Bishop in air scare
Rt Rev Allison on plane forced down by Libyan military, July 29, 1971 OLD MEMORIES REVIVED Extracts taken from past columns of the
150 years ago August 10 1871
Camp complaint
THE dissatisfaction which was expressed in Parliament at the abandonment of the camp for military manoeuvres in Berkshire has been followed by similar expressions of discontent out of doors.
The observations of Col Loyd Lindsay MP within the House have found an echo amongst the farmers and landed proprietors of the county. They partly complain of having been treated with discourtesy, in being led at a considerable expenditure of time and trouble, to arrange for the necessary preparations, and then, without being consulted by the Government on the point upon which the abandonment of the camp has ostensibly turned, to learn that their time and trouble have all been spent in vain.
This is of course the main cause of their feeling aggrieved, as the preference for the Hampshire district would have been perfectly justifiable, had not the War Office until so recent a date given reason to expect that Berkshire would be selected.
125 years ago August 6 1896
Blooming great!
BANK Holiday in Newbury meant Newbury Flower Show, and what with flowers, fruit and vegetables, music and military, illuminations and fireworks, the committee managed to carry out a programme, with which the crowd seemed to be satisfied.
It is no slight task to keep such an institution going for nearly half-a-century, and make every successive show different from the last. “Taters is taters,” as the rustic observed, and the only difference is whether a wet or dry season makes them large or small.
The only possible opportunity for novelty is in the side shows, but here a Bank Holiday crowd is exacting.
If it be a sensational performance, whereby somebody risks life or limbs, the “upper ten” shrug their shoulders and vote it vulgar. If it be something of a highclass, the “lower five” observe with an accompaniment of adjectives that it is “a bit slow.”
But in spite of these difficulties the Newbury Flower Show continues to flourish, and I am glad to hear that Monday’s fete is likely to prove a financial success.
100 years ago August 4 1921
Smooth streets
THE cooler atmosphere has enabled the Northbrook-street asphalters to pursue their profession with a little less perspiration, and spectators have not found it quite such a hot job to watch them at work. Nevertheless, the lava coppers have boiled and bubbled just as vigorously. There is just one satisfaction at the NWN office.
The centre of operations has moved further south, and the fumes do not penetrate so powerfully.
About half of one side of the street has now been completed, and the portion in use is affording every satisfaction.
Motorists and cyclists find delight in gliding over the smooth surface.
The suggestion has been made that when the work is finished, the thoroughfare shall be at the disposal of a certain councillor for roller skating on Wednesday afternoons, so that he may have the opportunity of working out those unused hours.
75 years ago August 1 1946
Soldiers’ reward
ALL ex-service men and women were invited to the Memorial Hall on Monday for the presentation of the Welcome Home cheques. Mr WST Harris stated the money had been obtained by subscriptions, dances, whist drives and sales.
A general committee had decided the qualification. The sum of £70 had been set aside for renovation of the War Memorial, and for inscribing the names of the twenty who had died on active service. An entertainment was given by the Western Revellers Concert Party of Didcot. At the interval, cheques for £5 15s were presented by Mr Watson Rhodes, hon treasurer; Mr WHT Harris, chairman; and Mr JC Wing, honorary secretary, to those having the necessary qualification. The number of recipients was 269.
50 years ago July 29 1971
Flight fright
THE Rt Rev Oliver Allison, Bishop in the Sudan, who has been staying with his brother, the Rev Gordon Allison, at Inkpen Rectory, was on the BOAC airliner forced down by the Libyans when LieutCol Babikr Al-Noor, the Sudanese coup leader, and his aide Major Hamadallah were taken off the plane.
The two men, who have since been executed, agreed to the surrender at Benghazi’s desert airport after being told that unless they did so the airliner, with passengers and crew inside, would be blown up.
The plane later returned to London with the 105 passengers still on board.
The Bishop came back to Inkpen where he has been waiting for the next first available flight and was leaving Heathrow for Khartoum again last night. “There was no alarm – everybody took it very quietly,” the Bishop told the NWN.
Although he realised the two coup leaders were on the airliner, he was not near them as they were travelling first class, while he was a lowest class passenger.
25 years ago July 25 1996
Monster effort
SOME people will go to any lengths to get their picture in West Berkshire’s favourite local newspaper!
The Watership Down raft racing team from Lambourn went to Scotland and back in one weekend to make a splash with their own Loch Ness Monster.
Paul Strickland, Nigel
Hurst, Bob Phillips and Phil Chadwick were aghast when their homemade Nessie, a veteran of this year’s Craft Craft Race, failed to make it into print immediately afterwards, so “in one of those drunken moments” they decided to sail her across Loch Ness to raise money for Lambourn Scouts. Mr Strickland explained “We don’t stop being stupid after the Crafty Craft!
“We sat down one Saturday and thought ‘What do we have to do to get in the paper?’”
10 years ago August 4 2011
Dunelm boost
WORK has started on the new Dunelm Mill store which is due to open in the former MFI building in the London Road Retail Park, Newbury, bringing good news for job seekers in the area.
The store, which will employ 70 people, will open in the autumn and will stock the group’s usual range of homeware.
A spokeswoman for the store, Louise Barltrop, said: “We will employ people of varying levels in the store.
“We have an active recruitment policy with Jobcentre Plus, and we will also recruit via our website and other sources.”
She said that the recruitment process would start in
August.
Asked why Newbury was selected for a new store, she said: “We are always looking for places where we have customer demand.”
The group’s nearest stores are located in Reading and Swindon.
Another new store, Tile Depot, has opened in
Newbury Trade Park on Hambridge Lane.
This has created jobs for three people from the area. The store will be open seven days a week, from 8am till 6pm on weekdays.