100 Years Ago.

CORSHAM: During the past few weeks the efforts of the Corsham Working Party have been concentrated on sending help to the Serbian Relief and Red Cross Funds. One bale of blankets, shirts and clothing was sent by Sir Thomas Lipton’s yacht, Erin, and last week another bale of 218 garments was sent to the headquarters in London, whence they were forwarded to the Central Red Cross distributing station in Serbia.

MALMESBURY: The town has just done signal honour to its oldest postman for meritorious service. We now have the pleasure to introduce to the generous public the services of Mr William Gale, mail car driver who daily plies between Chippenham and Malmesbury.

50 Years Ago.

ERLESTOKE: Villagers rallied round and threw buckets of water onto a thatched cottage fire before the arrival of firemen on Friday. Their prompt action played a major role in preventing complete destruction of a picturesque lattice-pane windowed building on a hillside near the church. But the fire completely gutted a ground floor bedroom and most of its contents, all that remained being the outer stone walls and the wooden floor.

FYFIELD: Police from Marlborough and Devizes joined forces in a dramatic early-morning chase across farmland near Marlborough on Friday after a man had been arrested on the A4. A police dog was brought in to help in the search for a second man who jumped from a van and fled across the fields. The hunt started after two vehicles – a saloon car and a van – were stopped by a patrol car. The driver of the saloon car accompanied police officers to Marlborough Police Station. The other man was still missing after a two-hour search. Police are anxious to trace him.

25 Years Ago.

DEVIZES: Residents in one of Devizes’ most attractive areas narrowly won their battle yesterday to have 17 famous trees felled after branding them a danger to their homes. On the casting vote of the chairman, Kennet Planning Committee voted to allow the imposing blue atlas cedars in Roundway Park to be felled. They once formed a fine avenue along the drive from the London road to the late Lord Roundway’s house.

CHIPPENHAM: The defunct open air swimming pool is likely to be turned into an adventure playground and skateboard park. North Wilts District Council is now looking at what to do with the redundant pool next to the Olympiad leisure centre in Monkton Park. Townspeople had been worried the site would be swallowed up into the Olympiad, but now it seems certain the councillors will turn it into an amenity area for youngsters.