100 Years Ago.

Minety: The rifle range at the Territorials’ Drill Hall is being made extensive use of by the National Reservists and others in the town and district. This is a healthy sign, and we hope to see our young men take far greater interest in the rifle; it is quite as exciting as football, and certainly calculated to be of far greater benefit to the country.

Malmesbury: The mayoress is pleased with the progress made by the ladies of the War Guild. During the week she has been able to despatch to soldiers on active service 57 Army flannel shirts and 56 pairs of knitted socks, also many garments for Queen Mary’s Hospital Guild.

50 Years Ago.

Chippenham: A farmer carried out his threat to close his private road, which has been adopted by many motorists as a beat-the-traffic-jams route to and from Chippenham cattle market. “Road closed” notices were placed at both ends of the farmer’s stretch of the road, about a quarter of a mile long and a tractor and field roller were drawn across a lane.

Calne: Angry residents are considering protesting to Wiltshire County Council about the ambulance service, which they claim is inadequate. Stand-by duty by the Calne crew has been ended and an ambulance from Chippenham substituted to cover the town outside normal working hours.

25 Years Ago.

Chippenham: Chippenham youngsters mad on skateboarding are taking action to try to persuade Pewsham estate developers to give them land where they can enjoy their sport. The youngsters say they are fed up with being turfed off the estate’s local centre car park and told to buzz off by residents when they use roads and footpaths. So they decided to launch a petition campaign to get their own skateboard park.

Devizes: A town councillor didn’t believe that two semi-detached houses planned for Rotherstone would block out the light of people in nearby flats. So she walked out of a meeting of the planning and general purposes committee and went to see for herself. She returned minutes later to inform members that there would be a gap of two yards between the houses – on land next to 4 Jubilee Buildings – and the nearest flats. “Bearing in mind that we have allowed such developments as Jump Farm, where people live cheek by jowl, I don’t think it would inconvenience people living in he council flats” she said. The plan was approved by seven votes to six, with two abstentions.