January 26, 1955

The Town Hall Ballroom, Newark, was converted into a nightclub cabaret for the Newark and District Town Club ladies' evening on Friday.

Tables were arranged cabaret fashion around the room with space in the centre for dancing.

First-class entertainment was provided by Leslie Lewis, impressionist; Marjorie Moon, dancing xylophonist; and Keith and Hazelia, acrobatic dancers.

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Shortly after leaving the scene of one accident on the Great North Road on Wednesday, an Automobile Association Patrol, Mr A. Lacey, was almost involved in another.

He was standing beside his motorcycle near Balderton air-field when a lorry, bound for Hull with a load of beer, spun round on an icy road, plunged past him and and came to rest nose down in a ditch. The occupants were uninjured.

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Members of Newark Arts Club had a 'lecturer' on Friday evening who scarcely spoke a word.

For two hours, they sat engrossed as Mr Robert Kiddey - the Newark sculptor whose work includes the controversial war memorial in the Parish Church - demonstrated clay modelling.

An old-age pensioner - a veteran of the first world war - sat patiently as Mr Kiddey modelled his head in 40lbs of clay on a metal armature.

Mr Kiddey modelled the head almost entirely with his fingers, applying only an occasional touch with a modelling tool. His demonstration was a lesson in anatomy as well as art.

He started by modelling the skull, then added the ligaments and muscles and finally the flesh and features.

January 19, 1954

An incident that would have endangered the lives of 20 people was averted by the presence of mind and skilful driving of Mrs Pat Appleyard when the Glasgow starters in the Monte Carlo rally passed through Newark.

None of the 80-odd drivers was able to turn right from Beastmarket Hill into Castlegate without skidding on the glassy road surface.

When the Appleyards' Jaguar rounded the corner and streaked towards a stationary Austin people standing near the traffic island near the Austin's bonnet waited helplessly for the crash.

Then the Jaguar swerved sharply to its off-side, dodged between two traffic islands and continued along the wrong side of the road.

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Comparatively few villages in this county achieve the distinction of giving their name to a ship of Her Majesty's Navy. Caunton people have consequently been thrilled to learn that there is now in existence HMS Caunton named after the village.

Shortly before the new year the vicar of Caunton wrote to the commanding officer of HMS Caunton, giving account of the village and sending a set of recent photographs. In his reply the commanding officer of the Caunton (Lieutenant L. N. Moore, RN) furnished information about his ship.

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Scale of fines imposed by Newark Borough Magistrates on Monday: For smashing a plate glass window, 15s;For buying beer for a person under 18: £1; For parking a lorry on the wrong side of the road after dark: £2.

January 12, 1955

For 197 Newark school children concentration on lessons during the first week of the spring term has been particularly difficult.

For outside the wide windows all sorts of interesting things have been happening to concrete mixers whirling, diesel rollers chugging up and down, workmen constructing pathways.

Although, after a year and a week of work, some finishing touches remained to be made, the new Bishop Alexander County Junior and Infants' School, Winthorpe Road, opened for lessons on Thursday.

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When cigarettes come off quota on Monday and one of the last remaining wartime restrictions goes, the man in the street will notice little difference.

Mrs E. Lees, the Newark tobacco wholesaler, told the Advertiser yesterday: "There have been plenty of cigarettes about for the last couple of months. Money seems to be scarcer than cigarettes."

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What is believed to be the first show bungalow in Nottinghamshire since the war is open to inspection by the public at Farndon today. One of a number being built on a Farndon estate and offered for sale by Mr A. E. Healey, the show dwelling illustrates the skill of compact up-to-date design.

Of the two bedroom type, the bungalows are priced at £1,535. Three bedroomed type bungalows are to be offered for sale also.

January 5, 1955

There were 500 children at a party organised by Ransome and Marles Sports and Social Club, in the works canteen, on Saturday. Mr J. H. Woodhall was compere - and the entertainment programme included 16 items. The chairman, Mr C. W. Lane, and the organising secretary, Mr D. Aspinall, were both unavoidably absent.

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Although it was at one time feared that the Christmas holiday flu epidemic might delay the start of the spring term at Newark schools, all the primary, junior and secondary schools will resume as planned tomorrow.

The wave of flu which has hit Newark in the past two weeks has been exceptional even for this time of year. Borough Medical Officer of Health, Dr G. G. Buchanan, said: "It is of short duration - it is the four-day variety."

For the past week, visitors have been barred from Newark General Hospital because of the epidemic. This is chiefly to prevent the risk of infection to patients, which would throw an added burden on a staff already depleted by sickness.

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Big trunk roads and small wards are among factors which contribute to the high cost-per-patient at Newark General Hospital. And that cost, it is revealed in returns published this week, is higher than for any other hospital of comparable size in the region.

National Health Service hospital returns for the past year show that it costs, on average, £17 19s 2d a week to keep a patient in Newark Hospital.

Comparable figures for other hospitals in the same category (fewer than 100 beds) are £12 1s 1d at Retford and £11 0s 3d at Ilkeston.