January 3rd 1950

Organist at Pentlow church before joining the A.T.S. in which she served during the war, Miss Daphne Evelyn Grimwood daughter of Mr and the late Mr T.Grimwood of Foxearth was married at Pentlow church on Saturday to Herbert Victor Waite the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Waite of the Pinkuah Arms at Pentlow.

Mrs Sarah Amey of 5 Stanley road in Sudbury has celebrated her 100th birthday, she was born the year that the penny stamp was introduced, she remembers coal barges on the Stour and at a very early age her father to spell Constantinople, she remembers eating salt beef sandwiches at a picnic in a meadow where New Street now stands.

January 10th 1950

For 20 years 52 year old A.V.”Buster” Keyton has swept the streets of Cavendish but he will sweep them no more for early tomorrow morning he his wife and five of his seven children will travel to Southampton to catch the Mauretania bound for America, Mr Keyton and family will settle in Wisconsin with their daughter Thelma and her husband an Army Air Force husband who she married during the war.

January 17th 1950

When Maudie Kendall of Cavendish heard that her husband was one of 15 survivors from H.M.S. Truculent the tears ran down her cheeks, Mrs Kendall who lives at Park View, Cavendish, is the wife of 22 year old Ronald Kendall, Stoker Mechanic on the submarine Truculent, she did not know he was trapped in the steel craft in the Thames estuary, her first information about the accident came at 8 a.m. on Friday morning and had only to wait one and half hours in awful suspense before a telegram arrived, trembling she ripped it open, it read “All O.K. see you soon”.

January 24th 1950

A record crowd of 2,500 invaded Stoneylands at Melford and saw the long awaited “local derby” between the Village and Sudbury town who won 7-1, the crowd stood four deep all round the pitch and gate receipts totalled £101 18s 6d, a jet roared over Stoneylands during Saturday’s clash and from it Flt Lieut Curtis caught a fleeting glance of the game he had hoped to play in but at the last minute he was detailed flying duties, another diversion was caused by a goods train chugging past at walking pace with the driver and fireman on top of the coal tender calling for the score.

“That’s a rum un” said James Clarke of Hickford Hill, Belchamp St Pauls when his neighbour Agnes Meeking told him his dog had bitten her leg. To pay 12s costs.

February 7th 1950

Les Elms the popular Lon Melford player has entered the R.A.F. for his period of National service.

February 14th 1950

The first annual meeting of the newly formed Glemsford British Legion Club took place at the “hut coincided with the opening of the new club, the chairman is Mr V.Richer.

April 4th 1950

Ernie Weiser the Long Melford popular right half has played his last game for the club at Friars Street on Saturday, he sailed for Germany yesterday.

April 25th 1950

People in the new Airey houses at Newton were preparing tea when a Perfect glider swooped down and made a forced landing in the large field at the rear of the houses, it belongs to Cambridge flying club.

The days when the squire, parson and the doctor controlled the village is gone says Mr W.Hurley of the N.U.A.W.

speaking at Bulmer.

A member of an old blacksmithing family, Mr William Bantock of the forge Bildeston died on Monday aged 65, he was the eldest son of the late Charles Bantock whose family numbered 17.

May 2nd 1950

Examining the bellows of the church organ at Pentlow, workmen found a nest of mice in a nest which was made of a scrap of paper from the hymn book bearing the words “abide with me”.

It is expected Ernie Weiser will strengthen Melford by returning, he returned to Germany but he says prospects are not good and he will come back to England.

Mr Ambrose of Bures found his garden was being undermined by moles, he set a trap which was capable of holding a mole each end, the following morning to his amazement he discovered a mouse in one end and weasel in the other, the weasel appeared to have been following the mouse.

May 30th 1950

An inquiry is to be held in Glemsford on the necessity of a playing field for Glemsford, this was announced at the parish council meeting which was held in the water tower on Wednesdayh

June 14th 1950

“I will bash your brains in, you are worse than the Russians” Supt H.Wood was told when he got out of a police car to talk to two men who were crouching by the King’s Head wall at Ridgewell. Edward Barnard a builder’s labourer of Hill Cottages, Ridgewell, was fined £2.

Letters to the Editor, As a point of interest I remember some of Melford band being chased by my father for trying to ride his donkey on the green over 30 years ago. J.Brown Melford Green.

