What was making the news in the Newark Advertiser in 1923, 1973 and 1998
25 years – August 14, 1998
ABOVE: Children in Southwell have been taking part in a challenge to prepare and perform a musical in five days.
Around 40 children, aged five to 14, have been helping with scenery and costumes and working on dances, song and drama for the performance at the Methodist hall.
• A direct link between Newark and the Continent may remain unfulfilled, it has been claimed.
Eurostar has ruled out any chance of direct services this year, despite being named as a Eurostar station in 1994.
“Given the track record, the financial problems, and what Eurostar is now saying, you really do have to question if this direct service will ever get started,” said district councillor Peter Harris.
• Campaigners who thought they had saved the playing field on Newark’s Beacon Heights estate from development were told the fight goes on.
Nottinghamshire County Council has decided to go to the High Court to challenge a decision by a planning inquiry inspector that the site should not be used for housing.
• Hundreds of collectors queued at Newark Showground overnight to give themselves a better chance of finding bargains and rare items at the first ever national Collect It fair.
The 20th Century collectors’ event, one of the largest ever held in Britain attracted more than 8,000 people, many travelling from Europe and the US.
Collectables ranged from cereal cards and toast racks to unique football memorabilia and Ty Warner Beanie Baby toys – animal-shaped beanbags. Limited edition teddy bear Britannia Beanies and Princess Beanies, in memory of Princess Diana, were expected to sell for around £500.
50 years ago – August 18
ABOVE: As if school for three terms in not enough, some Newark schoolchildren are back in the school again for the summer holidays.
They are attending the second annual Newark Family Summer School organised by Notts Education Committee at the Parish C of E Primary School.
Reading, writing and arithmatic have given way to fun-making activities such as sand and water play, handiwork, cooking, outdoor games and working with musical instruments.
• The Mayor of Newark, Alderman Mrs Elzabeth Yorke, is to launch a petition against the rumoured down-grading of Newark General Hospital.
Mrs Yorke does not accept a statement that there were no plans to change the status of the 72-bed hospital.
She fears that eventually the hospital may become little more than a convalescent home, with few medical facilities. Newark area patients would have to travel to Nottingham.
• People in Newark are getting browned-off with the hot summer weather.
One chemist in the town is selling 20% more suntan lotion than last year, and a sports shop says there has been a boom in the swimsuit business.
The town’s open-air pool is coping with more than 1,000 simmers a day. This week has been a record for this year.
• Newark District Council may buy Kelham Hall, which has 130 bedrooms, for extra office space in addition to offices in Newark and Southwell.
There is nowhere in the existing council offices for a councillors’ informal meeting and work room, or for a larger planning department.
• For the first time, wresting was televised from the Grove.
Yorkshire TV sent three cameras and a team of 25 technicians as well as commentator Kent Walton.
A capacity audience watched five contests.
100 years ago – August 15, 1923
• An unusual story of life after death comes from Balderton concerning a youngster of six years named Walter Leonard Robinson.
Walter was taken ill with diphtheria and was removed to the isolation hospital. His father visited the hospital on Sunday morning and was told by a nurse “He’s just gone.”
He told his wife and brother and the passing bell was rung at Balderton.
Then, about two hours later, the same nurse went to the family to say he was alive.
• A special meeting of the Vestry of Newark Parish Church has been called. The circumstances are somewhat unusual.
In the notice attached to the church door, the business is set forth as in connection with the recent installation of electric light and a proposal to provide another chapel and altar in the church.
It would appear the electric light has been installed without obtaining of a faculty, and the brass gas standards removed without consent.
• Forty inmates from Newark Workhouse were conveyed to Langford Hall and, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Constable Curtis were entertained to tea and spent an enjoyable time.
Mr Curtis said from what he heard, the inmates seemed to have had a really good ‘beano’.
• Intimation of a government scheme to place persons in the Dominions reached Newark Board of Guardians.
The chairman pointed out this was a government scheme for migration of poor people from one part of the Empire to the other – chiefly from this country to the Dominions.
During the coming winter they would probably have a large amount of unemployed and maybe men would agree to go abroad for openings there, and the Guardians could assist them.
Also, instead of sending children to homes locally, or abroad for training, they could send them under proper supervision to the Colonies.
