July 28, 1954

Some weeks ago, Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Brown, of Old Hall, Foston, suggested that they might be able to stage a small garden party to raise money for Foston's ancient little church.

One by one, all the villagers joined in. Without a single committee meeting, without any formal planning or preparation, it ended up as a fete with stalls and side-shows all over the garden and it made a profit of more than £84.

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Damage to the fence at Newark Cemetery is involving ratepayers in heavy expenditure, said Alderman C. Clutterbuck, chairman of Newark Town Council's Cemetery Committee.

"My committee is alarmed at the increasing amount of damage that is being done by some malicious persons who are continually pulling over the railings there," he said.

"We would be grateful if any member of the public seeing people damaging the railings would reprimand them."

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Renewing her plea for coloured covers in Newark Market, Councillor E. Yorke admitted this was a 'hardy annual' request from her.

Noting that the Markets Committee proposed one each of two types of cover for comparison, she asked if either was striped in pattern.

"In view of the many bouquets Newark has been receiving lately," she said.

"particularly with regard to the antiquity of its cobbled market place, it should enhance its reputation by being bold now."

The Mayor, Councillor G. R. Walker, said the committee had been told that striped covers were not so lasting nor so durable as the ordinary white ones.

July 21, 1954

Staking their claims to buried treasure these children, pictured above, hopefully examine the turf at South Collingham garden fete on St Swithin's Day.

Under one of the wooden pegs was a ten-shilling note. As fast as Mr Harold Healy could blow up red, white and blue balloons from a hydrogen cylinder, children and their parents at the fete tied on names and addresses and sent them off into space.

Mr Healy, who has been sending balloons off at garden fetes since before the war, forecast that Thursday's releases would be carried towards Norway and Sweden.

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Dr Russell Barry (Bishop of Southwell) directed Southwell Pastoral committee not to proceed with a proposal to move Langford Church.

At a parochial meeting in the Old Vicarage, Langford, 20 villagers were told that their church will definitely not be transferred to Ladybrook Estate, Mansfield.

Earlier reports had suggested that planning was under way for a stone-by-stone removal of the mediaeval church. But the Ven. F. H. West (Archdeacon of Newark) told the meeting that misleading impressions had been circulated.

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As a prisoner-of war in the hands of the Japanese, Mr H. I. Smith, of Kirklington, dreamed for four years of the sea - and the land. Released at last, he went to sea with the Merchant Navy, but never lost his ambition to be a farmer.

The Merchant Navy helped him to attend a year's course at the Nottinghamshire Farm Institute at Brackenhurst, Southwell.

On Thursday, Mr Smith, at 34 one of the oldest students to have passed through the institute, left memories of prisoner-of-war camps and the high seas behind him and graduated as an agriculturist.

July 14, 1954

Newark will be able to see itself as others see it on the Sunday Out programme in the Midland Home Service.

Four seasoned broadcasters will give their impressions after a day in the town.

The programme was recorded on Sunday evening, after the speakers had spent the morning and part of the afternoon in Newark.

The broadcasters were entertained by the Mayor, Councillor G. R. Walker, in his parlour.

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Newark's Roman Catholic parish is one of many which have been warned by the Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire, Mr J. E. S. Browne, that football competitions run by some Roman Catholic churches constitute an illegal lottery.

Newark's competition - the Holy Trinity Development Society Football Scheme - was started last autumn and during the season £350 was raised. The money goes to a central diocesan fund for the building of schools.

The Chief Constable warns that unless it is discontinued he will have no alternative but to institute proceedings against the promoters and other people connected with it.

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When results of recent children's cycle reliability trials were discussed by Newark Road Safety Council it was suggested that young children were safer on the roads than teenagers.

Mr R. A. Sheldrake said five Newark junior schools entered teams in the cycle trial and every team member passed.

Only 25% of 12 and 13 years-old competitors were successful and not one of the 14 years-old pupils qualified.

"During their teenage years children pass through a daredevil phase," said Mrs F. N. C. Dwyer.

July 7, 1954

The Newark School of Ballroom Dancing held a medal presentation dance on Thursday.

The medals were presented to successful candidates by Mr Charles Frost, of Huddersfield, a fellow and examiner of the International Dancing Masters' Association.

He said that although he visited many schools of dancing up and down the country, he had examined at none where the standard of dancing was higher, especially among the juvenile pupils.

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The 15-yard ban on the parking of vehicles on the approach side of the new flashing-beacon zebra crossings mean that visitors cannot park cars near Newark's Gilstrap Centre or outside the Ram Hotel.

There are only two of the new type crossings in Newark - one in Castlegate and one in Bargate.

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With the opening on Saturday of a new showroom covering 208sq yds the Newark furniture firm of E. Holden and Son (Newark) Ltd, Stodman Street, will occupy a space that once held two shops and 14 houses.

The new showroom alone covers the site of 12 cottages whose occupants, incidentally, provided the first tenants for Newark Town Council's big Hawtonville estate.

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A bold scheme to move Langford mediaeval church stone by stone to Mansfield, is causing consternation.

Mr J. L. Grammer, a farmer whose family have been churchwardens at Langford for three generations, said: "I was dumbstruck when I heard about the proposed move.

"The scheme arrived like a bombshell. The church is free from debt and, although we are not a big congregation, we enjoy our regular Sunday services."