Cricket. Foxearth v Lt Waldingfield. Lt Waldingfield J.Pell 10-L.Sparkes-8—H.Fayers-7 -Total 41 Foxearth-J.Albon-7—K.Coleby-4. Total 23.

July 13th 1950

A native of Sudbury who lived in Glemsford for 75 years, Mr HarryTurner died at the house of his daughter Mrs Steggles of Foxearth .

An extract from Acton parish magazine 67 years ago. Young unmarried men after harvest go down to Sudbury and spend their hard earned money in a foolish way, more like little boys than men, last year after settling several went down and bought watch chains at 17s 6s each, another came to church in expensive kid gloves and a cane to go with it, the parish register says John Potter of Acton died on

July 3rd 1883

o f starvation.

July 27th 1950

Hill farm, Gestingthorpe suffered considerable damage to growing crops as hail as big as large filbert nuts ripped into growing crops, Bulmer street was flooded and on the allotments cabbage was shredded, Bardfield hill on the Belchamp road resembled a ski run.

Miss Patricia Holder on Melford married Felix Golynia, the bridegroom is an German ex P.O.W was stationed at Acton Camp

September 26th 1950

Sale at Eyston Lodge farm, Foxearth. Small herd of Dairy Shorthorns, 10 cows-9 Heifers-Pedigree Shorthorn bull—Fordson Major tractor etc for Mr H.A.McCook Weir who is giving up dairy farming.

Borley Rectory the most haunted spot for several years is for sale, Mr James Turner who has lived there for the past four years has move to Belchamp Walter.

October 3rd 1950

A 75 year old man, Frederick Barret of Withersfield was obliged to sit in his cottage on Saturday morning and watch four intruders get away with £1000 pounds in cash and saving certificates.

Old houses of historic interest in Lavenham which had been doomed by a demolition order may not be pulled down after all, at meeting of Cosford Rural District Council it was reported that a letter from the Ministry of Town and Country Planning announced that 33 houses in Lavenham and 4 at Kersey were of sufficient architectural interest.

October 10th 1950

“I am quite sure Borley is haunted”, says the Rev Henning during a lecture to Colchester Y.M.C.A., he says the last time the ghostly nun was seen on July 26th last year at about 30-30 in the afternoon by a local doctor who wishes to remain anonymous, he says he was driving up the hill at Borley when he saw the nun bending down by the rectory garden, he reversed his car just in time to see her disappear through the hedge. ( Dr Powell of Sudbury).

Tenants of the alms houses at Stoke by Clare are complaining about rats infesting their houses.

October 24th 1950

Michael Wheat of Assington, a labourer, was stopped by police for having no rear light, he told P.C.Denny, “find the bloke who nicked it”.

October 31st 1950

It seems Glemsford may have found a solution to the problem of a playing field, at a meeting of the parish council, Mr S.C.Goodchild offered to sell a plot of land at the rear of the water tower for a playing field.

November 28th 1950

The highest price on record ever paid for a bull was recorded at Peterborugh when Mr R.A.Vestey Thurlow Farms gave £13,000 for a Friesian bull.

December 26th 1950

A 36 year old ex Coastal Command Airman with five children who lives at Somerton, was at Melford court where he was accused of flouting the law, he pleaded guilty to six charges to carting goods more than 25 miles with an A licence. £3 in each case.

January 2nd 1951

Mr Day the headmaster of Belchamp St Pauls school for 30 years has died at School House, Belchamp Otten, he was a native of Linton, Cambs, he joined the army in the 1914-18 war and returned to Belchamp where he endeared himself to everyone.

When Mr T.B.Ambrose dredged his pit at Cavendish they found a large iron post which was identified as the one taken from a public footpath in the parish many years ago, the present generation had been told by their parents of the disappearance of the post but it was not known what became of it till now, Mr Arthur Brett of Glemsford has told the secret of when Dr Waring, living on the Green, used the path many times visiting patients, one night he walked into the post and was so annoyed he gave two men 5s each to uproot the post and fling it into the pit but he said “don’t tell anyone while I am still alive”.

January 2nd 1951

Les Elms the Long Melford player who is 19 years of age who started playing for the villagers when he was 15 has been asked to sign for Ipswich Town, during the week-end, Les who is at present doing his National Service, declined to say if he has accepted the offer.

January 9th 1951

William Good a shepherd for 42 years has died at Glemsford, aged 70, he was employed by Mr W.Goodchild and afterwards by Mr J.Goodchild on the same farm.

