February 29, 1956

A two compartment spares van has been specially made for Brooks Motor Co (Newark) Ltd to improve further their servicing of Ford and Fordson products.

Built by Marshall Motor Bodies Ltd of Cambridge, to Brooks’ design, the van’s front compartment houses engines and is open-sided. On each side there is a jib crane of 5cwt capacity.

The rear section of the van has pigeon holes, drawers and lockers for small spares and there is standing space for small articles.

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Bus driver George Harston, of Lincoln Road, Newark, last week stopped his Nottingham-to-Lincoln bus and rescued a boy who had fallen through canal ice water near Lady Bay Bridge, West Bridgford.

It was the fifth time he has rescued a person in danger — and Mr Harston is a non-swimmer.

He saw the ten-year-old boy’s head above the ice when he happened to glance at the canal while driving past. Passengers were left wondering as he pulled up, ran to the bank and hauled the boy to safety. Passers-by took over and Mr Harston returned to his bus and drove on to Newark.

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The wife of Newark’s Deputy Mayor fought a fire at her home with buckets of water on Thursday until the arrival of firemen.

Mrs Hine, wife of Dr Denys Hine, was awakened by the smell of burning early in the morning.

In the kitchen of the house — The Ivies, Cartergate, Newark — she found two carpets and a rug, which had been taken from the surgery placed to dry, burning in front of the stove.

Dr Hine was not at home and Mrs Hine tackled the outbreak with buckets of water. The carpets were badly burned, but no other damage was caused.
 

February 15, 1956

The Dukeries anti-rabbit operation started this week. The aim is to clear a 10-square mile area of the Dukeries of rabbits which have a weakened and only partially fatal form of myxomatosis and which consequently are in a position to condemn the whole country to a perpetually ailing rabbit population.

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Puzzled by the behaviour of visitors to Southwell Minster is the provost, the Very Rev H. C. L. Heywood.

Few people, he writes in the Southwell Deanery magazine, would take a little book which he offered to help them in their prayers and nobody took advantage of the offer of a free copy of a gospel to carry about.

But they frequently removed service papers which were needed by clergy, choir and congregation.

“People will take things like that away,” says the provost, “but when you try to give them something they suspect a snag.”

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The finances of the St John Ambulance Brigade in Newark are at present at their lowest ebb, said Superintendent J. W. Bullimore at the annual meeting.

The brigade is one of the few organisations which exists solely to serve the public, depends on public support financially, and to which members themselves make a subscription for the privilege of giving voluntary help.

Mr Bullimore said that the present financial position did not alarm him because he knew that members and the generous Newark public would rally to their aid as they had in the past.

February 8, 1956

Nineteen people were taken to Newark Hospital after a skidding Edinburgh to London express motor coach crashed through railings and rolled down a steep embankment at Sutton-on-Trent.

The crash was only about two miles from the place where, a year ago, another skidding Scotland to London coach crashed into a parapet and the driver was flung to his death on the railway line below.

Most of the 26 passengers were dozing in their seats when the coach began to slip on the surface of the slope on the Newark side of the Sutton-on-Trent railway bridge. The coach rocketed across the road and hit a concrete post which spun it completely around.

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The reaction of Newark Tradesmen’s Association to new parking regulations was outlined by the president, Mr David H. Slater, at the association’s annual dinner.

A deputation met members and officials of the town council and police. Although the deputation was favourably received very few of the regulations were relaxed but they were assured that reasonable time would be allowed for the picking up of parcels.

“Now the proposed regulations have become law,” said Mr Slater. “Shoppers must get into the habit of using the car-parks and we would ask the police to confine themselves to the selfish driver who parks in a prohibited place for a long time.”
 

February 1, 1956

Safe driving awards, given by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, were presented to 15 employees of Ransome and Marles at the firm’s transport department annual dance in the Robin Hood Hotel, Newark.

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Burns Night returned to Newark on Friday — but in a new form that represented a double break with tradition.

Newark and District Caledonian Society decided on the change because last year the function had to be cancelled because of lack of support. The new-look Burns Night attracted an attendance of 70.

Chief difference was that this year’s celebration of the birth of Scotland’s national poet took the form of a dinner dance instead of a dinner with speeches and songs by Scottish singers. And instead of a long list of toasts, there was only one major speech — to the immortal memory.

The young secretary of the Newark society, Mr W. M. R. Henderson, explained: “People just will not come these days to listen to an evening of speeches.”

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Nottinghamshire education committee is recommending to the county council that the development plan for primary and secondary education should be amended to provide for the establishment of a Roman Catholic one-form entry primary school in Newark.

It is also recommending an amendment of the development plan to provide for the establishment, by Roman Catholic authorities, of a one-form entry secondary modern school at Newark.