GOOD news for local anglers was brought to them by Berrow's Journal exactly half-a-century ago.

The edition for this week of late December, 1950 announced that the Severn River Board was to re-stock its waters with more than a million coarse fish during the next nine months.

"Altogether, 1,027,900 fish will be netted from the breeding grounds and transferred to various points along the Severn, Arrow and Salwarpe. The largest batch at any one time will be of 65,000 fish destined for the Severn at Grimley."

It was also in December, 1950 that the Elgar Society was born. The Journal reported on the inaugural meeting in the Warwick House Restaurant at Malvern.

The idea of forming an Elgar Society was mooted by Sir Adrian Boult, conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, after the final concert of this year's Malvern Elgar Festival in September."

The same Journal edition also announced a star-studded season coming up at Stratford-upon-Avon for the Festival of Britain Year 1951.

AS during this past Millennium Year, the Royal Shakespeare Company was to perform the Bard's historical cycle of plays.

Michael Redgrave will play principal roles in Henry V and Henry VI, and Anthony Quayle will appear as Falstaff. Richard Burton, currently playing in The Lady's Not for Burning, on Broadway, will play Prince Hal, and Hugh Griffith and Alan Badel will also take principal roles in Henry VI.

Still on the theatrical front, in December, 1950 Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society had not long completed a series of performances of The Quaker Girl at the Theatre Royal.

Berrow's Journal gave the production a glowing review and picked out several of the principals for particular praise, including Jean Parsons, Ronald Fisk, Tom Farr, Billy Wyatt, Winifred Adams, Freda Wyatt and Margaret Thomas.

Also 50 years ago this week, the Worcester Diocesan Association for Moral Welfare Work was expressing its displeasure with the Home Office for turning down a generous offer it had made.

Whitehall had declined the chance to set up a home for young unmarried mothers at the historic Bishop's House in Lansdowne Crescent. The property was being offered "at a very nominal rent," thanks to its owner, former Worcester Mayor, Miss Diana Ogilvy.

The Journal said the association's full-time worker, Miss M. Barfoot was stressing "the cosmopolitan nature" of the problem of unmarried mothers in and around Worcester. A significant proportion of the fathers of the children were Polish, German, Austrian and Russian men living in post-war hostels in the city and county.

Two centuries ago this week, the Journal highlighted an armed robbery near Worcester.

TWO men armed with bludgeons and with their faces painted black and red broke into the house of Philip Harwood at Hanbury and stole £130 in notes, a silver watch and a pair of silver candlesticks.

The same Journal edition of December 1800 carried a report of a recent "General Meeting of Subscribers to the Worcester Library"which was then in Angel Street.

The Treasurer, William Wall stated that income for the previous 12 months had been £128 including £103 in members' subscriptions. Expenditure had been £126 including £76.18s for the purchase and binding of books and £7.10s for the Librarian's annual salary.