Memory Corner April 11th 2019

Friday April 11th, 1794

FROM THE ALMOST GENERAL ARMAMENT, which by the number of new levies now making for the regular service, by augmentation of militia forces, and the raising of volunteer companies, is speedily to take place throughout the kingdom, the country is likely to be rendered entirely secure from the utmost efforts of an invading foe.

IT IS NOW CONFIRMED that the French fleet of 28 ships of the line is now at sea in different divisions. Earl Howe’s squadron at Torbay consists of 24 ships of the line, 9 frigates, 5 sloops and 4 cutters.

 

Friday April 9th, 1819

TWO well-dressed men have intruded into several private houses, at unseasonable hours, in this town during the past week, under the pretext of begging with briefs.  On Wednesday night, at 10 o’clock, a person rushed into the house of Mr Perry under suspicious circumstances.  It is the duty of servants, therefore, to be on their guard.

THE REMAINS of the wife of William the Conqueror were found last week in Caen, in Normandy.

THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT is taking steps to re-establish the fortresses which the allies had dismantled.

 

Friday April 9th, 1869

THE ‘Prohibitionometer’ is an instrument invented in Boston by which the ‘moderate drinker’ can tell when he ceases to be sober and is getting drunk.

A CANADIAN NEWSPAPER indirectly reports the depth of snow there, by announcing that a traveller’s horse was fatally injured by becoming entangled with a telegraph wire 20 feet from the ground.

A LOUISIANA PAPER says, ‘A mother and her child were accidentally ground up in Bogg’s sugar cane mill last week.  We regret the accident, as the quality of sugar furnished at this place has been very good.’

 

Friday April 11th, 1919

THE QUARTER SESSIONS for the county were held on Tuesday, and, as was the case at the last Quarter Sessions, there were no prisoners for trial.  The Shrewsbury Borough Sessions are fixed for today, but, as was the case at the last Borough Sessions, there are no prisoners for trial.  The criminal statistics presented at the County Quarter Sessions on Tuesday revealed a steady and continued diminution of crime, and the chairman commented on the satisfactory fact that since the cessation of hostilities in the Great War there had been no increase in crime, as some of them expected.

 

Thursday April 12th, 1979

SHREWSBURY will be firmly on British Rail’s Inter-city map from next month.  The new service of three through trains a day in each direction will link Shrewsbury and Telford with Birmingham New Street, Birmingham International and London Euston.  And long term, there is the prospect of even more through services – including BR’s new ‘rising star’, the Advanced Passenger Train, APT.  Mr David Aston, BR passenger manager for the Stoke Division, said, “We envisage that if the new service is patronised sufficiently then the number of through trains will be increased in future years.”  He also said that when the APT was introduced on the main electrified routes radiating out from Euston it was difficult to envisage that these would not also serve Shrewsbury.

 

Thursday April 14th, 1994

Shrewsbury flood defences

A SPECIAL MEETING is to be held over the National Rivers Authority’s £4 million Shrewsbury flood relief scheme, branded this week as a “complete waste of money” and an eyesore. The borough council’s policy and resources committee has decided to invite all council members to attend, along with the National Rivers Authority experts.  The main concern, which has been expressed both inside the council and by members of the public, centres on whether the scheme will work – or create its own problems.  “It is a complete waste of money,” said Mr Roger Hudson, proprietor of a soft furnishings business at Frankwell.  Mr Hudson, who has been trading in the area for 35 years, does not feel that the flooding problem is so bad that it deserves such a vast sum being spent.

 

Thursday April 16th, 2009

CHRISTMAS and Easter came all at once this year for a Shrewsbury soldier who has just returned from Iraq.  Gunner Ian Beech, from Monkmoor, flew out to Iraq for a five-month tour of duty with 16 Battery in 26 Regiment of the Royal Artillery in November last year.  His family held extra-special Christmas celebrations three months late when he returned.  They had Christmas Day all over again, including decorations, presents, lunch and a day spent with the whole family.  Gunner Beech said, “My mum did a Christmas dinner and we had crackers, and everyone had presents.  It was like having Christmas Day, just in the middle of April.”  The former Belvidere School pupil was due to fly out of the country again earlier this week to serve either in Germany or Iraq.