This week in 1958:

Pigeon mystery. During the past three weeks workmen in St Andrew's Gardens, Worcester, have had the task of clearing away the remains of about 200 pigeons - 70 per cent of them racing pigeons - which had flown over the gardens from the other side of the Severn and then mysteriously swooped into a death dive to the ground or into the river.

Dead pigeons have also been found in the Old Palace grounds and around the Cathedral.

* Two famous newcomers will be making their debuts in Shakespeare at the Memorial Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon during the 1958 season. They are Googie Withers and Dorothy Tutin who will join a star company which includes Michael Redgrave, Geraldine McEwan and Richard Johnson.

This week in 1968: THE rapid thaw after heavy snowfalls brought about a swift and alarming rise in the level of rivers and streams throughout Worcestershire at the weekend. Newport Street bus station was partly submerged and half the bus stops closed, while vehicles had to crawl through the floodwaters in Croft Road and Hylton Road.

The County Ground was totally under water and the Worcester-Hereford road was closed by Teme flood waters at Bransford.

* A Worcestershire building firm is to reduce prices on its houses under construction in the county by up to £100. Harrison Brothers Limited is thought to be the first building company in the country to reduce or peg its house prices. The discounts will be £50 off new houses to £4,000, £75 off a house worth £5,000 and £100 off a house costing £6,000.

This week in 1978:Plans to demolish the former Northwick Cinema in Ombersley Road, Worcester - now a bingo hall - and replace it with a supermarket have met with widespread local opposition from traders and residents.

City Councillor David Inight claims there is "100 per cent opposition" to the plan in the area. The planning application for demolition and replacement has been submitted to the city council by Classic Cinemas, owners of the property which is at present let to Mecca.

* The Government's Transport Ministry must soon consider widening the 28 miles of M5 through Worcestershire to three lanes to rid the nation of its worst motorway bottleneck, stresses County Surveyor Vivian Jones. "At present the motorway is not doing its job at only two-lane standard, and it is breaking up in places because of the heavy traffic flows using it."

This week in 1988: Major expansion plans are being urged for Worcester's cramped and inadequate main library to meet the growing demands of book borrowers. County Librarian Michael Messenger is advocating the extension of the present City Library in Foregate Street through into the Victoria Institute at the rear. He says that under national guidelines the present main library offers less than a third of the space it should be providing for the public.

* County singing star Maria Moll has landed herself a plum part in London's top West End musical, "The Phantom of the Opera." The soprano from Grimley will play the fiery Italian opera singer called "Carlotta." This is the first break into musicals for the talented singer who has performed in opera all over the world and sings regularly with English National Opera and Scotland's national opera company.