Memory Corner March 26th 2020

Friday March 27th, 1795

THE PENALTY upon those who shall be convicted of wearing hair-powder without having taken out a certificate is fixed at £20.  The tax commences in April or May.

ALL FOUR HORSES of the Sheffield and Birmingham coach were drowned a few days ago in passing through one of the streams of the Trent at Wychnor. The passengers, fortunately, had previously alighted from the coach.

 

Friday March 31st, 1820

St Chad’s Church

THE PEWS OF ST CHAD’S CHURCH in this town were let by auction on Monday for £414 6s per annum for five years; being an advance beyond the former rents of £260 15s per annum.

THE MISS COOKS respectfully inform their friends it is their intention after the [forthcoming holiday], to allow their pupils one vacation only during the year, viz six weeks at Midsummer: terms – 28 guineas, day boarders 13 guineas.

 

Friday April 1st, 1870

HOW TO MAKE TEA – cold water should be put in the kettle and added to the tea at the moment of boiling, and not a second after.  The practice of measuring tea in spoons is a mistaken one, as the strength of the infusion depends on the weight, and a few larger or smaller leaves make a wonderful difference in the quantity contained in the teaspoon…

 

Friday March 26th, 1920

THE REPORT of the Royal Commission on Decimal Coinage, which decides against any change in the existing system, was issued on Wednesday.

THE MINERS have rejected an offer by the government of an increase of 1s 6d a day and decided to ballot on the question of a strike.  Two thousand railwaymen are on strike at Wakefield.

 

Friday March 28th, 1980

Frankwell Footbridge

ENGINEERS this week took the bounce out of Shrewsbury’s new £400,000 Frankwell footbridge.  People using the suspension bridge from Frankwell across to the Riverside shopping centre had complained that it was bouncing too much as they walked across it.  Some even said that the bounce had made them feel sick.  So, this week a team of engineers moved in to make adjustments to the bridge – and take out most of the bounce.

 

Thursday March 30th, 1995

THERE CAN BE LITTLE DOUBT that Shrewsbury Rugby Club’s 1st XV are at the lowest ebb of their 87-year history.  Shrewsbury have spent most of the season hovering above the Midlands Division Two West danger zone – and Saturday’s massive defeat, a 96-5 reversal, has been described a “desperate” and “embarrassing” by Shrewsbury skipper Paul Bolland.  At least the club has won three of their league matches and is now safe from relegation.

 

Thursday April 1st, 2010

THE NEWS appeared in the April edition of the Stretton Focus that a silver penny of King Aethelred date 960 had been found in a tomb at St Laurence’s Church, which is undergoing a wealth of improvements.  The item in the Stretton Focus quoted county archaeologist April Primus as saying, “This is one of the most important finds in the country and puts Stretton on the map as a historically important town.”  Doug Grounds, the church historian, said, “The date given of 960 was, I thought, pretty authentic, but no such coin was found. Then I realised I had fallen straight into an April Fool!”