December 29, 1954

Admission prices for the pantomime, Robinson Crusoe, at the Palace Theatre, Newark, in January are 5s 6d for the dress circle and orchestra stalls; 4s 6d for the stalls; and 3s 6d for the pit stalls.

An advertisement described it as a popular laughter pantomime with an all-star cast including Eileen May as Robinson Crusoe, Syd Makin as Mrs Crusoe and Johnny Clayton as Man Friday.

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Corporation workmen, racing against time, got all the covers off the stalls of Newark Market early on Wednesday evening before the week's second gale had done any damage.

The stalls themselves, however, suffered during the night - many of the uprights and crossbars were brought down and some of the planking lifted.

"On windy nights we usually hear the occasional bang as a pole comes down," a man who lives nearby told the Advertiser.

"But on Wednesday night it was an incessant clatter. I thought the whole market had blown over."

Although the Marke Place looked a shambles on Thursday morning, none of the wooden structures were damaged.

"We were lucky," said the Mayor Councillor G. R. Walker.

"But our main concern was, of course, for the covers. We have about £2,000 worth, many of them new."

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A Christmas present for a 17-year-old corporal in the Newark Squadron of the Air Training Corps was the notification that he has been awarded one of the Air Ministry's much-sought flying scholarships.

For Howard Selwyn Chapman, of The Stud House, Sutton-on-Trent, this means that as a civilian he will be taught to fly up to the standard of receiving his pilot's licence.
 

December 22, 1954

Fifty children attended the Farrars' children's party in the works canteen. There was a film show given by Mr W. W. Gash and the party was organised by ladies of the Sports and Social Club, helped by Mr M. Hannay. Each child received a present from Father Christmas. Mr J. E. Palmer, managing director, and Mrs Palmer were present.

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Magistrates' court officials, solicitors and police all paid tribute on Monday to Mr R. P. Blatherwick, retiring chairman of the Borough magistrates, when he took his seat on the Bench for the last time. Mr Blatherwick has been a magistrate since 1933. His successor as chairman of the Bench is Ald J. H. Knight.

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With the exception of the new dining hall the Magnus Grammar School, Newark, is still without all the facilities it lacked when an inspection was made in 1938. It is, said the chairman of the governors, Mr A. C. Nicholson, a "first-rate grammar school rather handicapped by shortage of equipment."

Speaking at the school's annual speech day at the Palace Theatre he recalled that in the inspection 16 years ago it was reported that the gymnasium was crowded into a small hall, not very suitable, not properly sited for good physical training; there was no dining hall; no room for manual work; a very poor geography room and no proper shower baths and changing facilities.

"That report was made when there were only 254 boys in the school," said Mr Nicholson.

"Today there are 456 - and with the exception of the dining hall, where the county have done us very well indeed, all the other things are still lacking to us."
 

December 15, 1954

How many people know there is a Newark Physical Culture Club? Not many. In fact there are only four regular members - but from this small number two won prizes at the fourth annual Sheffield Health and Strength Show on Friday.

Eric Thompson, 22-years-old hairdresser of Boundary Road, Newark, was runner-up in the senior competition (over 21).

Twice he has been placed fifth in the Mr Midlands finals. A 20-year-old telegraph linesman, Keith Squires of Beacon Terrace, Friary Road, Newark, won first prize in a contest open to all England for men under 21 who had not already won a prize.

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Three Caunton schoolchildren were injured when a lorry collided with the back of the bus in which they were travelling at the crossroads, Muskham, on Friday morning. The children were taken to Newark Hospital for treatment.

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With Newark Town Council due to consider Sunday sport on council playing fields at a forthcoming private meeting, Balderton Parish Council has already tackled the problem - and found the village almost exactly divided. At a parish meeting on Wednesday, only three votes decided the issue - against Sunday sport - from an attendance of nearly 100.

The parish meeting was called to consider a suggestion that Balderton Playing Fields should be opened on Sunday afternoons from mid-day. Balderton Cricket Club sponsored the application with the support of the bowls and tennis club.

Chief opposition was voiced by Councillor D. M. Start who feared the development of a Continental Sunday and the vicar, the Rev W. Marshall.

December 8, 1954

Joe Davis, champion exponent of billiards and snooker, visited Newark town and district club on Wednesday to give an exhibition.

Before the company of 200 members and guests, Joe Davis demonstrated his skill and kept the marker, Mr J. Longdon, busy playing billiards against Mr H. W. Strange.

The visiting expert made breaks of over 100 and one of 246. Newark pensioners raised £462 for church purposes at their Christmas bazaar in the Town Hall on Thursday, and heard the priest-in-charge, the Rev J. G. Nicholls, say that such funds should not need to be devoted to local requirements at all.

It should be possible, he said, to use the money raised at bazaars and other events to support the work of the church overseas if people contributed properly to collections at ordinary church services. The minimum offering, he said, should be a shilling.

"I am amazed to find people still giving pence to the church," he said. Two Newark children who have been dancing together since they were five won the cup for juvenile modern dancing at Leicester.

This means that ten-year-old Anne Daubney, of Eldon Street, Newark, and nine-year-old Rodney Mardle, of Kelham Villas, have 30 cups, seven shields and 40 medals for ballroom dancing.
 

December 1, 1954

Schoolboys cycling home towards Besthorpe last Thursday afternoon saw a small two-seater plane, an Auster, make a forced landing in a field.

The pilot turned out to be a young Canadian stationed at Luffenham, near Stamford, who had been gaining experience and practice by flying solo to Manchester and back.

On the return journey, he lost his direction, and made the landing in a minimum of space, to ascertain where he was.

He was put in touch with Swinderby aerodrome, was provided with a meal by an officer's wife living in Collingham, and stayed the night in one of the village inns.

On Friday the pilot managed the difficult take-off, after an obliging farmer had lopped a couple of trees to clear the way.

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A heavy steel safe defeated intruders who broke into the office of a firm of Newark commission agents on Saturday night. Intruders apparently attempted to remove the safe from the Castlegate office of J. Pennington (Newark) Ltd.

The safe was lifted from its shelf but left, unopened, on the office floor.

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A warning that 'very considerable expense' would be involved in the redecoration and rewiring of Newark Town Hall was given to the town council on Monday evening.

The Georgian ballroom, which is one of the prides of Newark, will have a face-lift.

The ornamental ceiling will be cleaned and touched up and fitted with new cold cathode tube lighting in the cornices.