100 years ago

The arrangements for the visit to Malvern on February 1st of Mr Austen Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer, are in a forward condition, and the event is being looked forward to with much interest. Sir H F Lambert, Bart., who will preside over the meeting, will be seen on a political platform here for the first time. There will be speeches by Mr Chamberlain and Mr Alfred Baldwin MP, followed by the usual votes of thanks. A large gathering is looked forward to. It is many a long day since a Cabinet Minister appeared before a Malvern audience. Malvern News, January 14, 1905.

Stately palms, groups of magnificent chrysanthemums, hot-house plants and ferns, all deftly arranged, were the outstanding features of decorative skills exhibited at The Feathers Hotel Assembly Room, Ledbury, when the annual ball under the auspices of the Ledbury Hunt was held. The chandeliers, hanging from the centre of the roof, were entwined with evergreen and mirrors were placed at convenient intervals. Ledbury Free Press, January 17, 1905.

50 years ago

A sharp fall of fine snow yesterday afternoon created traffic chaos in most parts of the town. In Church Street at one time, no less that eight motor-cars trying to climb the hill were unable to do so. Some of the drivers in their efforts to make the crest ended up with their vehicles facing across the road. Motorists who had snow chains with them stopped to fix these, but in other cases calls were made on the local garages for assistance. Malvern Gazette, January 14, 1955.

Keen disappointment was expressed to members of the Ledbury Rural Council at what they regarded as a niggardly grant of £3,500 from the Ministry of Housing towards the cost of the Wellington Heath water scheme. The chairman said it was inadvisable to give anyone the idea that Wellington Heath was going to have a sewerage system in the foreseeable future. Ledbury Reporter, January 21, 1955.

25 years ago

Geologists are planning to drill 1,300ft into the ground beneath Pendock. They plan to spend three months taking core samples at different depths to draw up an accurate picture of the red marl and sandstone that dates back some 200 million years to the Triassic period. Mr Green stressed that the survey had nothing to do with test drilling for nuclear waste dumping in the county. Malvern Gazette, January 17, 1980.

A call for the county council to pay a more realistic charge for its use of Ledbury swimming pool was made at Thursday's town council meeting. Coun Doug Isaacs said the county council was paying "a pittance" for schools to use of the pool. He said: "No wonder the pool is not a viable proposition. I can't imagine anyone in private business letting it go on." Ledbury Reporter, January 17, 1980.