years ago.

There are signs, so far as Malvern is concerned, that the War panic is calming down and that things are coming back to their normal conditions. And, indeed, there is no reason why they should not. "Business as usual" is a motto Malvern cannot afford to ignore any more than other places. When the war commenced public and social events were abandoned wholesale, and the town became very quiet. But now engagements are cropping up like Autumn leaves at Vallambrosa, and it looks as though Malvern will see a very busy Winter. We hope this forecast may prove true. Malvern has nothing to gain by panic, and the sooner its inhabitants settle down to the normal, the better it will be for them and the town. The old country is not on its beam-ends, and the abandonment of all kinds of public functions will not help the country and the Expeditionary Force in the least. We do not dispute that the times are still full of anxiety, but we do feel it is important for everyone to keep a same and balanced mind.

Malvern Gazette, October 16, 1914.

50 years ago.

In spite of heavy rain during yesterday afternoon, there was steady polling at Malvern's 16 polling stations. In some places there were small queues, especially as the homeward-bound traffic built up. Polling booths were mostly sited in schools, but there were others at a coal office, a stadium, and in the common room of the old people's bungalows at the Link. Polling at St Joseph's RC School, Newtown, was off to a brisk early-morning start, but heavy rain cut the rate substantially to about 20 per hour. One woman explained that she had been unable to bring her voting slip because her baby had torn up all the family's election papers. However, it was explained to her that the slips were not essential. At the Clarence Road church school, many people cast their votes before catching morning trains to Worcester and Birmingham. At the coal office in St Andrew's Road, there was a level rate of polling throughout the day.

Malvern Gazette, October 16, 1964.

25 years ago.

An empty prep-school building, now owned by the health authority, should be pulled down because it is dangerous. The request for demolition has been made by the regional health authority itself which says it cannot let or afford to repair Seaford Court in Worcester Road, Malvern Link. Plans have been submitted to Malvern Hills District Council for demolition. The property was bought in June 1982 as part of the health authority's plans for a new community hospital for Malvern. From 1983 to 1986, the property was leased to the Wyvern Trust as an annex to its Malvern Hills College in Albert Road North, but they have up the lease because they felt unable to meet the high cost of keeping the building in reasonable repair. The health authority says that although the building was leased to a tenant last year it had never been occupied. The building has been vandalised, there have been two fires, and lead has been stripped from the roof. Estimated repair costs are £200,000.

Malvern Gazette, October 20, 1969.