THIS week in 1975 the Adver dispatched a reporter to witness the antics of a male stripper.

She returned distinctly underwhelmed.

These days the issue of male strippers is barely enough to raise eyebrows, let alone stir national controversy.

In the Britain of 41 years ago, however, things were rather different. Early in October two Dorset hotel owners had been brought to trial over a hen party at which men appeared naked on stage. The hoteliers were acquitted but debate raged.

One of the places where it raged was the studio of ATV in Birmingham, home of a debate programme called Ladies’ Night. When it was announced that the next show would feature strippers Peter Plummer and Brian Jason, we duly sent a representative to see what all the fuss was about.

Her verdict?

“I wouldn’t cross the road to see them again. Never mind pay £1.20 for the privilege.

“The prosecution’s case hung on a claim that the male strip act outraged public decency. My sense of decency was about as outraged as it would be at a Silver Threads bingo night.”

Mr Jason, our reporter revealed, asked various women to remove items of his outfit, and added: “I was thankful he didn’t ask me because the girl next to me was asked to peel off one of his red socks.

“Can you imagine anything more calculated to turn any girl off than a guy’s nylon ankle socks?”

Just in case any Adver readers were thinking of avoiding the fee to watch such enlightening programming, TV licensing officials ran an advert on the opposite page which featured a trio of Commer vans with fearsome-looking roof-mounted aerials.

This was long before it was revealed that not a single successful prosecution had ever been secured with detector evidence, and longer still before the public began to suspect that the aerials on the vans were merely for show.

“TV detector vans are now roaming the streets in this area,” the advert warned. “And they can winkle out an unlicensed set fifty yards away.

“You must have an £8 licence for a black and white set or an £18 licence for a colour set.”

Evaders faced fines of up to £100.

A Swindon man called Terry Robinson alerted us to a model tram he was selling – one which wouldn’t have existed were it not for a notorious disaster.

In June of 1906 a crash following brake failure in Victoria Road cost four people their lives and injured many more. The photograph of the aftermath is familiar to anybody with even a slight interest in local history.

“The model,” we said, “was commissioned especially for the court of inquiry.

“Terry’s father William, an engineer for Swindon’s railway museum, bought the model from the council soon after the 1914-18 war.

“Now Terry has to leave Swindon. He feels the model is such a part of the town that he is prepared to sell it so that it can stay in the borough.”

We wonder what became of the model. Can a Rewind reader enlighten us?

Artefacts of more recent vintage featured in a picture story about a woman who was preparing to become very busy indeed.

“When the clocks are turned back one hour on Saturday night,” we said, “ spare a thought for Suzanne Steele. She works in a jeweller’s and all her spare time this weekend will be taken up altering dozens of clocks.”

Suzanne worked at the J Weir and Sons shop in Havelock Square. We photographed her against a backdrop of timepieces in styles now highly prized by connoisseurs of mid-1970s showiness.

Another shop we visited that week in 1975 was a new one at number 19 The Parade in the town centre.

A branch of a Southport-based firm called Kew House, it was surely among the earliest chain outlets in Swindon to push the image of offering farm fresh produce.

Retail director Roy Hannaby said: “We believe the national loaf is being replaced in the average British home more and more by crusty hand-made bread and hot rolls.

“Moreover, the aroma of the baking bread permeating to the outside of the shop is one of the finest point-of-sale promotions possible.”

The company planned to give away £10,000 in 30p vouchers during the following weeks, and the delights on offer also included middle bacon at 69p a pound, cheddar cheese at 36p a pound, brown farm eggs at 43p a dozen and fresh chicken at £1 a bird.

We can find no information in our archive as to how successful the shop became, but the premises were occupied in later years by a branch of stationery supplier Rymans.