December 26, 1951

Some 150 children who were entertained to a party in Newark Corn Exchange last week by British Glues and Chemicals Ltd.

Members of the British Legion band played for carol singing after which there was a Punch and Judy show.

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Dr N. Clayton, senior history master at Huntingdon Grammar School, and also senior games master and VI form master since 1937, is the new headmaster of Magnus Grammar School, in succession to the Rev D. Campbell Miller. His appointment was approved by Notts Education Committee.

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The effort of Newark District Education Committee to secure five weeks' summer holiday, next year, for primary schools in the borough, has not been successful.

At a meeting of the district committee, a letter was read from the Director of Education stating the county authority has not been able to approve the Newark committee's request to be allowed to take 2 1/2 days from the spring holiday and add them to the summer holiday of 4 1/2 weeks.

The effect of this is that the schools will close for Works Week next year, and that the holiday will extend to 4 1/2 weeks only.

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There will be a special Christmas celebration at 79 Elizabeth Road, Newark, the home of Mr Eric Fairhurst and his Italian-born wife.

Mr Fairhurst, who became a council tenant only last week is the last person on Newark Town Council's waiting list to get the key to a new house before the Christmas holiday. The Fairhursts have one little daughter - 3 1/2 years-old Theresa.

This is the second Christmas she has had a Christmas tree ... but it is the first time her mother has been able to put it up in their own home.

December 19, 1951

Today is very much Magnus School Day. Several important events will take place in connection with the school and the outstanding happenings will be the unveiling of memorials to old boys of the school who gave their lives in the last war.

The Memorial in the Parish Church will be dedicated at a special service at 11am, and that at the school at 6pm.

Lieutenant-colonel S. I. Derry, president of the Old Magnusians' Association, will unveil the memorial in the parish church. The names of those who fell in the last war form an addition to the existing memorial in St George's chapel.

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Newarkers are remembering to put 1 1/2d stamps on their Christmas cards.

A Newark GPO official told the Advertiser yesterday that he had looked through 1,000 letters on Monday and found every one correctly stamped.

Sixty-three extra postmen and women are handling Christmas mail in Newark. Three British Road Service vans are supplementing the Post Office's own fleet of vehicles.

The Drill Hall, Sherwood Avenue, is again being used as a parcels sorting depot. Up to Monday, 85,095 parcels, Christmas cards and letters had been handled at Newark Post Office.

Today is expected to be the busiest day of the pre-Christmas post rush, with country people bringing their parcels to Newark to be posted.

December 12, 1951

The newly converted village hall at Farndon has been built as a memorial to those members of the village who died during the two world wars.

A plaque, bearing names carved and inscribed by local craftsmen will be placed in the inside entrance to the hall. This Advertiser newsphoto shows Mr A. F. Wood and the Rev F. J. Willson with the plaque.

There are ten names on the plaque to the fallen of the last war. The name Saxby appears three times. Charles Edward Saxby was killed in Malaya at the age of 22, Joseph Norman Saxby was killed in an air raid when he was 17.

William Saxby, their cousin was killed during an air raid at Derby, while serving in the Royal Engineers.

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Police sergeant T. R. Parkin is leaving Newark to take up an appointment with the photographic section of Nottinghamshire CID at Nottingham. He joined Newark Borough Police Force in 1930 and was promoted to sergeant in 1943. He has been in charge of the photographic department at Newark in addition to his other duties.

Off the beat he is a founder member of the Newark Photographic Society, of which he has been chairman for the past two years.

It was he who described the town's ancient buildings, as seen through the photographer's view finder, when Richard Dimbleby recorded a BBC Down Your Way broadcast in Newark this year.

December 5, 1951

Bagpipes were played in the entrance to Newark Town Hall on Friday evening, as guests arrived for the annual Ball of Newark and District Caledonian Society.

Mr R. Briscoe (nearest camera) and Mr A. McNicol are seen in this Advertiser newsphoto playing a skirl at the ball. There were 246 guests at the ball, and there were three sittings for supper.

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A touch of Chelsea has come to Newark. Original paintings by local artists are being displayed on licensed premises - in this case the Clinton Arms Hotel.

The hotel management have welcomed the scheme, and Newark Arts Club members, whose pictures will be on show, are glad to have a shop window.

Mr S. Gibbon, of the Arts Club, says: "We have often been accused of being unbusinesslike. Newark artists now have a chance to be salesmen."

Many public houses in Chelsea have similar exhibitions in bars and lounges where the paintings are for sale.

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There were all the bright lights and glitter of a West End first night at Newark Technical College on Monday evening when the first performance of Newark Amateur Operatic Society's Yeoman Of The Guard was presented.

The Mayor and Mayoress, Coun and Mrs J. A. Markwick, were present. Many of the audience wore evening dress, and at the interval while patrons were entertained to cocktails, ices were sold by ladies in ball gowns.

The president of the society, Mrs H. F. Hine, spoke from the stage before the show began. She thanked the audience for their support. "You encourage the society by your presence," she said.