February 9-16

Men of the Worcestershire Regiment were flown to Nassau in the Bahamas on Wednesday from Jamaica, 500 miles away, to prevent violence in Nassau's general strike.

Two planes ferried the detachment, requested by the Governor of the Bahamas. The Nassau strike has completely paralysed the city's tourist industry.

The strike began with a dispute involving taxi drivers and spread to hotel workers, health department employees, stevedores and street cleaners.

* The high cost of damage caused by vandals threatens to close the reservoir at Powick Hospital, used by patients for fishing. The South Worcestershire Hospital Management Committee has appealed to young people to stop their vandalism. "Some benches and two wheelbarrows have been destroyed, the work shed devastated, and most of the specially planted surrounding rockery has been thrown into the pool," said a committee statement.

The reservoir is on the Callow End side of the hospital and is easy to reach by walking across a field.

This week in 1968:THIS month's prestigious national journal, the Architectural Review carries a sharp attack on Worcester's town planners and architects. Under the heading Outrage', writer Ian Nairn condemns in particular the demolition last year of Worcester's historic Public Hall in the Cornmarket.

He snipes: "Perhaps they cannot bear anything old in Worcester in case it shows up the new buildings. It will take all the best architectural men to put this Humpty Dumpty city together again because it was a masterpiece."

* General pleasure has been expressed at the news that the Queen is to visit this year's Three Counties Show at Malvern on its opening day, June 11. Over the years the show has had several royal visits but this will be the first by a reigning monarch.

This week in 1978:Schemes to turn Worcester into a major inland port, capable of taking vessels up to 1,400 tons, are being "actively looked at" by the British Waterways Board which would like to see huge continental barges using the Severn. Pressure is being applied by the Inland Waterways Association for the city to become a major cargo distribution centre for the West Midlands, but any scheme could well jeopardise plans for Worcester's second bridge.

* Screening of the controversial Black Panther film (the story of Donald Neilsen who kidnapped and killed the heiress Lesley Whittle from Highley, near Kidderminster) is being banned in Worcester by order of the city council.

It is breaking its usual policy of allowing the showing of films which carry certificates from the British Board of Censors. Town Clerk Bertram Webster explained that the Black Panther film involved events, people and police "too near home".

This week in 1988:Worcester is poised to run an official Mayoral car again after a gap of 15 years. It will mean an end to the controversial system which has operated since 1973 and left it to the city's successive mayors to make their own DIY transport arrangements with a substantial car allowance from the council. The proposal now, however, is that the council pay out £2,400 a year to lease "a suitable vehicle as a civic car."

* Worcester's newly-formed Male Voice Choir will be making its debut in the city this week.

The 26-strong group, set up recently from the dwindling forces of the Worcester Police Male Voice Choir, will take to the stage at St Martin's Church Hall in London Road on Saturday.