November 25, 1953

For throwing the discus 123ft 4½ins Dennis Peet (15) of Harcourt Street, Newark, was awarded a national standard medal.

He received the medal from Lt-Col Vere-Laurie, chairman of the governors of Newark Secondary Technical College, which Peet represented at the all-England inter-county schools' athletics championships.

Peet was presented with the award at Payne and Broughton's motor works, Farndon Road, where he is serving an apprenticeship.

He was congratulated on his achievement by Lt.-Col Vere-Laurie, Dr A.R. Bowen (principal of Newark County Secondary Technical School) and his employer, Mr Payne.

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Window-cleaning at schools during classes is distracting to teaching, Alderman J. A. Markwick (chairman) told Newark District Education Committee.

"Not to the teachers but to teaching," he added. The committee approved a recommendation by the governors of the Lilley and Stone Girls' school that windows at the school should in future be cleaned during holidays, entailing three cleanings a year instead of the present four.

Alderman Markwick said the present contractor was responsible for a large number of schools and found it impossible to fit them all in during the holidays.

It was suggested that when contracts came up for review in January, the work at this school should be given to a contractor who was able to do it at the time desired by the governors.

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The bells of Newark Parish Church, which are more than 100-years-old, will be renovated and re-hung next year thanks to a legacy of £1,000 left by Mr C. M. Newbald towards the cost of re-hanging.

This was announced at a Gopher dinner in the Clinton Arms Hotel on Friday, attended by members of the Parish Church Society of Ringers, their wives and friends.

President of the society is Canon W. W. Clarkson, vicar of Newark, who was the toastmaker.

November 18, 1953

Young St John Ambulance cadets carefully lifted a patient on to a stretcher at Sunday's first aid competition.

The boys were the first of three junior and four senior teams to compete in the Ringrose Cup and Vickers Cup first aid competitions.

The Ringrose Cup was won by a police team. Second were Newark British Railways, third were Newark division of the East Midland Electricity Board.

Graham Hassel, and his team of St John Ambulance cadets, won the Vickers Cup for the best junior team and Police Sergeant C. H. Derry retained the Crouch cup for the best individual display.

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Members and guests attended Newark Rowing Club's annual dinner in the Robin Hood Hotel, Newark, on Friday.

For many years the Newark club was riding on the crest - during a period of five years it had won 68% of all cups open to England - but now it had met a trough.

Hopes had been high for a good season, but for a variety of reasons the club had been unable to score any success.

It strove always, however to enter all regattas even when there was no hope of victory.

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Ten Newark schools competing in a road safety quiz on Wednesday brought their supporters along in strength.

The Town Hall was filled with cheering children, and the atmosphere was electric when three schools tied for top place and eliminating rounds had to be fought out.

It was Hawtonville Junior School which won in the end, and the heroes of the hour were their representatives, Maurice Walmsley and Janet Clough.

Runners-up were the Parish Mount (C of E) Juniors and Sconce Hills Secondary Modern School.

November 11, 1953

A detachment of police-led Civil Defence Corps personnel took part in the Remembrance Day parade in Newark to the war memorial.

After the parade to the war memorial cross more than 1,500 people - most in uniform - crowded into the parish church, where they heard the vicar (Canon G. W. Clarkson) deplore the development of "push-button warfare."

Later they marched past in the Market Place where the mayor (Dr Denys Hine) took the salute.

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At the autumn meeting of Newark Tradesmen's Association it was claimed that if Newark traders were asked to vote on the future of the market, ten to one would be in favour of moving it from the Market Place to St Mark's Lane.

People in favour of moving the market suggested that the Market Place would be convenient to park cars.

Members against the idea thought that the market in the square would prove of greater value to the traders.

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Newark's record breaking show in May enabled the Newark and District Agricultural Society to make a profit of £1,018 16s 8d, this year.

The annual statement of accounts show that every item of income was up this year compared with the 1952.

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The need for more 30mph restriction signs on the stretch of London Road between Newark and Balderton was expressed by Colonel J. S. C. Oates when he presided at the Newark County Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Twenty cases of exceeding the speed limit were heard by the court and in their letters pleading guilty most of the offenders said that they had thought they were outside the built-up area.

After imposing fines totalling £49 10s, Colonel Oates asked if extra signs could be erected near the London Road bridge.
 

 November 4, 1953

Pupils at Lilley and Stone Girls' School clutch their prizes proudly after receiving the congratulations of Miss L. M. Warren, principal of Eaton Hall Training College, who presented the prizes at speech day.

Parents who used inadequate excuses, half truths, and occasionally downright lies to excuse their children from attending school were condemned by headmistress Miss B. M. Dibb.

"A child does not normally want to deceive us at this school," she said.

"She knows that there is nothing more shameful than dishonesty. How great must be her shame when a mistaken sense of loyalty induces her to cover up her parents' dishonesty."

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Criticisms of the siting of a street lighting column at Beaumond Cross can be answered in only three ways, Newark Town Council has been told in a letter from the Divisional Road Engineer.

These are: erect two lamp posts instead of the present one; knock down adjoining property and construct a roundabout; move the Beaumond Cross to another site.

Further inspections had failed to reveal any reasonable alternative which would provide satisfactory guidance to traffic through the difficult lay-out at this junction.

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In pouring rain and gusty wind, the flames of hundreds of candles burned bravely on the graves of the Polish airmen, at Newark Cemetery on Sunday, and on the grave of Poland's national hero, General Sikorski.

Massed tightly round the general's simple grave in the shadow of the cross that is Poland's war memorial, were more than 500 Poles.

They had converged on the Polish section of Newark Cemetery for the annual ceremony that is their equivalent of the Remembrance Service.