RETURN TO LOOKING BACK WITH MALCOLM TUCKER MAIN PAGE
In 1988 Jane Harrington of Newman’s Lane became Wansdyke District Council’s first woman refuse collector. She had to beat off the challenge of several male applicants to gain the position and said she was confident a woman could do the job. On her first day she shouldered the bins in Radstock watched by John Kett-White, the leader of Wansdyke Council.
In July of the same year Venture Scouts erected scaffolding in the High Street Car Park in an attempt to climb the equivalent of Mount Everest. It was part of a national Scouting scheme called Sherpa 88 with the aim of supporting Sir Edmund Hillary in his work in Nepal among the Sherpa people. The climb carried on through the day with scouts aged between 15 and 20 taking part.
When Timsbury Male Voice Choir appealed for men who normally only sang in their bath tubs to join them they had no idea that the story would attract national coverage. As a result of the publicity which stretched as far as New Zealand the choir welcomed eight new members to their ranks.
Timsbury Girls’ Brigade celebrated its 21st. birthday with a grand reunion party. Detective work by Captain Sue Macey enabled her to trace former members from far and wide and they all enjoyed an array of slides and old photos to remind them of past activities. A roll of honour bearing all the names of the winners of the Duke of Edinburgh award, the Queen’s award and the Brigade brooch made by Elizabeth Simpson was unveiled by Lieutenants Alison Rabbitts and Elizabeth Barlow. Later in the year a group of former pupils and staff from the old Secondary Modern School in Timsbury also met up for a reunion 17 years after they had left the school. The 23 students and 10 teachers who attended had been contacted by Kay Strawbridge, Des Wyatt, Tessa Wyatt and Gill Cope.
Terry Bowring was presented with a garden seat by friends, staff and residents of the Cheshire Home after retiring as Head of Home in May 1988. He had been at Timsbury for five years and was replaced by Erik Sansom. Mr Sansom who formerly served at Basil Hill Barracks, Corsham said his main aim was to get the Cheshire Home more involved in the community.
A motor repair business which started in a garden shed in Timsbury celebrated its 50th. anniversary in 1988. L.R. Bence and Co. Ltd. of Westways Garage, Marksbury was founded by Leslie Bence behind his home in Newman’s Lane. He then moved to a larger site at the Rennys stable block in Loves Hill where William Bertram now lives before transferring to Marksbury in 1947.
Four piglets died and another was put down by a vet after a fire at a barn at Radford Farm. Firemen rescued seven other piglets and their mother sow and the barn which belonged to Mike Horler was also saved. It was thought that the fire started when straw protecting the piglets touched an infra-red warming lamp.
John Davis of Timsbury was presented with a portable radio cassette player by Miss Chris Poritt of Jolly’s for winning the Comic Relief caption competition in the Bath Chronicle. His caption for Bath Rugby players wearing red noses was, “I’ve heard of keeping your nose clean Coochie but this is ridiculous”.
The standard of exhibits at the village flower show was said to be high and there were a number of new exhibitors. Martin Sparey won the top award, the Banksian medal. Wine entries broke all records and there were particularly good displays of chrysanthemums and gladioli.
Finally there was a standing ovation for Sky At Night presenter Patrick Moore who was guest of honour at the annual dinner and dance of Timsbury Cricket Club. The television celebrity who drove to the Conygre Hall from his Sussex home entertained the 240 guests with a series of humorous anecdotes. Patrick’s visit came after many years of inviting him but was well worth the wait and was a real coup for the club.