Echoes from the past

100 years ago.

The day trips continue to bring considerable numbers to Malvern, and the season, I should say, has been a very profitable one for the railway companies. As regards weather, the trippers have certainly had nothing to grumble at; on the contrary quite the reverse. The excursionists bring money to Malvern and spend it, and no matter in what form they spend it, it gets into circulation here and eventually benefits all. If they only arrive by the train for dinner or tea at one of the restaurants, provision has to be made for them, and though they themselves may not enter the shop of baker, butcher, grocer or fruiterer, yet all of these have sold something extra on account of their visit.

Malvern Gazette, August 29, 1913.

50 years ago.

Youngsters from 18 different countries have been enjoying the tennis tourney at Manor Park all this week and also have been delighting aged onlookers who see in the diminutive but hard-hitting figures something of their own early prowess. It always comes as a bit of a shock to find on’e one friends declaring, sadly, that they are too old to play in the junior event. Play, said that expert, Mr John Purnell, was better than ever, and officers of the tournament agreed, for it seems play among juveniles, as among adults, is steadily improving all the time. It is certainly becoming a faster game, although I did see some ‘pat-ball’ as well as play that might have come from a would-be Wimbledon aspirant.

Malvern Gazette, August 30, 1963.

25 years ago.

A new contractor is working on Malvern’s leisure pool project. Management contractors Henry Boot took over after Mowlem had to pull out because of scheduling difficulties. Mowlem’s project manager, Mr John Jones, said his firm would like to have maintained their involvement with the pool in Priory Park, and still hoped it would be a success. A spokesman for main developers Clifford Barnett said Mowlem dropped out because of the delay in starting the work. “We were all geared up to start in March, and had to call everyone off at the last minute.” said finance director Mr Jonathan Grant. “Because of the delay, Mowlem couldn’t fit it in.” Malvern Gazette, September 2, 1988.