Friday August 3rd, 1792
THE FRENCH KING has published a proclamation, stating that the kingdom is in danger, and urging all his subjects immediately to take up arms. A proclamation to the same effect was also made on Sunday in Paris, by the municipal officers and officers and notables, with ceremonious solemnity.
A WARRANT has just received the Royal signature for issuing from the Treasury the sum of £2000 to the Trustees of the Protestant Dissenting meeting houses at Birmingham as a compensation for the losses and damages sustained by the destruction of that edifice during the late riots.
Friday August 1st 1817
BY THE REPEAL of the cottage tax, houses having not more than four windows, and not paying more than £3 rent are to be totally exempted. Houses having above four windows, and between £3 and £5 are to be exempted, on a certificate of inability to pay tax.
A STURGEON was taken in the Severn, a few days since, 9 feet in length, and weighing upwards of 2 cwt [hundredweight].
Friday August 2nd 1867
A SHARK AT BANGOR – last week a large fish of the shark tribe was found in the Port Penrhyn weir. The monster measured from three to five feet in length. The jaws were most ponderous, and the treble row of teeth exhibited to view made one thankful to think that such ugly customers are not very frequently denizens of our waters. The fish was publicly exhibited, at the charge of one penny.
Friday August 3rd, 1917
THREE GOOD “PENNYWORTHS” – one pennyworth of carbonate of soda will save at least a quarter of a pound of tea; put a pinch in your teapot each time you make tea… One pennyworth of salt will save a quarter of a pound of coffee. A few grains of salt should be sprinkled on the coffee each time before the water is poured on… A pennyworth of vinegar will save several eggs in cake and pudding making. The quantity is one teaspoon for each egg you would ordinarily use.
Friday August 5th, 1977
POLICE WARN of tragedy at the weir- The midsummer madness at Shrewsbury’s Castlefields weir goes on. As the sun shines and temperatures soar scores of children are playing and swimming at the weir every day. Yesterday Shrewsbury’s police chief and the town’s baths manager both warned: “If this goes on we could soon be faced with another terrible drowning tragedy.” Children as young as six have been spotted using the weir as a water shoot – sliding down the slope into deeper water at the bottom. And one of their favourite games is to walk across the top of the weir – where one slip would send them plunging to the bottom.
Thursday August 6th 1992
THE DAUGHTER of the Vicar of St Chad’s will become the first woman deacon to conduct a marriage service at the town’s civic church this weekend – and the bride is her own sister. Rev Ruth Pollit (27) is the daughter of Prebendary Michael Pollit. She is also a deacon at Caverswell, Stoke-on-Trent, and is to conduct the marriage service of her sister Rachel on Saturday. Ruth said being able to conduct the marriage of her sister was “one of the joys” of her vocation. “It is a privilege, and very special,” she said. Ruth confirmed to the Chronicle that she is the first woman deacon to conduct a marriage service in St Chad’s.
Thursday August 9th, 2007
‘HUMILIATION AND REGRET’ of bigamist’s ex-partner. Caroline Beddows, the ex-lover of Britain’s first lesbian bigamist has said her ‘humiliating’ experience has turned her off women and was a complete mistake. She claims people are laughing at her in the street and she wishes she had never experimented with her former lesbian lover, Suzanne Mitchell. Mitchell, 30, was given an eight month prison sentence suspended for two years at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday after entering into a civil partnership with Miss Beddows on February 1st last year. She admitted falsely claiming to be single to enter into a civil partnership under the 2004 Civil Partnerships act.