CALLING all historians, amateur or otherwise.

Could you find a window in your world to help complete one of the most fascinating projects about Worcester’s past?

Back in 2018 a small group of enthusiasts with diverse backgrounds set about creating a document that would catalogue a significant event in or around Worcester on every day of the year.

The finished article was to be called Worcester City History and Heritage Calendar.

The prime mover was former lawyer turned historian David Hallmark and, although the idea was not unique to Worcester, he had accurately spotted a gap in the area’s recording of history.

The first version of the calendar was published early in 2019 and by 2022, when it went on sale, more than 80 per cent of the 365 days (for it includes leap years) had been filled.

But now Worcester Civic Society, which has taken over the work, wants to get it completed.

And it’s looking for assistance.

Society chairman Phil Douce explained: “Worcester Civic Society recently took ownership of the calendar with the intent to complete it.

"Currently there are 84 days empty and we need the event and the year it happened.

"To finish the calendar we are offering two cash prizes.

"One for the person who completes the final entry and a chairman’s prize for the person who completes an entry for a special date, selected and known only to the chairman.

"That’s the challenge.

“To see how it works, a copy of the calendar is on display in the Civic Society Pod in Crowngate, Worcester, opposite the Iceland store.”

So far the earliest date is February 29, 992, when St Oswald, who became both Bishop of Worcester and Archbishop of Canterbury, died while the most recent is September 15, 2015, when cricketer Basil D’Oliveira was posthumously granted the Freedom of the City.

The idea for the calendar emerged in 2018 at a meeting between society vice-chairman David Hallmark and several local history experts, including Wendy Cook, for 30 years curator of the Museum of Royal Worcester, Miriam Harvey, chairman of Worcester Tourism Association, and Linda Griffin, chairman of the local LVA for many years and an authority on the history of the River Severn.

Between them they searched for dates of events through hundreds of books and sources.

The first edition of the calendar appeared at the society’s 60th anniversary conference in October 2019 when a request was made for people to suggest events to be added.

Information in the calendar covers a broad church, right from the date of the last man to hang in Worcester, which was on December 3, 1919, when Chinese Djang Djin Sung went to the gallows in the old prison in Castle Street for killing a fellow countryman, up to the more mundane opening of the Sabrina footbridge across the Severn on November 22, 1992.

There are also some fascinating snippets of history such as on January 24, 1647 when it was decided to post two watchmen on every city gate 'to keep out vagrants' or on October 7, 1564 when an aurora borealis was seen over Worcester, a weather freak long before global warming.

And then who remembers July 1, 1964?

If you were a motorist back then you might because that was the day traffic wardens began patrolling Worcester’s streets.

And then of course there was January 15, 1959 when Worcester City beat Liverpool 2-1 in the FA Cup at St George’s Lane.

To give a guide, these are the dates that need filling. Any year, any century.

January: 1,2,3,4,5,6 9,10,13 ,14,21,23,27,31.

February: 4,8,11,12,14,16,19,21,22,25,27.

March: 6,7,9,14,31.

April: 4,6,10,14,19,29.

May: 2,11,16,17,19.

June: 9,12,19,21,29.

July: 4,6,7,9,14,22,23,31.

August: 6,12,14.

September: 5,6,19,21,22,27.

October: 6,14,15,20,22,23,27.

November: 4,9,13,14,18,20,23.

December: 1,6,8,10,11,24,30.

Anyone who has a suggestion for an insert or needs any assistance is asked to contact Phil at phildouce68@gmail.com.