August 26, 1953

Newark Rugby Club's seven for their own tournament may be chosen from these eight players: back row, left to right, T. Grocock, M. Dobbs, E. R. Brown, D. A. Stevenson, W. F. Latham; front, G. R. Dawes, M. M. Gwilym, B. W. Lamb.

Newark promoted their first sevens tournament last year, when they received a trophy from Lt.-Col. W. H. Bush, a former commanding officer of the REME Workshops, Hawton Road, Newark.

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Newark's former England footballer, Willie Hall, was in Newark on Saturday. He was on the way to Sheffield with a coachload of Tottenham Hotspur supporters.

Mr Arthur Sargisson, of Windsor Avenue, Newark, met him at the Wharf. "It was still the same smile on his face," Mr Sargisson told the Advertiser.

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Explosions from the direction of the REME camp, Hawton Road, Newark, woke people living on Newark's new housing estate there early on Monday morning.

"Ammunition going up," they thought when they heard the fire siren wail. But the fire was in the Sergeants' Mess.

There was no ammunition there - the explosions came from the corrugated asbestos sheeting on the roof.

"It goes off with a terrific bang when it gets over-heated," said a fire officer.

"It would sound like ammunition exploding."

 August 19, 1953

On her maiden run north, British Railway's crack non-stop express train The Elizabethan - which does not stop between King's Cross and Edinburgh - took 116 minutes to cover the 120 miles from London to Newark.

The Elizabethan, which runs daily, is the only train service in the world to cover 392 miles without a halt.

There are no stops for water, which is picked up from water troughs on the permanent way, nor for coal.

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Star Cinemas (London) Ltd, owners of Newark's three cinemas, are asking patrons to sign a petition for Sunday cinema opening. Newark Town Council recently refused an application to open the cinemas on Sundays.

Mr A. F. Swaine, manager of the Savoy, said: "We think that in an issue of this kind the voice of the people should be heard. The response to the petition has been colossal."

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Because of the record number of exhibits, judging at Newark Horticultural Society's summer show on Saturday took longer than expected and the official opening was delayed 45 minutes.

Visitors had to be admitted before judging had finished. Entries totalled 620. Main attraction of the show, in Newark Town Hall, were two banks of massed flowers down the centre of the ballroom.

Exhibits overflowed into the council chamber. Councillor T. W. Howes, president of the Horticultural Society, suggested the time might come when the Town Hall would not be big enough to stage their recordbreaking shows.

August 12, 1953

Norwell Feast, which has become one of the most important events in the village's life was held on Saturday, and was once again organised by the Women's Institute.

Held at the Old Farmhouse by permission of Mrs Darkin, the feast was opened by Mr P. J Jackson. He was introduced by Mrs Clarke, WI president. About £26 was raised for WI funds.

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A nine-year-old Southwell boy was rescued from drowning in the River Trent at Fiskerton on Sunday by Mr Maurice E. Kingsley of Trinity Road, Southwell.

The boy was Clive Sambrook, of 51 Norwood Housing Estate, Southwell. Mr and Mrs Kingsley and their children were picnicking at the riverside. Mrs Kingsley noticed three boys swimming.

Clive went further out than the others and his mother, who was further down the bank called to him to come out, but he did not.

Mrs Kingsley told the Advertiser: "All at once he disappeared." Mr Kingsley jumped fully clothed into the river. He had to dive and swim underwater. Mrs Kingsley saw her husband's head appear. The boy was clinging to his neck. When they reached the bank the boy was given artificial respiration and he soon came round.

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 If no rain falls today or tomorrow Newark will have had an official drought. It last rained in Newark according to the borough surveyor's department 13 days ago.

No rain for 14 days constitutes an official drought. Sunday was one of the two hottest days this year. The temperature was 88 degrees which was equalled on Whit Monday but has never been exceeded.

August 5, 1953

A party of pupils from Rodney School, Southwell, left Newark on Friday for a visit to Belgium and Holland.

The party was accompanied by the principal, Miss J. G. Thomas, and members of staff.

The school makes a special feature of annual educational visits and has already travelled to Switzerland, Paris and Brittany, Holland and Belgium and the Channel Isles.

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Education committees that refused to let children help with the potato harvest were criticised at Caunton on Monday by Sir Joseph Nall, of Hoveringham Hall.

He was speaking at the opening of the annual Bank Holiday flower show, fete and gala organised by Caunton Young Farmers' Club.

"Take no notice of committees and regulations," he told his audience of rural holidaymakers.

"Encourage your youngsters to help on the land at harvest time. "One day's work of real initiation into the rural industry that surrounds their homesteads is worth more than a whole week in a schoolroom."

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On Saturday evening Newark became the safest town in England for motorists to drive through after dark.

The new non-glare street lights were switched on for the first time at the weekend. Newark is the first town in the country to have non-dazzle lights in action.

The latest mercury-vapour lanterns - called Metrovick-Trafford 2 - have been fitted to Newark's new concrete lamp standards.