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Picture Past: November 21, 2019
A total of £252 was raised by Worle Methodist Church at their annual Autumn Bazaar. Sunday School superintendant Mr.J. Morris with pupils Naomi Reynolds, Andrew Robinson, Sally Smith and Carol Skidmore. Picture: WESTON MERCURY - Credit: Archant
Carnival made a welcome return to Weston and the Leaning Tower of Pisa got a rare mention in the Weston Mercury and Somerset Herald 50 years ago this week.
The subject of parking charges dominates the Mercury letters pages in 2019, and the situation was pretty much the same back in 1969.
The often sore subject was brought up at a meeting of Weston Borough Council, where calls for a raise in fees was made.
Car parking charges in Weston had been frozen since the 1960s, but councillors said they needed to be upped, with the salaries of attendants having gone up by a third in that time.
Previously free car parks would see their fees rise to 1s on a weekday in the summer, and 2s on a Sunday.
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Other car parks faced all-day charges of 3-4s.
* Weston Carnival returned to the town's streets for the winter showpiece after a 32-year hiatus.
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Illuminated carts shone and thousands of people enjoyed the show.
The event was held on the Monday night - a slot it used to keep until becoming a Friday night carnival in recent years.
The Mercury described its return as 'dazzling', saying the themes included Christmas, 'dinky donkeys' and a 'weird Christmas bus'.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of the night though was it remained dry.
* Teachers were planning a walkout after the failure to resolve a row over pay.
More than 200 were expected to take part in a half-day strike the following week, in a move which threatened the closure of several schools.
The teachers had been offered a £50 a year increase on their salaries - considerably lower than the £135 they wanted.
* And North Somerset's version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was in the news too.
Puxton Church's congregation had been busy fundraising to pay for works to the building. About £1,300 had been raised when it turned to Axbridge Rural district Council for additional financial support.
Councillors agreed to contribute £100 more to the project, recognising the efforts the community had gone to in collecting the money they had already.