THIS WEEK IN 1959:

FOWL pest is spreading in Worcestershire despite the efforts of Ministry of Agriculture inspectors based in Worcester and the wholesale slaughter of birds.

Three major outbreaks have been confirmed in recent days on farms at Fladbury, Wyre, near Pershore, and at Stourport-on-Severn. More than 50,000 birds had to be slaughtered at JF Bomford’s Springhill Farm, Fladbury, and thousands more were lost in the other two outbreaks.

THIS WEEK IN 1969:

A SERIOUS water shortage which has hit Worcester could affect a wide surrounding area. It has been caused by what the South West Worcestershire Water Board calls a “snowballing” series of complications. Scores of homes in Worcester, particularly in the city centre and the St John’s area, lost their water supplies on Tuesday and many other consumers have been receiving their water at very low pressures. With big problems at Worcester Waterworks and with the Severn “getting dirtier and dirtier,” it looks as though the city will have to face a water shortage for some time. The trouble started a few days ago when a digger driver accidentally severed the electricity main providing all the power to Worcester Waterworks. It took three-and-a-half hours to repair the damage and, while the waterworks was out of operation, the balance – the emergency reserve – in the city’s two reservoirs at Elbury Mount and Rainbow Hill was used up.

THIS WEEK IN 1979:

THE new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie will preside at a huge Worcester Diocesan Eucharist to be held on the County Cricket Ground in New Road on May 8 next year as part of celebrations to mark the 1,300th anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in Worcestershire.

● The possible inclusion of the Worcester-Hereford line, which passes through Malvern and Ledbury, in British Rail’s plans to close 900 miles of railway and 41 passenger train services is causing widespread public concern in the county. The detailed cutbacks, not yet published, are the result of the Government’s decision to withdraw £22 million worth of passenger subsidies. A BR spokesman admitted that for several years the Worcester- Hereford line had been on “a possible closure list” but there was no definite proposal at the moment for its shutdown. (Mercifully, the line, constructed exactly 150 years ago, was spared).

THIS WEEK IN 1989:

WORCESTER teenagers want to be healthy humanitarians living in an equal world without the threat of nuclear war hanging over them. Berrow’s Journal has carried out an interview survey of Worcester college students and found that all of them were concerned for the future of the environment.

All were buying CFC-free products.