SCALING Ankerdine Hill on a bicycle a century back appears to have been seen then as almost akin to climbing Everest on foot -- at least, that's the impression given by an item in the Journal 100 years ago this week

"The bottle of Champagne offered as a prize by the landlord of the Talbot Hotel, Knightwick to the first cyclist who succeeded in reaching the top of Ankerdine Hill was at last consumed on Sunday by the North Warwickshire Cycling Club, one of whose members accomplished the task.

"The hill rises to 382 ft. in three-quarters-of-a-mile and has gradients of one-in-seven in places. To get into form and prepare his breathing, the cyclist rode about a mile away and, on returning, approached his task at a slow pace, breathing slowing and deeply. He then scaled the hill to the 'Danger' board.

"The cyclist and witnesses of the feat were photographed at the summit, and a copy of the picture is to be forwarded to the Royal Enfield Company whose machine the cyclist rode."

High drama proved the most memorable feature of the 1901 annual summer outing for employees of the former Worcester china works of James Hadley and Co., at Diglis.

The excursion was by steamer on the Severn to Stourport, but the Journal later reported: "A somewhat alarming incident occurred during the afternoon. One of the younger girl employees, together with a companion, both about 14 years old, went for a stroll by the riverside and, in some unaccountable way, one of them slipped into the water.

"She would very likely have drowned but for the quick and plucky action of her companion who seized her by her hair after she had been under the water twice, and held her head above the water until assistance arrived.

"As a sequel to this courageous act, a subscription list was opened and, yesterday, Mr James Hadley, on behalf of the firm and employees, presented May Blake with a gold watch, suitably inscribed, as a token of appreciation for her courage and promptitude in a moment of peril."

An inaugural dinner was held at Worcester's "new" Hopmarket Hotel this week a century ago. The hotel was the central feature of the imposing Hopmarket complex constructed in 1900 and 1901.

The Journal reported that at the inaugural dinner, Mr C.E Pipe, Governor of the Hopmarket Trust, said everyone "seemed heartily pleased" with the improvement the new Hopmarket was bringing to the city and to its prosperity.