25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, August 13, 1975

DAY-trip litter louts may have ruined Belmont's chances of winning a best kept village competition by leaving a trail of cans and bottles around the Blue Lagoon beauty spot. Local Women's Institute vice-president Mrs Christine Fawcett said: 'It makes us very angry when everyone in the village does their bit and people from outside come in and ruin it all.'

ROGER Bannister, the first man to crack the four-mile barrier, telegraphed his congratulations to new world record holder, New Zealander John Walker, today, and said: 'I firmly believe the 3 min. 40 sec. barrier will be beaten by the end of the century.' Walker took the world mark down to 3 minutes 49.4 seconds in Sweden last night.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, August 14, 1950

MONDAY morning is increasingly coming to be recognised as 'motorists' morning' at Bolton Borough Court. Today, for instance, there were no fewer than 14 cases of alleged speeding on Bolton's roads. The most frequent and plausible excuse used by offenders is that they did not know they were in a built-up area, but, as Mr J.H. Whittingham (Magistrates' Clerk) explained to one man today, wherever lamp standards are 200 yards apart or less, it is recognised as a restricted area throughout the country.

A RED leather jewel case containing jewellery worth nearly £7,000 was left in Northolt Airport's Customs hall by a passenger from Nice. The owner rang up 20 minutes later. It was Valerie Hobson, the film star.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, August 14, 1875

LADY Cottesloe, wife of Lord Cottesloe, came to a sad and painful end at her residence, Swanbourne, Bucks., on Tuesday afternoon. Her ladyship, being troubled with rheumatism, on Friday last consulted Dr Gee, of Aylesbury, who presented a lotion for outward application, and medicine. These were prepared in accordance with the prescription by Mr Turner, chemist, Aylesbury. On Sunday, her ladyship, intending to take some of the medicine, by an unfortunate mistake swallowed some of the lotion which contained poison. Medical assistance was at once obtained, but the efforts of Dr Casey and Drs Newham and Sharp, of Winilow, were without effect, as she gradually sank from the effects of the poison, and died on Tuesday afternoon about two o'clock. Lady Cottesloe married Lord Cottesloe, then Sir Thomas Freemantle, in 1824. She was a daughter of Field Marshall Sir G. Nugent.