100 Years Ago

April 30, 1904

Edwin Ford, a tramp, was charged with refusing to perform his allotted task at the Workhouse, Pershore, the previous day. Alfred Haynes, the porter, said the man was admitted on Saturday. He was given eight sleepers to saw up, and on Tuesday about 2.30pm witness found that he had only sawn up four. When witness spoke to him he had his hands in his pockets and said that he did not intend to do anymore. Defendant said he did four of the sleepers, but he was too ill to do any more. Mr Baker, who appeared for the guardians, asked the magistrates to give the defendant a sentence that would put a stop to this sort of thing. There was a little epidemic of men refusing to work. It was stopped before by giving a man a month, with fourteen days' hard labour.

75 Years Ago

April 27, 1929

There were several interesting dress innovations shown at the mannequin parades held in the Town Hall, Evesham, on Thursday, by Mr Bruce Collenette (proprietor of R W Righton, High Street), and everything necessary for the spring and summer wardrobe was displayed.

Draperies in shades of primrose, white and lime green, gave a touch of spring to the atmosphere, and a harmonious background was provided by the music of Messrs F Alcock and W Morton. Three professional mannequins (including a matron), together with lady members of Mr Collenette's staff, displayed the models, which ranged from luxurious fur-trimmed coats to the filmiest of summer frocks and gay bathing costumes.

50 Years Ago

May 1, 1959

On Wednesday, Mr William Geoffrey Smith, managing director of W and H Smith Ltd, of Evesham, proprietor of The Evesham Journal and Four Shires Advertiser and The Tewkesbury Register and Gazette, was elected president of the Newspaper Society for the ensuing year. This is a position of great national importance; for this society represents the whole of the provincial press, both daily and weekly, of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the London suburban press. Mr Smith has been at the Journal office since he left school in 1920 having been secretary of the company from 1928 until recently and managing director since 1947.

25 Years Ago

April 26, 1979

Council house tenants in Wychavon who are not fully paid up with their rents, have been praised by the chairman of the council's housing committee for making a positive effort to reduce the arrears. Mr M Meikle told fellow councillors at the last full council meeting on Tuesday that since publication of the arrears figures in early April, the amount had fallen dramatically. In the last four weeks, he said, the total arrears had dropped from £62,313 to £41,379.