100 years ago

Mr J. Browning, corn and cake merchant, Malvern, and Malvern Link, has received the following amusing testimonial from a customer in Warwickshire:

"Dear Sir, - Two years ago I tasted Browning's feeding cake, since when I have tasted no other. It is grateful and comforting; matchless for the hands and complexion; but won't wash clothes. The rats are especially fond of it, and a more healthy and energetic lot of sack-tearers I have never had. I feel certain that if Buller had only fed his army exclusively on Browning's cake, they would have killed every Boer within 20 miles long ago." Malvern Gazette, August 31, 1900.

Robert Cale, a youth of Ledbury, appeared on two adjourned summonses, viz, for being drunk and disorderly in New Street on August 18 and with using obscene language at the same time and place.

It appeared from the evidence of Superintendent Phillips that defendant and his brother were fighting in the street. After the fight, defendant used some of the foulest language witness had ever heard. In fact, it was so bad, witness did not care to repeat it, so had it written on paper, which he now handed to the bench. Ledbury Free Press, September 4, 1900.

50 years ago

PERHAPS it will come as no surprise that the Women's Cricket Festival at Colwall, Malvern and Dymock last week was one of the wettest on record!

But the weather by no means had things all its own way - games were played on every day or part of each day and there were some keenly-fought events.

For a while it seemed that no one was going to make a century, and then on the last day Molly Hide, the England captain, achieved three figures in the match against Miss Stephenson's team at Dymock. The next highest score was the 67 not out made against Miss Betty Pike's XI at The Downs School by Miss Mary Duggan, also an England player, daughter of Mr Norman B. Duggan the Worcester surgeon. Malvern Gazette, September 1, 1950.

Mr J.F. East, our town surveyor, informs me that many different opinions about the new electric street lighting have been expressed to him, but that on the whole the town is very favourably impressed. Some people think the big standards, 25ft high, are too tall; but I think they add dignity to the street and, on dark nights, when not lighted, will stand out against the sky, thus enabling pedestrians to avoid bumping into them. Ledbury Reporter, September 1, 1950

25 years ago

SHOPPERS in Malvern Link are finding it increasingly difficult to cross the main road because of speeding traffic, says Malvern Trades Council.

At last week's meeting of the Trades Council Mr Dick Spencer said traffic lights had been promised for years and had Ministry approval, but had not yet been installed.

"I don't think the Link, one of the developing areas of Malvern, is getting a fair crack of the whip," said Mr Spencer. Malvern Gazette, September 4, 1975.

School leavers in Ledbury are having less difficulty in finding jobs than those in other parts of Britain.

At the start of the summer holiday, 54 boys from their local schools were looking for their first jobs, as the national unemployment figures soared to 1,250,000. Last week, the area careers officer reported that 42 of them had found work. Ledbury Reporter, September 4, 1975.