week’s NWN, after accepting a proposal by Liberal Democrat deputy leader Roger Hunneman (Victoria), the council has now offered to pay £1m of unallocated council money to SLI to build the flats.
Councillors believe that they will get more affordable homes for their money within the Park Way scheme than if the homes were built elsewhere.
The deal was enough to persuade all, but one member of the committee to back the project, even though any decision to approve the £1m handover can only be taken by the council executive.
Voting on Wednesday, Mr Hunneman said it was one of the most difficult decisions he had faced.
He said: “That is a sizeable benefit for the council, but at the same time somewhat lets SLI off the hook.”
