ROCKETS built in Banwell were sold for £33,000 and an inventor unveiled his latest creation in 1966.

Weston Mercury: The Ted Burroughs formation team competing in the BBC's Come Dancing, filmed at the Winter Gardens Pavilion.The Ted Burroughs formation team competing in the BBC's Come Dancing, filmed at the Winter Gardens Pavilion. (Image: Archant)

The stories were reported in the January 7 edition of the Weston Mercury and Somerset Herald.

? An inventor from Weston unveiled his latest creation – a combined electric kettle stand and heated teapot stand. Mr RS Gill developed the Sta-Hot Stand. His previous inventions included a spark plug cleaner, and a combined sink plug and waste pipe ‘un-stopper’.

? The French Meteorological Office bought 50 atmosphere rockets for £33,000. The Skua rockets were built in Banwell and could launch up to 60 miles high.

? A new hospital in Uphill was potentially going to be built sooner than expected. Weston Borough Council’s public health committee heard the Minister of Health may have been finalising arrangements for the site. Thousands of people had signed a petition for a new hospital, as the current one was not large enough to cope with demand.

? Weston experienced the wettest December since 1934, but the town was saved from flooding in 1965 thanks to the Black Rock pumping station in Cheddar.

? The head postmaster in Weston, Mr S Crawley, received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list.

? The Mercury’s Looking Back column, similar to Picture Past, reported on the air raids in Weston in January 1941. Two churches, a church hall, concert hall, shops and homes were destroyed or severely damaged. German news bulletins announced the ‘successful attacks on industrial and harbour installations’.

? Fewer adults were borrowing books from Weston’s libraries during 1965, a fact described as ‘disappointing’ by the borough librarian. The number of loaned books fell from 477,041 to 471,883.

? Part of the Anchor Head rock slide was damaged by heavy winter seas.