October 26, 1955

From Monday, the maroon mobile libraries of the Notts County Library will include Farndon on their service. Because of its built up nature, the parish will be given special urban treatment.

Instead of the fortnightly calls made in rural areas, the van will visit Farndon every Monday. And instead of drawing up at just one central spot, it will have two routes, for alternative weeks, with a large number of halts.

Every Monday, the van, carrying more than 2,000 books, will spend the whole afternoon in the village.

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Newark is losing too many of its schools’ teachers and attracting too few new ones, and one of the reasons is shortage of housing accommodation.

Newark district education committee suggested on Thursday that Newark Town Council should give this question serious consideration.

Miss B. M. Dibb said: “We are hearing of far too many teachers going from Newark schools, and I am very bothered about it. I have heard of two teachers who have been offered houses when they get to their new jobs.”
 

October 19, 1955

Thurgarton’s new Harvest Queen, Jennifer Carlile, was crowned at a harvest supper on Saturday by the retiring queen, Gillian Pallister.

Her four attendants were Blodwen Bartlett, Sylvia Featherstone, Kathleen Bowley, and David Brook.

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Every available man from the Pollution and Fisheries Department of the Trent River Board was yesterday helping to net the surviving fish from a Newark gravel pit where death struck suddenly during the weekend.

One water bailiff estimated that at least 10,000 fish had already died. Yesterday, their bodies were floating thickly in little bays surrounding the pond — looking from a distance like the foam caused by detergents.

The pollution is believed to have been caused by the collapse of a ledge separating a big gravel pit near Newark’s tubular bridge from another which contained waste material.

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The biggest threat to road safety are the people who “rush about,” thinks Newark Road Safety Council.

On Monday members discussed “the race track from Beaumond Cross to Balderton,” the way school children pour out of Mount Lane to Appletongate, and the way road users rush into Barnbygate from side streets.

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Collingham Methodist Church Sunday School pupils narrowly missed being involved in a gas explosion which occurred 20 minutes before classes were due to start on Sunday.

Trapped gas from a leak in a pipe blew wood and plaster out of the newly painted wall between the vestry and the lobby.

The explosion was caused by the leaking gas building up inside the wall and becoming ignited by an electric fire.
 

October 12, 1955

Now is the season of the harvest queens and Valerie Goode was crowned harvest queen at Farndon Methodist Hall on Saturday by the retiring queen, Sheila Bellamy.

Valerie’s attendants were Judith Cash, Anne Samuel, Evelyn Wallace and Thelma Wrench. Richard Taylor was a page.

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Newark Lawn Tennis Club’s fight against a Nottinghamshire education committee proposal to acquire the club site for additional tennis courts at Lilley and Stone Girls’ School was carried a stage farther on Monday night at a meeting in the school.

The original proposal was made at a meeting of the sites and buildings sub-committee in February. At a further meeting, in June, the director of education, Mr J. Edward Mason, reported on objections which had been received.

The sub-committee re-affirmed the desirability of acquiring the land, but appointed four people to meet the tennis club to discuss the possibility of including in the terms of purchase facilities for joint use of the courts.

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Ten years ago, Civil Defence in Newark was nearly 60% below strength. Today, it is only about 30% below peace-time establishment.

One week of house-to-house canvassing on the Hawtonville Estate, where volunteers met “an astonishing reception,” has turned the tide.

When the campaign began last week, there were 127 volunteers on the books, against an establishment of 296. Six days of personal visits on the estate added 76 volunteers, rocketing the total to 203.
 

October 5, 1955

With a 36-inch wingspan aeroplane made to his own design, a 13-year-old Magnus schoolboy, John Sadler, won the junior trophy in an all-Britain model aircraft rally near St Albans.

Always interested in aircraft — he hopes to join the Fleet Air Arm — John is pictured with his winning entry.

John seriously began building models about 18 months ago when he went to live at 11 Mercia Road, Newark, from Mansfield.

The material for the trophy winning model cost about 15s. A small engine was attached.

John’s model was in the air about three minutes and travelled half a mile.

Proposals for a big new hotel in Saracen’s Head Yard, Newark, have met with a set-back.

Without comment, Newark Town Council on Monday approved the minutes of the Highways and Public Works Committee, reporting that there had been correspondence with the County Director of Planning for plans for “hotel, shops, etc” in Saracen’s Head Yard.

And the council, still without comment, endorsed the resolution that the application be not approved. The Advertiser understands that the chief obstacle is connected with carparking.

The brewers, Warwicks and Richardsons Ltd, want to build a £60,000 hotel.

The present Saracen’s Head Hotel, facing the Market Place is to provide a new branch for Barclay’s Bank.