MENACING pigeons, a ‘dumping place for cars’ and a town clock that was hit by a lorry were among the news highlights this week 50 years ago.

The Weston Mercury & Somersetshire Herald reported during the week of March 20, 1964:

* In the paper’s ‘Local Brevities’ file, this report said: “That at Weston Swimming Club’s annual meeting the hon. Secretary Mr Freddie Bennett, was jocularly pulled up for referring to members of the fair sex as “women” and not “ladies”… This sally brought laughter from the males present, expressions of mock indignation from the females and a chorus from both sides of “Have you Heard?”.

* “Shopkeepers at Weston are in favour of the Borough Council employing a full-time professional pigeon shooter or trapper to rid the town of its pigeon menace.” As V Bannister, director of the Weston Bay Boat Company, which had a shop in the Boulevard, said: “The pigeon droppings are so profuse around our shop that before long we are going to get a claim from someone who has been blinded by them.”

* Bleadon was labelled a ‘dumping place’ for cars, according to those at the parish council. A report said: “If less rubbish, such as old car bodies were dumped in the village, Bleadon would have a better chance in the Somerset Best-Kept Village competition, residents were told at the annual parish meeting.”

* “Highbridge members of Burnham UDC are convinced that the people of Highbridge want the Town Clock, which was demolished by a passing lorry recently, to be replaced at exactly the same spot.”

* ‘Get in early – advice to Weston traders’: “No special arrangements have been made for local traders to have preference in the new Carlton Street area.”

* The paper also ran its own ‘Looking Back – From The Mercury Files’ column, with this entry from ’50 years ago’ (at the time) – March 21, 1914: “General businesses in Burnham were lit by electric light for the first time in the history of the town this week, it was reported.

“A 2,000 candle-power lamp erected over the company’s offices in Victoria Street attracted much attention.”