Abandoned baby found
Seven-week-old girl was left on a Newbury pavement, December 9 1971 OLD MEMORIES REVIVED Extracts taken from past columns of the
150 years ago December 16 1871
Institute revival
WHITCHURCH Mechanics Institute has now been established 21 years, but latterly it has been neglected and allowed to dwindle down to insignificance.
But on Monday a meeting of the members and friends was held, and a resuscitation has taken place, and with the assistance of Mr G Bennett as secretary, and Mr Barnett as treasurer and collector, it is in a fair way to become a society which will prove a great blessing to the inhabitants of Whitchurch.
A subscription list has been opened, to which Mr
Lott, solicitor, has liberally contributed £1 for the purpose of purchasing a bagatelle table for the further amusement of the members.
A series of penny readings are also in contemplation, to be given once in three weeks, and at which Mr Parker has kindly consented to preside at the piano.
125 years ago December 18 1896
Animated crowd
THE Guildhall Club thought they had beaten the record when they had a crowded house for their Animated Photographs.
That was a popular novelty, and one could understand a rush to see it. But to secure such a splendid house for a lecture essentially scientific is undoubtedly a notable achievement.
Admitted that the lecturer was Sir Robert Ball, whose fame is world-wide, still it was a bit risky to venture open a £20 fee and the attendant expenses.
To have covered the expenses and made a nice little profit, is therefore all the more gratifying.
It was remarkable on
Monday that the reserved seats occupied the whole body of the hall, and that comparatively few shilling tickets were sold.
Indeed the sum taken at the doors was under a sovereign. I have never seen such a swell house, and certainly the platform has never been more artistically adorned.
100 years ago December 15 1921
Silver stolen
THE house of Mr Hubert Fellowes was broken into on Tuesday night, and a good deal of valuable silver taken. An entrance was effected through the kitchen door in the basement, which was forced open and the chain cut. The intruder then made his way upstairs to the dining and drawing room, and collected up various articles of silver, including two very valuable Georgian candlesticks, afternoon teaspoons, etc.
He also took from Mrs Fellowes’ bureau £2 in Treasury notes, and money out of a purse which Miss Fellowes had left on a chair upon returning from the orchestral concert at Hungerford.
Mr Fellowes discovered what had happened when he came downstairs next morning. The loss of the candlesticks is much regretted by the family on account of their old associations.
75 years ago December 12 1946
Tractor trip
A PARTY of National Union of Agricultural Workers members from Berkshire recently visited the Ford factory at Dagenham, Essex, to see how the Fordson
Tractors were made, and Mr FA Hall, of Inkpen, local secretary of the union, organised the visit.
The party spent the day going through the many departments in the factory seeing the machines being made from start to finish and must have walked miles in their travels.
The immensity of the organisation impressed them. Commencing with the furnaces they were amazed at the speed with which the final machines were calmly driven from the belt.
Excellent meals were provided by the local Council’s civic restaurant services.
The evening was spent at the East Ham Palace, where a variety show was enjoyed, after which the party returned home by coach. It was a long day, full of interest, but the men still prefer the peace and quiet of country life.
50 years ago December 9 1971
Baby rescued
POLICE were confident last night that they had pieced together the mystery surrounding a seven-week-old baby girl found abandoned on a Newbury pavement at the weekend.
It was established that the baby was the daughter of a girl from Southern Ireland who recently came to England.
The baby had been placed in the care of foster parents in South Wales.
On Saturday the mother, accompanied by a man, visited the foster parents and left with the child.
At 6.30 that evening the baby was found abandoned on a pavement in the Old Bath Road, Newbury.
Following widespread publicity the foster parents recognised the baby from a photograph and contacted the police.
They travelled to Newbury yesterday and identified her.
25 years ago December 12 1996
Jackdaw’s jaunt
STOWEY, a talking jackdaw, was returned to its Turnpike home on Monday after a month spent wolf-whistling at Woolhampton residents. Eighteen months ago, Mr David Hicks found the bird, then an abandoned chick, on Snelsmore Common. He reared it on the balcony of his flat in Redfield Court. Stowey was frightened off by nearby fireworks, flying out of its open cage just before bonfire night. Mr Hicks contacted the RSPCA. A Woolhampton woman, surprised by a jackdaw that said “hello” and wolf-whistled passers-by on the Bath Road, informed the animal rescue organisation which passed the news to Mr Hicks.
Three times he went to the village. The bird came close and whistled back, but was too slippery to grab.
So he was surprised and grateful when he received a call from Bath Road resident Mr Bernard Walter saying that he had captured the bird with his bare hands.
His wife Joyce explained “It came down and sat on the wall and the bird looked the other way. My husband leant over and grabbed it.” It managed to peck several people before they managed to get Stowey into a large cage.
Back at home on Tuesday, Stowey was happily flying about as usual.
Mr Hicks said “He’s fine. It’s great having him back.”
10 years ago December 15 2011
Flood funding
GREENHAM Common Trust and Sovereign Housing association have stepped forward to help plug a funding gap and protect Newbury’s homes and businesses from flooding. Sovereign has pledged £20,000 and the trust has agreed to match-fund up to £30,000 towards Environment Agency flood alleviation measures, which will help West Berkshire Council overcome a £90,000 funding shortfall needed to generate a timesensitive £1.2m grant from central Goverment.
The money must be committed by December 23, otherwise the funding will disappear and the scheme will sink.
So far, West Berkshire Council has committed £180,000 towards the £1.535m scheme and Newbury Town Council a further £45,000. Berkshire regional director for Sovereign Housing Jim Holah said that, as a major employer in the town and as a landlord with a number of properties at risk of flooding, Sovereign felt it was important to support the scheme.