Memory Corner May 23rd 2019

Friday May 23rd, 1794

ALL THE CAVALRY lately arrived from Ireland are for the present stopped from proceeding to the continent, on account of the present state of affairs at home.

BY THE PAPERS found in the possession of some of the parties lately apprehended [arrested], a discovery has been made of more than 18,000 persons who had pledged themselves to support each other in the plan for Reform.  This shows the wisdom and moderation of government in putting a timely stop to such proceedings by securing the leaders in these dangerous innovations.

 

Friday May 21st, 1819

THE DISTRESS at Leeds is so great that it is under consideration to afford from the parish funds means for conveying some hundreds of the cloth manufacturers and their families to the Cape of Good Hope or Canada.

A SHOCKING PICTURE was likewise drawn in the House of Commons, on Thursday last, of the misery endured by the Coventry ribband weavers.

WANTED, as matron, a steady woman, of unexceptionable character, who is upwards of 35 years of age, to manage the HOUSE OF INDUSTRY at Wellington.  A salary of £20 per annum will be given in addition to maintenance.

 

Friday May 21st, 1869

PHOTOGRAPH of the Hon RC Hill’s hounds – an excellent photograph of the Hon RC Hill’s foxhounds has recently been published by Mr Laing of Shrewsbury.  The difficulty of taking a good photograph in such a case must indeed have been great; but by dint of great skill, and by the use of the best apparatus, Mr Laing has succeeded admirably.  The photograph was taken at Hawkstone, and a very picturesque portion of the park forms the background of the picture.

 

Friday May 23rd, 1919

MINISTRY OF MUNITIONS – by order of the Surplus Government Property Disposal Board, at the Royal Agricultural Hall, London N1, the series of sales by auction of government motor vehicles are being held throughout May, June, July and August. Goddard and Smith and J Trevor are instructed to sell – May 24th– 300 motor cycles, including 70 new 2¾HP and 30 new 4 HP Douglas, the 4 HP with side-cars.  May 28th– 150 lorries, chassis, etc

ONE OF THE SIX ESTATES acquired by the Board of Agriculture as land settlement colonies for soldiers is Heath Hill in Shropshire, which consists of 1,150 acres and was bought at just under £36 an acre for the land and 30 cottages.

 

Friday May 25th, 1979

Square, with the old Shirehall (left)

DISABLED WORKERS at Shrewsbury Shirehall are asking themselves, “Are lawnmowers more important than us?”  For years now, the disabled workers have been campaigning for a ramp for their wheelchairs at the Shirehall – without success.  And now they are angry because this week work started on a new ramp at the building – to be used by lawnmowers.  One of the two wheelchair workers at the Shirehall, 25-year-old Frances Asquith of Hollies Drive, Bayston Hill said, “Recently we were promised a wheelchair ramp, but we were told that it would cost £1,500 and that there was a problem in finding the money for it.  So you can imagine how annoyed I was to see work going ahead on a ramp for lawnmowers.”

 

Thursday May 26th, 1994

Ellis Peters

THE BROTHER CADFAEL television series begins this weekend and hopes are high that it will lead to a major tourism boost for Shrewsbury.  Based on the internationally best-selling Cadfael novels of Shropshire’s own Ellis Peters, the four-part series is going out on the ITV network, starting on Sunday night at 8.30pm.  The first episode is called “One Corpse too Many” and the following day locals and visitors to Shrewsbury will be able to see and explore the real setting of the story through a guided walking tour.  The tour will take in the Castle grounds and environs and the mediaeval heart of Shrewsbury around St Alkmund’s Square.

 

Thursday May 28th, 2009

SO MUCH HOPE and expectation, but ultimately of anti-climax as Shrewsbury Town’s promotion dream [at the Wembley play-off final] suffered one of the cruellest endings it is possible to imagine.  Losing by late goals is always hard to take, but the sight of a season’s hard work being erased by one flick of the head from Simeon Jackson seconds from the end of full time plunged thousands of success-starved Salopians into despair. When referee Clive Oliver sounded his full-time whistle shortly afterwards, it was the cue for Town’s stricken players, almost to a man, to sink to their knees, their misery all too apparent, as their dream of rubbing shoulders with Leeds, Norwich and Southampton in League 1 next season disappeared.