Do You Remember When?

1908

CONSIDERABLE interest was manifested in a case at the Bexhill Police Court on Saturday, when Lucy Bizley, the head mistress of the new Down Council School (now King Offa), was summoned that she, on October 5, did unlawfully assault and beat William George Russell, a scholar. There was a very large attendance of school masters and school mistresses in Court. The Bench dismissed the case, the Chairman said it was quite clear that authority must be maintained in school. The boy, no doubt, deserved all he got. Mrs. Russell: "I wish you to see him." The Clerk: "Take him away and tell him not to play truant again."

SOME strange remarks were made at Monday's Council meeting in regard to the recommendation by the Electric Lighting Committee, that certain annual allowances be made to employees who have to be constantly going about the Borough attending to the electric lights etc. The Committee recommended that the Mains Superintendent be provided with a new cycle at a cost not exceeding ten guineas; while two other employees were to receive 2, and 1 was to be given to two more employees. When the distances the officials have to travel in connection with their work is taken into consideration, it is but right that when they use their own cycles they should have some remuneration for wear and tear on them.

1958

MEMBERS of the Association of Bexhill Citizens were urged to take a more active part in municipal affairs by the Mayor (Councillor John Baker) when, in the East Wing of the De La Warr Pavilion on Wednesday, he inaugurated the association's new season of lectures. Referring to the association's syllabus of lectures, the Mayor said he thought the emphasis was rather more on entertainment than on civic affairs a he would have hoped.

A MODERN car service and filling station is planned for the site of the bomb-damaged old Gaiety Cinema in London-road. The site of the former cinema together with the neighbouring property has been bought by Car Maintenance (Bexhill) Ltd.

1968

SACKVILLE Lodge, the large private residence on top of Galley Hill, which the Town Council recently agreed to purchase '“ a figure of 15,000 has been mentioned in reports by the District Valuer '“ may be demolished. It is the council's policy to purchase property at Galley Hill to further the use of the area as public open space.

"DANGEROUS structure '“ keep out" is the all-too-clear warning in red letters fully three feet high. The warning refers to that well-known talking-point, Crowhurst Viaduct, and is amplified by a 10ft high steel fence surmounted by barbed wire. The viaduct's future is in doubt.

1978

SIDLEY shopkeepers are mounting late-night vigils to combat vandalism of their property at weekends. The problem came to a head after last week's violent scenes in which four people were arrested and several police officers injured. On Tuesday, members of Sidley Traders' Association met police to find out what was being done and how they could help.

The final chapter in the alterations at Bexhill Library comes to a close this week-end. The happy ending means less queuing for borrowers, with a new counter system to accommodate computerised issuing.

1988

IN 1920 a pair of corrugated iron army huts left over from the First World War were put up in Old Town to serve as a temporary church hall. Now, almost 70 years later, a permanent building is within St Peter's Community Centre's grasp. Heartened by the enthusiastic response to the new designs for the building of the centre, building project leaders are ready to submit their ideas to Rother council.

1998

MORE than 400 people faced a Council Tax shock this week. They received court summonses for outstanding tax ... even though many of them were fully paid-up. Rother council has issued county court orders on people who pay monthly in person '“ rather than by direct debit '“ but who have not paid by the eighth day of the month as set by the council. The council moved the payment date from the 15th of the month to the eighth to save 30,000 a year, which it gains in interest by having the payments in the bank a week earlier.

BURGLARY is one of the most common crimes in Bexhill with on average one committed a day, police figures have revealed. Between January and August this year there were 249 burglaries in Bexhill. In comparison, for the whole of last year there was a total of 300 burglaries.