From our Files: Castle owners revealed...pupils protest...tree vandalism fury
50 YEARS AGO
MR ROBERT ADLEY MP for Christchurch and Lymington asked the Under Secretary of State for Energy during the period of oral answers in the House of Commons if the minister has any idea of the prices.
“Is he aware that these are the same people who are being hurt by the Labour government’s juggling with the rate rebates? ” he asked.
In response the minister said: “In regard to his point about the suffering of elderly people My Right Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer sought to deal with that matter in his budget statement when he announced a substantial increase in pensions.”
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AT last the owners of Highcliffe Castle have been named thanks to the TV show ‘That’s Life’ with Esther Rantzen.
The owner named in the BBC show were local businessmen Danny Cook, landlord of the Somerford Hotel, Mr Clive Bearley Smith, a builder, and Mr Arthur Griffiths a former councilor.
They bought the castle at auction in 1967 for £21,000 after Christchurch Council turned down an offer to buy adjoining land for £40,000.
The trio were not allowed to develop, or demolish the castle and land. But Esther’s team of reporters discovered their names although local people had been unable to discover them.
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NEARLY 1,000 pupils of Highcliffe Comprehensive School refused for a time to attend afternoon classes on Tuesday because a traditional staff v pupil’s football match was not held.
The protesting pupils sat down on the sports field. One girl of 15 said the afternoon match had been a tradition for years.
This year the pupils were told it could not be played during school hours so they decided to protest with one saying: “We have it drummed into us that honour the traditions of the school so we felt it was fair to expect teachers to do the same.”
The match was eventually played later in the week during morning class time.
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DOCTORS in the Hampshire Health Area Authority can decide whether to or not to tell parents when prescribing contraceptives to young girls.
The Hampshire Area Health Authority said doctors can have complete clinical discretion and marital status does restrict the doctor’s freedom to prescribe contraceptives.
25 YEARS AGO
One Hundred and one year old Tom Spriggs stood rigidly to attention when at Sway last weekend he received the handsome Legion D’Honneur medal from the Lord Lieutenant more than eighty years later.
Now resident at a Sway care home, Tom spent forty days ahead of the front line trenches picking off German soldiers.
Tom took part in the second Battle of the Ypres where his regiment was pinned down by machine guns. He also saw action at the Somme and was later captured and became a POW.
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BOLDRE parish councillors despaired after learning that half of the 150 five foot tall Beech trees just planted as a screen round the recreation ground have gone missing – victims to young vandals.
Amenities committee chairman Jim Witt said he had received a call from a resident in the nearby caravan park who had seen young children pulling up the trees which had cost £85.
“I went round there and couldn’t believe it, “said Jim “A few of the trees were broken in half and there was none left at all along the bottom of the field.
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CYCLISTS who roam off the beaten track are being trailed by Forest rangers and keepers who lie in wait at what the Forestry Commission has described as ‘hot spots’ to catch them.
The riders can be fined up to £500. There are 100 trails of bike rides in the Forest and there is concern that if they do not stay on them ground nesting bird’s welfare will be harmed.
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CONCERNED council house residents of a Calshot estate fear rats they have sighted in their gardens and houses may bite children and infect them with diseases.
Karen Barnett of Tristan Close said: “This is a large scale problem, rats are running all over the estate.
“I saw one in my bin bag. It was horrible – I screamed and ran indoors.”
The mum who has five children will not let her kids outside to play because of fear of the rats biting them.
She said all the council had done was put poison down which she says “has not worked.”
David Hill of DCH Pest Control said: “It’s very unlikely a rat will bite someone. Rats are not vicious creatures. They will only bite in defence.
