This week in 1957:

IN a glowing tribute to the "great genius" of Sir Edward Elgar, Sir Arthur Bliss, Master of the Queen's Music, on Wednesday praised the Worcestershire composer for his marked originality, brilliant orchestral colouring, astounding vitality and complete mastery of the sound he required.

Sir Arthur was guest speaker at a Guildhall tea party held to celebrate the centenary of Elgar's birth. He said that generally for him, the predominant effect of Elgar's music was an enhancement of life, but he warned that a great fight still had to be made to stimulate an appreciation for this composer's music abroad where esteem for his works was "not nearly so widespread as it should be."

* A new swimming pool, which is a memorial to ITMA radio comedian Tommy Handley, has been opened at Nash Court, the headquarters of the National Association of Boys' Clubs near Tenbury. A plaque records that the pool was built "so that young men may remember Tommy Handley who, even in the darkest days of the Second World War, shared with us his wit, humanity and gaiety".

This week in 1967: A Lovely setting for the Giffard. Plush bedrooms commanding panoramic views and with their own private bathrooms, television sets, radios, telephones and adjustable central heating - that's what you will get if you stop at the Giffard, Worcester's new luxurious six-storey hotel which will be officially opened on Monday.

Dominating the Lich Street redevelopment project opposite the Cathedral, the hotel is one of the first to be built in Worcester in the 20th century and has been lavishly furnished, equipped and decorated at a cost of £285,000.

The Giffard has 104 bedrooms, a restaurant for 100 people, a large lounge, a big bar, a cocktail bar, a banqueting and conference suite and three other suites for smaller affairs. For a hotel of this luxury and class, the prices are reasonable too, at £3 to £3.15s for a single bedroom with bathroom, £5 to £5.15s for a double bedroom with bathroom and £8 for a double bedroom with bathroom and sitting room. Prices for meals are 8s.6d for an English breakfast, 16s for lunch and 18s.6d for dinner.

This week in 1977: The city and county of Worcester celebrated the Queen's Silver Jubilee in fine style over the weekend with bonfires, carnivals, festival balls, ox roasts, street parties, open air discos and many other attractions. Highlight of the celebrations was undoubtedly the lighting of the great beacon on Malvern's Worcestershire Beacon - number 48 in the chain of high-point fires linking all parts of the country.

There were carnival processions in Pershore and Malvern and at the City of Worcester Show, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The weather, which had up to jubilee week promised ideal conditions, turned changeable at the last moment. The beacon lighting time was accompanied by gusty winds which whipped up the flames as thousands of people walked or drove up the Malvern Hills to spot surrounding bonfires 25 miles away.

This week in 1987: Anglers preparing for the start of the coarse fishing season are finding that a by-law introduced by the Severn Trent Water Authority has sent up the cost of their sport. From the beginning of this month, the use of lead weights on fishing tackle has been banned by the authority and anglers are discovering that the alternatives are more expensive.

Mrs Ellen Reynolds, co-proprietor of Alan's Fishing Tackle Shop in St John's, Worcester, said: "We have four different sorts of weights but they all cost a lot more than lead."