Picture Past: August 22, 1969
Competitors lining up for the Handy Pony event at Brent Knoll Open Gymkhana. Picture: WESTON MERCURY - Credit: Archant
Quirky discoveries inside pints of milk given to primary school children were discussed by councillors, as reported in the Weston Mercury and Somerset Herald 50 years ago this week.
* Overwhelming opposition by villagers to plans to reopen a quarry in Bleadon were successful.
A two-year fight to prevent the South Hill Quarry becoming a busy industrial site was won by campaigners.
Their efforts, which included a seven-hour hearing, prevented quarry operations from restarting and made front page news in 1969.
The opposition was significant; 633 of the village's 760 homeowners backed the campaign.
Kathleen Bennett, then Bleadon Parish Council chairman, was quoted as saying: "We are highly delighted with the result and it's very gratifying for the village.
"The parish council has worked hard in opposing this scheme and its a satisfactory result."
Most Read
- 1 Four jailed for total of more than 40 years for raid at drug dealer's home
- 2 Man jailed for stealing high-powered cars
- 3 Named: 52 people fined for dropping cigarettes and dogs off leads
- 4 Residents fear mysterious CCTV camera is looking into homes
- 5 Brilliant Bailey signs for high-flying Bristol Rovers
- 6 Explained: What the cost of living support package means for you
- 7 HGV crashes into BUILDING in Banwell
- 8 New boss Hutt 'couldn't say yes fast enough' to Winscombe post
- 9 Every household in the UK to get £400 to help with rising energy bills
- 10 Two Weston men charged with murder after man dies in Wiveliscombe
* The worrying discovery of a snail shell and a hair pin in children's milk bottles had let to a meeting of Axbridge Rural District Council (RDC).
Pupils at Wrington Primary School had discovered the items in milk they had been given to drink.
Amazingly, judged with today's health and safety viewpoint, the council decided the errors did not constitute a health breach.
However, the RDC's committee did agree to write to the dairy firm and ask human checkers of milk products were replaced and 'photo-electric scanners' introduced instead.
* The discovery of guns at an address in Weston led to a bookmaker facing legal proceedings.
Police found a rifle and a revolver at a home in Arundell Road.
The owner was fined £20 for the offence.
* Villagers in Locking made their feelings known at a meeting of Axbridge RDC.
July 1968 had seen the village badly hit by flooding, but residents were told it was an event which would happen only once a century.
However, homeowners were not impressed similar problems had been experienced in 1969 too.
Therefore a 500-strong petition was presented to the council to demand action was taken to prevent a repeat.
* An Alsatian owner from Hewish was in the dog house.
The man was hauled before magistrates after his pet, called Tina, bit a nine-year-old girl.
He was fined 8s 6d for not controlling the Alsatian sufficiently.