THIS week Memory Lane digs up a picture from 1949, loaned by Arthur Newbould, of Feckenham, who used to own excavation company Newbould Plant with his brother Ted.

The photograph shows sewer works in progress near the bottom of Unicorn Hill.

At that time, the company was still trading as F Newbould and Son, which was founded by Mr Newbould's grandfather, Fred, in the mid 1800s.

The digger seen was the third ever off the JCB production line and Joe Bamford himself, who established the company, visited the Newboulds on various occasions to fit parts to the machine which cost £1,350 new. Mr Bamford died in February.

Mr Newbould said: "People would gather around the digger because they couldn't believe what they were seeing."

By the time the Newboulds sold their company in 1972, they had 38 JCBs.