Cricket club hailed as saviours
Diss Cricket Club has caused controversy with its plans for a fence round Rectory Meadow to help reduce the vandalism and acts of anti-social behaviour it says are blighting its plans for the future.
But 41 years ago the club was being hailed as saviours of the Meadow, having prevented plans to build on it.
A copy of the Diss Express, dated February 16, 1968, was brought in by a reader to show how Rectory Meadow might not now exist but for the foresight and hard work of the cricket club.
The club had begun a fight a year earlier to preserve the Rectory Meadow as an open space after plans were unveiled to build a school on the site.
The 1968 newspaper reported: "In a letter to Ald Harold Jeffery – who gave considerable support to the club in its efforts – the chief education officer for Norfolk, Dr F Lincoln Ralphs, wrote: 'We are exploring the possibility of obtaining an alternative site for the new school. The object is to leave the Rectory Meadow available for recreational facilities'."
Elsewhere on the front of that week's eight-page broadsheet Diss Express, was news of council house rents going up by five shillings and the story of 19-year-old John Speirs, of 22 Frenze Road, who was en route to Barbados after answering an advertisement in The Times for crew members for an ocean adventure.
Mary Rigg, of the Paddocks, Palgrave, was pictured with the 50th pint of blood she had donated. The story also commemorated her retirement as secretary of the British Goat Society.
Mellis couple Lancelot and Gladys Rush were celebrating their golden wedding, alongside a report on the marriage of Eileen Hubbard, of Willbye Avenue, Diss, and George 'Tubby' Garland, of Oakley.
The Miss Senior Citizen of 1968 was crowned at the first birthday party of the Salvation Army's senior citizens' club.
Mrs L Nunn was chosen for the award by a panel of judges and crowned by Mr C Gardner, chairman of Diss Town Charities.
On Page 3, Valerie Garnham, of Burston, was pictured twirling her way to victory in a hoopla competition at the annual re-union of the South Norfolk Labour Party.
Tombola prizes were decided by Miss South Norfolk, Carol Smith, of Garboldisham.
Celebrating the birth of a son at Hartismere Hospital were Liz and Patrick Nicholls whose son, Benjamin William Wyndham, arrived on February 14.
Diss Town were also celebrating, after beating neighbours Harleston 6-0 in Division One of the Anglian Combination.
Trevor Howard and Trevor Whymark were the stars of the show with a hat-trick apiece.
One result of particular note came in Division Two, where East Harling romped to a 10-0 victory over present day Ridgeons League giants Wroxham, thanks to goals from Mick Friend 2, David Reeve 2, Mike Tipple 3, Dick West, Colin Cooper and an own goal.
The back page was all adverts with Alma Components advertising vacancies for 'One intelligent young man' and 'Intelligent women and girls' with free transport available.
Betabake, of Mission Road, were seeking a van salesman and offered a weekly wage of 17.
Those wages could have gone towards buying one of the properties advertised by Apthorpes, of St Nicholas Street.
A 1965-built three-bedroomed detached home in Diss was available for 5,500, while a four-bedroomed detached country residence set in three acres of grounds in Wortham was going for 7,950.
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Weather for Diss
Thursday 02 September 2010
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
