Bygones: What was making the news in the Newark Advertiser in 1923, 1973 and 1998?

The Advertiser has opened its archives to look what was making the news this week 25, 50 and 100 years ago.

How much of it do you remember?

25 years ago ­— January 30, 1998

ABOVE: Divers with Nottinghamshire Police were unable to keep an appointment at Oliver Quibell Infants’ School, Newark, so the head’s son stepped in to give a talk at the last minute.

Mr Mark Connole is a farrier and used his mobile forge to show pupils how horseshoes are made.

On-the-spot warden cover at council-run elderly people’s complexes in Newark and Sherwood is under threat.

Although wardens’ jobs are at risk, they say it is the people they look after who will suffer the most.

District councillors meet next week to discuss proposals to end the live-in warden service.

A conservation group is objecting to plans to remove 25 trees from the grounds of Newark Castle as part of work to restore them to their former Victorian splendour.

The scheme includes providing a bandstand and new entrance from Castlegate.

Farndon Residents Environmental Group called the measure an act of destruction.

The film editor of one of last year’s biggest box office hits was at Newark College passing on expert advice to students hoping for a career in the film industry.

Mr Nick Moore, formerly of Collingham, was the editor of The Full Monty.

RAF bomb disposal experts are working to clear a local nature reserve of second world war munitions, which may include mustard gas.

Work at Spalford Warren, owned by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, is expected to take more than a week.

It was one of many areas used by the RAF during the war to store munitions to serve its local stations.

50 years ago ­— February 3, 1973

ABOVE: This happy crowd of youngsters examine the presents given to them at Balderton Working Mens’ Club annual children’s party.

There were 330 children of members present.

A call for the new £2¾m St Mark’s Lane development to be integrated with the rest of Newark’s shopping centre was made.

Newark and District Chamber of Trade emphasised the need to improve carparking facilities to combat out-of-town development and to keep Newark town centre alive.

A new primary school is to be built at Easthorpe, Southwell.

Nottinghamshire County Council is purchasing 2.71 acres of land at a cost of £42,000 and the purchase of another 1.07 acres is being negotiated.

Newark Town Council intends to go round and round the mulberry tree when they build a carpark behind Northgate House.

The mulberry tree stands in the grounds of the house on the site of the proposed carpark and, because it is believed to be one of only four in Newark, the council does not wish to uproot it.

Balderton Hospital League of Friends has ordered an £800 caravan which has been specially adapted for eight severely-handicapped children.

The money was raised by the league and children from John Hunt Primary School, Balderton.

It will be delivered to Skegness.

Newark Gilstrap Library is to close for a week because of repainting.

Some 30,000 books will have to be moved to get the work done.

100 years ago ­— January 31, 1923

A boy’s defiance of the Education Committee was related at the Borough Police Court when Horace Scarborough, 15, was summoned for trading without a licence.

Pc Millhouse gave evidence of seeing the boy selling newspapers at Bridge Street corner.

Mr C. H. Newbald, prosecuting, said some say it was beneficial for young boys to do so, and it quickened their business instinct and developed their mental arithmatic but, while it might be good for adults, it is not for boys as it develops a vicious tendancy towards gambling.

Scarborough was fined 5s.

Newark Farmers’ Society has arranged to have this season’s supply of seed potatoes from Scotland sent by water instead of rail, thereby effecting a saving of nearly £1 a ton.

The potatoes in consignments of 150 tons will be shipped at Dundee and come direct by water to Newark via the Trent.

A parish meeting was held at Long Bennington to consider which day of the week would be most convenient to the public for the postman’s half-holiday. It was decided that the Postmaster be approached to change the day from Saturday to Thursday.

Further reference to the provision of a cottage house for Southwell Workhouse was made at the meeting of the Board Of Guardians.

Mrs Caudwell explained the difficulties that the Ladies Visiting Committee experienced finding homes for boarded-out children.

She declared it was most difficult to find suitable homes and when they did, they could not be assured that they were properly treated and fed.