100 years ago.

When, a few weeks ago, a plan for the building in West Malvern of an open-air school for physically unfit children was passed by the District Council without any comment, the matter passed almost unobserved and the public will doubtless be surprised by the storm which has since arisen about the matter. The West Malvern Improvement Association have taken the initiative in organising a strong and determined opposition to the school being placed in the village, arguing that it would seriously affect the reputation of West Malvern as a much-favoured and very beautiful health and residential resort. So far, interviews with Miss Severn Burrow, who I understand is promoting the school at her own cost, have proved unavailing and the ratepayers of the ward at a largely-attended meeting voiced their protest against the scheme by passing a resolution with only one dissentient voice.

Malvern Gazette, April 24, 1914.

50 years ago.

St Ann's Well was referred to in the course of Mr John Betjeman's wonderful talk on Worcestershire for the Council for the Preservation of Rural England at the Shirehall, Worcester. It was mentioned when a young woman asked why it was being preserved. It was "not very beautiful" she said, and repeated the tired old cliche about it being a "lump of Victoriana". Mr Betjeman agreed that it was not an architectural masterpiece, but he was pleased she had asked the question. Here was the whole point of what he had been saying about "eyes and heart coming before money". St Ann's Well was part of the history of Malvern and of its beginning as a spa; it was not ugly, it was modest. It was doing no harm and it was supplying water. Malvern for John Betjeman is "a kind of Sam Marino, a mountain kingdom on the edge of the hills".

Malvern Gazette, April 24, 1964.

25 years ago.

Malvern Hills District's progress towards the poll tax is being delayed - by dry rot. Assessment forms should have gone out from May 22, but a building being converted for staff administering the charge will not be ready in time to start the massive operation, because contractors have found dry rot. "The forms are being printed now, but we will not be able to send them out because there will be nowhere for them to be processed," said treasurer Peter Santry. "We hoped accounting staff would be able to move into 137 Church Street in early May, so releasing space in 64 Albert Road North, but because we have found problems in the building we will not be able to sent out the forms until early June - still in good time to complete the register." Malvern Hills had hoped to be one of the first councils top send forms to all the 36,000 households in their area.

Malvern Gazette, April 28, 1989.