From our Files: Narrow views...a small offence...Bruno bonanza...walk waste
50 YEARS AGO
MR JOE GORMLEY, president of the National Union of Mineworkers has been staying at Pine Trees Hotel in Sway.
Mr Gerald Campion the owner said that Mr Gormley arrived unexpectedly on Tuesday and left on Thursday.
He said: “He’s an absolutely charming man, couldn’t be nicer.”
Asked if they had discussed the impending miners’ strike Mr Campion said that this was so but he thought it unfair to repeat their conversations.
“He made a great impression on me. Being a one man band I am terrified of the strike. Mr Gormley seemed to understand this.
“I’m quite sure he doesn’t want a strike any more than I do. He had a marvellous reception in the village. People would stop and shake his hand and say ‘Good luck, I hope everything will be alright.”
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MUCH to the surprise of chagrin of local traders Lymington Borough Council’s road improvement scheme from Station Bridge to Fernhill Lane has included narrowing part of the highway.
It has been pointed out by two traders that when lorries park in the normal course of delivery it is not possible for two large vehicles to pass each other which they managed to easily before the improvements.
In fact not only two large vehicles will be inconvenienced soon after the work commenced two car drivers came to blows as to who should have the right of way.
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A BURLEY man who hoped the use of cannabis would soon be legal was fined £200 by Ringwood magistrates having 120mgs of the drug in his possession.
Mr Peter Randall defending said it was his clients “earnest” hope that the smoking of cannabis would soon be legalised saying: “When that happens he and others like him will be able to obtain supplies from licensed premises rather than from pushers.”
Prosecutor Chief Inspector G Pemberton said that 17 cigarette ends had been found at the defendant’s home and found to contain cannabis.
He said the offence was a very small one adding that smoking cannabis is against the law “but so was non attending church at one time.”
He described the offences as the nearest parallel to finding a few dregs of sherry in a glass during the prohibition in the States.
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A HOUSING association who made an informal approach to Lymington planning committee over their proposal to erect flats in Barton Court Road, New Milton, of which eleven would be for elderly, or disabled persons and the remainder for young families have been told the committee do not favour the proposal particularly with the regard to the housing of elderly and young families within the same precincts.
The association stated to be a non-profit organisation said they proposed to provide accommodation at reasonable rents for persons who found particular difficulty in fulfilling their needs and that they would normally consult the local services department when selecting tenants.
25 YEARS AGO
PIC CAPTION
TWICE disappointed after trials for the England schoolgirl football side failed to result in her selection, 15-year-old Gemma Ritchie, of Lymington, has now had her call-up amongst the under-sixteen squad of 23 players due to train at Telford, near Birmingham, in February.
A Priestlands school pupil Gemma regularly appears on the left-wing in the Southampton Ladies team which competes in the professional league.
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CHRISTCHURCH traders and shoppers have been urged to use fewer plastic carrier bags because of the litter and disposal problems they cause.
The calls have come from environment staff at the borough council who were surprised at the very positive feedback from the public after the issue was discussed at a recent committee meeting.
“Every year we use over ten billion plastic bags in the UK and they end up in landfill sites as they cannot be easily recycled, “explained borough recycling officer Suzie de Wet.
“Top help reduce this figure our advice is to try and take a shopping bag with you, or to reuse the bag you were given previously.”
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BOXER Frank Bruno visited Waterside Boxing Club in Holbury to assist the local businessman Conrad Lantham in giving the club the final £500 towards its new ring.
The club started ten months ago and is still in need of equipment.
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IT’S all very exciting, “Lord Montagu’s daughter Mary told the A&T from her home in London where she is busily engaged planning the interior designs for historic Bagshot Hall the first home for Prince Edward and his bride-to-be Sophie Rhys-Jones.
“They are very good clients to work for,” said Mary who has earned an international reputation as an interior designer and has already spent eight months planning the refurbishment of Bagshot Hall which will cost a “substantial sum” likely to reach seven figures.
“It’s a complete building site at the moment, quite a mess, but the original structure is in good condition. I’m there every week supervising the decorating, the plumbing and rewiring,” said Mary.
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LYNDHURST parish councillors looked to the heavens when at their meeting on Tuesday evening their chairman Mrs Pat Wyeth revealed somewhat embarrassingly that the District is to appoint another office; this time to promote healthy walks.
It was noted that Lyndhurst surgery already promotes healthy free walks for villagers who want more exercise.
The District Council is also staging area forums in a bid to create public interest. It was noted that such forums held elsewhere around the District attracted “about four, or five people” prompting Mrs Wyeth to declare “more waste of money!”