July 25, 1956

Works holiday weeks in Newark began on Friday and Saturday with a move south in search of the sun.

The big exodus came on Saturday morning. Of about 800 who travelled from Newark Northgate Station, most headed for London and the south, although large numbers were on their way to Bridlington and Yarmouth.

From Newark Castle Station, more than 500 departures included many for Torquay and some for Bournemouth.

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The second power station to be built by the Central Electricity Authority at Staythorpe will not, after all, be a duplicate of the first. It will be smaller, although it will have the same capacity of 360m watts.

The revision of plans will knock £7m off the expected capital cost of £20m.

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The wettest day of the year on Wednesday produced four times as much rain in Newark as there was during the whole of July in 1955.

Rainfall for a normal July rarely exceeds an inch. So far this month it has passed 21/2ins.

One effect: Newark firemen, who usually have to deal almost daily with grass and hedge fires at this time of the year, have had of no calls at all in the past week.
 

July 18, 1956

More than 121,000 eggs, 77 tons of potatoes, seven tons of other vegetables and 2,000lbs of fruit were supplied to mental hospitals by the hospital-owned estate at Balderton during the year ended March 31.

The annual report of Nottingham No 4 hospital management committee, which controls mental hospitals in the area, notes with regret the decision of the Ministry of Health to dispose of 125 acres of the Balderton estate.

It points out that some land surrounding Balderton Hospital has been retained and expresses the hope that “provided it proves to be an economic proposition this will suffice to ensure the continued supply of the greater part of meat, eggs, poultry and vegetable requirements.”

Of 31 prefects leaving Newark Lilley and Stone Girls’ High School, 17 are going straight on to teacher training college and several others who are going on to university or to take specialist training will become teachers.

“I do not know what Newark would do for teachers without the high school,” said Miss B. M. Dibb (headmistress) when badges, presented by the Old Girls’ Society were handed to the prefects on Saturday at the annual garden party.
 

July 11, 1956

The Home Secretary from 1945 to 1951, the Rt Hon Chuter Ede, presented the prizes at the silver jubilee speech day of Newark County Technical College and County Secondary Technical School.

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Collingham may contain Britain’s keenest readers. The village which for years had its own little library and since last year has had its own branch of the Nottinghamshire County Library, is reading its way through the county’s stock more rapidly, in proportion to population, than anywhere else.

Over the county as a whole, the libraries last year issued about four books for every member of the population — near enough double the national average.

But the Collingham branch of the County Library issued more than ten books for every member of the population.

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Visiting a gala in aid of the Portland Training College for the Disabled in Newark Castle Grounds, the Duchess of Portland chatted with a former trainee of the college who was able to establish his own business in Newark.

Mr W. Pearce, of Meldrum Crescent, had just finished his course as a boot and shoe repairer when Newark’s first Portland gala was held a year ago.

Since then, the college, the British Legion, the Red Cross and the Ministry of Pensions have all co-operated to help establish him in his own business.

Seven weeks ago, the man who once was told that he could never work again because of his wartime spinal injuries, started earning his own living in a well-equipped workshop.
 

July 4, 1956

Though not too hot for coats and cardigans, the sun was shining on Saturday afternoon, and that meant a queue at the ice-cream and pop stall at St Leonard’s Church, Newark, garden fete.

The fete, usually in the vicarage garden was this year moved to the church grounds.

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To show what will happen to the £183 raised at Newark Parish Church garden fete on Saturday, about 30 Sunday School children took part in a pageant on the lawns of the vicarage in Appletongate depicting missionary work.

The pageant was introduced by the Vicar of Newark, the Rev J. H. D. Grinter, who said a true Christian must help to propagate the Gospel.

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Landing in Cyprus after her first-ever flight, a young wife from Southwell found that her husband had virtually got her a job — as an air hostess.

When Cyprus Airways dismissed their Cypriot staff because of the present emergency, they had six vacancies for air hostesses.

Flying-officer Michael Wilson of the RAF educational branch, who was waiting for his wife (formerly Miss Ann Briggs) to join him in Cyprus, read an advertisement and applied for the job on her behalf.

An interview was arranged. But at the same time for which it was fixed, Ann was just leaving London Airport. So Michael went along instead. His description of his young wife impressed the interviewing board. They agreed to see her next day.

Within 24 hours of beginning her first flight, Ann was a trainee air hostess. Within a week, she had made her first flight to Cairo.