From Our Files: RAF flying tragedy... traffic-free town centre... laser pen siege
75 YEARS AGO
LARGE crowds gathered in the Recreation Ground on Guy Fawkes Night were thrilled by the second annual firework display arranged by the New Milton Youth Club.
The bonfire did not blaze up until the early hours of the next morning, when Mr J. Hutchins, of the New Milton NFS, went out to the “Rec” as sparks were flying onto neighbouring houses. Flames about 30ft high dispersed a heavy fog at the Memorial end of the ground and gave a perfect “Fido” demonstration, although by then there were no spectators to see it.
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Mrs Mable Jones, of Hordle, proudly exhibits two treasures: her 15-month-old son Derek and the successful football coupon which won her over £3,000.
Mrs Jones has been filling in football coupons for the past four years, and since her husband’s demobilisation two years ago she has collaborated with him in the forecasts.
“Last week, however, my husband was busy renovating our bungalow and so I set about the coupons on my own,” she told the A&T.
“I invested 3s last weekend, 6d of which was on the ITP Penny Pools, and I was naturally elated when the results showed that my forecast was correct.”
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LYMINGTON heard with profound regret on Wednesday the news that Sq. Ldr. Peter Harry Humphreys, DFC, RAF, was one of the eight victims of the collision between a Lancaster bomber and a Hornet fighter near Thetford, Norfolk, the previous day. The announcement was conveyed in a telegram on Wednesday morning to his parents, Mr and Mrs F. H. Humphreys, at their home in Southampton Road, Lymington.
Sq. Ldr. Humphreys, who was 27 and unmarried, was the youngest of three brothers who gained commissions in the war.
50 YEARS AGO
FOLLOWING what might charitably be called a breakdown in communications between Mudeford fishermen and MP Mr John Cordle over a Parliamentary petition calling for action to stop beam trawling, the fisherman want a public petition raised in the House of Commons, urging the banning of beam trawling within Britain’s 12-mile limit, except for small boats.
They fear the system will destroy their livelihood because it not only causes damage to the seabed but is too efficient, sweeping up all the smaller fish which are the stock for the future.
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EMPLOYEES at Shand-Kydd wallpaper factory at Somerford will have the right to a secret ballot to choose which union shall have exclusive negotiating rights with the employers, if the Industrial Court upholds an application by a former New Milton policeman, Mr Jim Summerfield, who is employed at the factory on security.
This is the first application of its sort to be made to the court by anyone, under Section 14 of the Act. It is supported by over 300 signatories, employees at the factory.
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THE possibility of a traffic-free shopping precinct in the centre of New Milton is to be inquired into by Lymington Highways Committee. The proposed area is in Station Road between Ashley Road and Lower Spencer Road, New Milton, where it is felt that the existing road layout would lend itself to this without greatly affecting either parking facilities or commercial premises.
25 YEARS AGO
THREE police officers have been injured by a laser pen during a siege at Totton in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The four-hour incident began when a police motorcyclist stopped a car driven by a woman with three male passengers.
One of the men locked himself in a nearby house in Kingsley Gardens and when a further two officers arrived, a laser beam was used.
All three police officers were taken to Southampton General Hospital. Two of them, PCs John Navass and Steven Ennew, were said to have bruising to the front of their eyes, and the third suffered a hole in the back of one of his eyes which will require further medical attention.
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CONCERN that doctrinaire political pressure might seek to destroy the whole structure of grant-maintained status, which had enabled the Arnewood School at New Milton to improve in every aspect over the last seven years, was voiced by its head on Monday night.
Speaking at the school’s annual presentation evening, Gordon Skirton said suggestions that the remarkable success of grant-maintained status, typified by Arnewood, was under threat, was a worry.
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A SUPERMARKET in the New Forest has agreed to fit lids to containers at its salad bar, following a complaint that children were dipping their fingers into the food. The action was agreed with the district council’s environmental health department to which the complaint had been made.
