Other months
Members of the Newark Caledonian Society and their friends assembled at the Robin Hood Hotel last night for the annual Burns Dinner. Dr P. Kinmont presided.
Proposing "The Immortal Memory," he said: "We are here tonight to commemorate the birth of Scotland's national bard, Robert Burns, whose highest ambition was to obey the poetic genius that bade him sing the simple elemental things that endear and endure, the loves, the joys, the rural scenes, the rural pleasures of his native soil, impelled by the expansive movement of his own irrepressible soul."
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The Recorder of Newark, Mr T.R. Fitzwalter Butler, referred at the Borough Quarter Sessions yesterday to changes of procedure to be made in magistrates' courts as a result of the Criminal Justices Act, 1948.
An entirely new procedure has been brought in. For the first time in the history of criminal law magistrates are entitled to deal with the whole of a case open to conviction in respect of an indictable offence triable summarily, and then commit the accused person to Quarter Sessions for sentence.
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Confronted with almost negligible opposition, the Newark RFC backs showed scintilating form against Notts Casuals at Muskham Road to win 57 to nil, on Saturday.
Text-book tries came with monotonous regularity under the leadership of skipper Pilsworth. Right centre Gwilym scored the picture try of the first half.
Taking a pass from Pilsworth, he did a 20-yard sprint down the centre, through the defence and on behind the posts.
Mr R.V. Appleby, who deserves the thanks of the town for his completion of "Newark Quiz," is to be heartily congratulated on the success of this publication.
The first edition, which was published only as recently as November last, has been sold out, and it is pleasing to note that copies of the quiz have been sent by residents in Newark to their relatives and friends in many parts of the world.
As there is still a demand for this interesting publication, which presents the history of the Town in a novel and concise form, a second edition has been printed and is now on sale, price 2s.
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Hamlet has been shown in only a few cities outside London on its first provincial tour, and now, at the commencement of its second tour, Nottingham is the first city to be privileged to see this outstanding production.
A special season of the film will be presented at the Elite Cinema, commencing on Monday for an indefinite period. Laurence Olivier is the star, producer, and director.
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Sun-tanned from a remarkable yachting voyage to the Bahamas and a whirlwind fortnight in America, Mr E.W. Lees, member of the well-known Newark tobacco firm, is back home.
Mr Lees - "Chippy" to his intimates - left Southampton on November 2nd last year, as an amateur member of the crew of an 87feet ketch, the "Maria Catharina," which his friend and fellow-townsman, Mr John Staniland, had been commissioned to sale to Nassau in the Bahamas.
This was the fifth time that Mr Staniland had skippered a yacht across the Atlantic. It was a hazardous exploit, full of adventure. Nassau was reached after 52 days and nearly six thousand miles.
Plough Sunday in Newark was memorable, first for the unique character of the special service held in Newark Parish Church, and secondly because the observance of the day was the first to take place in the Southwell Diocese for several centuries.
Newark was chosen by the Bishop (Dr F. Russell Barry) to witness the revival of the ancient rites, including the blessing of the plough, because of its importance as an agricultural centre of the county. The Lord Lieutenant of the county headed the congregation.
After delivering his sermon, the Bishop received the plough and the plough team while the congregation sang We plough the fields and scatter.
An outstanding feature of the service was the singing of the first chorus of Handel's The Messiah as an anthem.
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As the result of the Ministry of Transport's inquiry, Millgate, Newark, has now become a one-way street.
The erection of signs prohibiting entry from the Castlegate-Lombard Street end, the placing of an additional traffic island in the road, and the appearance of a police patrol were the first intimations to the public of this new regulation.
Already there is less traffic congestion and more parking places.
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At a special parade of the Newark Squadron ATC, to their Northgate House headquarters, on Thursday night, Cadet Trevor Bird of Bowbridge Road, Newark, the 15-year-old boy who topped the country in a recent ATC proficiency examination, received his certificate of proficiency from Wing Commander E. Blake, senior training staff officer.
Wing Commander Blake said that out of 10 passes with distinction, gained in the whole country, the four names that headed the list were all from Newark.
Next to Cadet Bird, with 95 per cent, was Cadet E. Bullock, Cavendish Avenue, Newark, (94 per cent), Cpl V. Dobson, Northgate, (94 per cent), and Cadet P. Edgar, Cavendish Avenue (93 per cent).
Here we are entering the Gate of the New Year. The bells have rung out the old and welcomed the new-born 1949 with its new hopes, new resolutions and new calendars.
The pages of the new diaries are for the most part blank and it is not known what joyful occasions will be recorded.
Similarly, in this newspaper office, our reels of newspaper are clean and uncreased, waiting to record the unknown story of the coming months.
It is impossible to forecast what has to be told but this is the season of hope and we can only trust that the coming record of Newark and its folk will be bright and worth telling.
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The highlight of the New Year festivities was the Newark Rowing Club's carnival ball at the Town Hall on New Year's Eve.
It will be remembered as the dance of the season by the happy crowd of dancers, which approached a figure of 400.
Coloured balloons and streamers provided a carnival atmosphere. Behind the bandstand stood a large clock face with hands pointing to midnight and the club flag underneath. In the dying minutes of the old year revelry was at its height and the crowded ballroom presented a happy scene.
As the chimes of Big Ben, relayed from the radio, heralded the new year, the dancers joined hands and sang Auld Lang Syne.
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An exhibition of works by famous masters, which is to last a month, was opened in the Art Gallery of the Municipal Museum in Appletongate on Monday.
It is a remarkable collection of 55 pictures, and has come to Newark from the National Loan Trust after a long tour of the Empire. Chiefly it comprises the works of Flemish and Dutch masters of the 17th century.
It is the first time Newark has had the opportunity of seeing the pictures, and that reason alone is enough to warrant the belief that everyone interested in art will make an effort to see them.
The present collection has made successful tours of the principal galleries in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Africa.
