The Newbury Cricket team of the 1950s
Old Memories Revived: A look back at the NWN archives
This picture of the Newbury cricket team was taken at Northcroft in the early 1950s.
It was sent in by Shirley Clarke, whose late grandfather Leonard Curd, was an umpire for the club.
Sadly, Leonard passed away in the winter 1973, aged 89.
Mrs Clarke would be delighted to hear from any of the Newbury CC players, or their relatives.
150 years ago - September 3 1868
Rachael, the daughter of Giles Fidler, was going out to glean a few days since, and passing an adder turned back to kill it when the reptile bit her, and for some days she was seriously ill.
She has now recovered.
The girl appears to have distinguished herself at one time and another in the way of snake destruction.
125 years ago - September 7 1893
The jewels of the youthful Countess of Craven will probably excite some envy among society ladies, writes a correspondent.
It is not often that a bride of 18 can boast the possession of three such superb pieces of jewellery as the magnificent tiara of diamonds, a duplicate of the Empress Josephine’s given to her daughter by Mrs Bradley-Martin; the necklace of three rows of perfectly matched pearls, which was the present of her grandmother, Mrs Sherman; and the beautiful old diamond collarette, taken from her own wedding presents of half a century ago by the Dowager Countess of Craven as a wedding gift to her son’s bride.
100 years ago - September 5 1918
Mr Arthur E Holmes, eldest son of the late Mr Holmes, of Speen, has been awarded the DCM for his services in connection with the advance from Lindi to the Portuguese border last November.
Mr Holmes, who is 56 years of age, voluntarily joined the East African Pioneers at the beginning of the hostilities in East Africa, and was first mentioned in despatches for his services with the column march through the coast swamps from Tangavia Bagomajo to Dar es Salaam.
He was again mentioned in despatches after crossing the Central Railway from Morogors and Kassarki into the Rufigi valley.
Mr Holmes was a volunteer in the South African war, and gained the two medals and three bars. He spent his early years in Newbury.
50 years ago - September 5 1968
A 13-year-old boy told Newbury County magistrates on Thursday how a dog bit him on a leg, when they ordered Mrs Myrtle Manning, of 10 Marsh Road, Thatcham, to keep her dog under control. Mrs Manning was also fined £2 for keeping a dog without a licence and had to pay 1s 10d costs.
10 years ago - September 4 2008
Wate collectors are mixing up recycled rubbish which householders have painstakingly separated, refuse officials admitted this week.
The Newbury Weekly News has learned that nearly one fifth of all such waste is being treated in this way.
West Berkshire Council’s new waste contractor, Veolia, admitted that binmen had been lumping the various recyclables together because their lorry fleet was not up to the job.
The news prompted former executive member for waste management Owen Jeffrey (Lib Dem, Thatcham South) to brand the operation a “fiasco” which was damaging public confidence in recycling.
He claimed that Geoff Findlay (Con, Cold Ash), who has responsibility for waste collection, had refused pleas to call a meeting of the waste management advisory task group and accused him of trying to go it alone.
He added: “After going to all the effort to separate it all out, people will start to ask why they should bother recycling.
“It’s so sad and I do believe it’s a fiasco they’ve presided over.”
The NWN has received reports from residents concerned that their efforts were in vain as they watched binmen throw the contents of each of their recycling boxes into one bin before dumping it in the back of a lorry.
Dr Penny Billyeald, of Upper Basildon, chased one collection team down the street for an explanation.
She claimed that a binman told her that his crew had not been supplied with the right vehicle to store separated recyclables in different compartments – so was forced to mix them together.
Mr Findlay explained that Veolia had too few vehicles to cope with the rise in the number of people who now recycled.
He said the number of households that recycle has nearly doubled under the new contract to 90 per cent and the council had been unprepared.
