Never too old for love
Couple marry after meeting in sheltered accommodation, April 10, 1997
OLDMEMORIES REVIVED Extracts taken from past columns of the Newbury Weekly News 150 years ago April 16 1872
Narrow escapes
DURING the past week there have been two narrow escapes from drowning.
A Thatcham sweep, having an engagement at Woolhampton, was returning home, and when near the hill, instead of walking over the bridge he by some means walked into the water, with the bag of soot on his shoulders, and but for assistance matters might have been more serious.
On Friday last a man well known in Newbury was seen walking by the water side in a peculiar manner, which caused him to be watched. When near Ransford he was observed to walk into the water to a considerable depth, and probably the coolness of the water led him to walk out again.
He afterwards called at the Swan Inn for refreshment, and returned home by train.
125 years ago April 14 1897
Railway headway
THE works of the Lambourn Railway are making good progress. The bridge across the canal has been commenced, and the concrete foundations on the towing path side are pushed forward, gangs of men working on Sundays, as well as other days.
The embankment at Westfields is being slowly completed, only a small number of men being on the work.
At Speen the bridge under the main road is about to be replaced by the permanent brick structure, and the foundations are being laid deep in the gravel and chalk. All day on Sunday men were engaged in excavating, but it will be a considerable time before the bridge is completed.
100 years ago April 13 1922
Keep to the left!
LOCAL authorities might take a leaf out of the book of the London Safety First Council, who are taking concerted action to bring into force on July 1st a rule by which passengers would keep to the left instead of the right on the pavements in the street.
Under the present rules, pedestrians on the footpath keep to the right, while vehicular traffic on the road keeps to the left.
The consequence is that pedestrians on the outer edge of the footpath move in the same direction as the nearest line of traffic, and accidents are likely to occur through their unthinkingly stepping into the roadway, forgetful of the vehicles coming up behind them.
Under the proposed new rule, people on the kerb edge of the pavement would face the stream of traffic.
Motors are in general use, and they run so silently now-a-days, that such a rule is needed in country towns like Newbury, especially on Thursdays, when the pavements are crowded, and one has often to step off the kerb to avoid a perambulator.
75 years ago April 10 1947
Rush of blood
HOUSEWIVES who snatched half an hour off from their shopping and businessmen who would be going back to their desks were among the donors who attended a session of the Blood Transfusion Centre in the Lecture Hall, Newbury.
The process of giving blood is so simple and painless that after the first transfusion donors treat it as a matter of routine.
One young man who was giving his blood for the fourteenth time was going back to complete a hard day’s work.
Many more donors are required. Possible it is a fear of harmful after-effects which deter many people from volunteering for this greatest of social services – the giving of blood to save life.
But according to the Regional Transfusion Officer, the giving of blood can have a beneficial effect – in any case every donor is examined beforehand.
50 years ago April 13 1972
Bull attack
A WINTERBOURNE man was taken to Battle Hospital, Reading on Friday after he had been attacked and rolled on by a bull.
Mr John White (36) was recovering at home on Tuesday after treatment for two broken ribs and face and shoulder injuries.
One eye still blackened, he told of the encounter when he called at Frilsham farm to collect a bull for delivery to his employer’s farm at Boxford.
“The bull was heading towards a bit of broken fence so I ran round to get in front of him and turn him back. “As I was climbing the fence he hit me from behind and pushed me over. Then he came across, knocked me around and rolled on me. “I was frightened and it was very painful at the time. Now I’m just a bit sore.”
Mr White was taken home and then to a doctor’s surgery at Chieveley. An ambulance took him to Battle Hospital for treatment.
His doctor advised him to rest at home for three weeks but despite protests from his family he went to work on Tuesday afternoon.
Mr White has been a lorry driver for Mr Clive Povey at Boxford for nearly two years and in that time he has handled many bulls.
Five years ago he suffered three broken ribs when he was kicked by a cow while on a farm near Bristol.
25 years ago April 10 1997
Old romantics
THEY say that in Spring, a young man’s fancy turns to love – and so it proved when 83 years young Mr Maurice “Mo” Munro took a new bride at Newbury Register Office . The widower and former Commando married 70-yearold Mrs Linda Halsey on Saturday after a nine-month romance which started when he moved into sheltered accommodation at Lambourn Court in Newbury last summer.
“We just sort of got together and, after a few weeks, we found we were very, very good for each other,” said Mr Munro, who was part of the elite 42 Commando group which saw action during the Normandy landings in 1944. His bride, widowed 13 years ago, said “I used to go chatting him up because I don’t like to see a man all lost and forlorn.
“When this handsome young man came along and said
‘Will you?’, I thought ‘All right then’.”
The couple had planned to get married in secret and tell their nine children and 27 grandchildren afterwards, but one of Mrs Munro’s daughters guessed what was happening and scuppered the plan. Instead, the family clubbed together to pay all the couple’s wedding expenses, including a reception at The Swan pub in Thatcham.
10 years ago April 12 2012
Hosepipe hoo-ha
NEWBURY MP Richard Benyon hit back after a Sunday national newspaper’s claim that the hosepipe ban had been flouted at his home the day after it come into force.
He described the allegation published in The People on Sunday as “pathetic”.
The newspaper claimed that a 15ft-hosepipe was left running for two hours in the grounds of the 20,000-acre Englefield estate last Friday.
In response, Mr Benyon, a junior Environment and Fisheries Minister, has reported The People to
Thames Valley Police for alleged trespass.
He has also complained to the police about the behaviour of the newspaper’s reporter and photographer towards his family, including his wife Zoe, and has written to the Press Complaints Commission over the issue.
He told the NWN: “Neither I, nor my family, nor anyone who works for me, used that hosepipe, or any other hosepipe since the ban was introduced. ”