February 27th 1951

A 20 year old Segt Pilot, Gordon Lyon of 43 Smith’s Lane, St Anne’s, was killed instantly when the Meteor jet he was flying crashed in a ploughed field at Boynton Hall, Stoke by Clare, his was one of three machines that had taken off from Stradishall.

February 27th 1951

The oldest inhabitant of Rodbridge, Long Melford, Mrs Keren Mills, has died at her home at 7 Borley Road, Rodbridge in her 93rd year, a native of Brent Eleigh she lived at Foxearth for 18 years where her husband was blacksmith for Mr T.P.Brand for 18 years.

March 6th 1951

Death at his home at the Laurels, Long Melford, Mr Charles John Henry Row, aged 76, his late father was the first Station Master at Long Melford, he was educated at Zacharias Payne’s private school in Melford, in the first war he was a Sergeant in the Volunteer Training Corps.

March 29th 1951

During a recent tour of British Occuping Forces in Germany, Deputy Air Chief Sir Hugh Saunders spoke to Sgt Pilot J.Eeles a Vampire pilot who lives at Offords Crossing at Cavendish. (photo)

Clare Lower Common has been listed as an ancient memorial and cannot be used as a building site.

June 12th 1951

J.O. Brand of Brook Hall Foxearth, won best red poll with two or more lactations and second prize with an in milk heifer at Suffolk show at Roughgam.

June 26th 1951

J.O.Brand swept the board at South Suffolk Show at Sudbury with Foxearth Madam and Pakenham Bilberry and the heifer class with Kirby Dove.

July 10th 1951

Mr T.Norman of Cockfield was Reserve Friesian Champion at the Royal Show with Tunfield Rex and Arthur Cobbald of Acton Hall had first prize with a family group of red polls all by the same bull, Runham Robin a bull Mr Cobbald bought for £36 in 1941.

July 31st 1951

For landing his small Auster aircraft at Gt Waldingfield aerodrome without permission on Government property Stanley Smith of Middlesex he having lost his way from Elstree to Birch, was fined £7 with £7 9s 7d costs, he said he was only on the ground for two minutes.

September 11th 1951

Charles Druary a coal roundsman of Melford is in St Leonards hospital as a result of a fracas in Melford, Mr Druary aged 45 was found injured after a disturbance took place at 10-30 pm in Westgate street, Melford, not far from the Black Lion, five men were involved.

September 18th 1951

Mildred Towns of Hut 22 Gt Waldingfield was fined £1 and bound over to keep the peace

for assaulting Bettina Keller of Hut 3.

September 25th 1951

When returning from a days outing to Southend Wilfred Garner of Bradfields farm at Foxearth found the farm outbuildings burned to the ground, it was the first time he had left the farm since the Royal Show in July, it is thought two young children started the blaze playing with matches, one sow and litter

were burnt.

Belchamp Walter an officer of the 60th Rifles who won the M.C. , Michael Raymond the only son of Mr and Mrs Raymond of Belchamp Hall married Miss June Lucey of Lymington, Hants, at St Margarets church Westminster.

50 or more Sabre jets are expected at Bentwaters.

October 2nd 1951

Thomas Reader a White Notley sewer bed attendant was charged with being drunk and incapable lying on the pavement near the White Horse in Sudbury. Discharged.

Mrs Mary Flores, daughter of Mr and Mrs Barrell of Belchamp Walter has given birth to a daughter in California.

The Ministry of Education have agreed to make a grant of £300 towards the expenditure of £1000 on a playing field at Glemsford.

Complaints have been received that rats are causing a nuisance at the back of Angel Lane near the council houses in Glemsford.

October 23rd 1951

William Alliston of Little St Mary’s Melford was sent to prison for three months for causing bodily harm to Charles Druary of Long Melford.

November 6th 1951

Celebrating their diamond wedding tomorrow are Mr and Mrs Cook of 50 High Street, Long Melford, Mrs Cook was Octavia Albon before she was married by the Rev Martyn in 1891, her husband was earning 10s weekly in Linage wood, farm men got 9s weekly but wood men got 10s which meant a lot in those days, “they don’t know what work is nowadays, it used to be from 6 to 6, light or dark wet or fine and you had to walk everywhere, no bikes in those days.

December 4th 1951

Wadislaw Bardizinski of Perston wrote expressing regrets regarding parking with no lights at Melford. (Melford Footballer)