FOUR decades ago this week, Swindon’s most famous celebrity was in court.

We revealed: “Swindon-born actress Diana Dors, 44, has successfully put a temporary block on publication of her life story.

“The ban lasts until a further hearing next Friday.

“At a private High Court hearing, Mr Justice Watkins ordered author Wolf Rilla, of New Bond Street, Mayfair, and Everest Books Ltd, not to publish a biography, ghosted autobiography or personal interview with her.

“Suing under her married name of Lake, Miss Dors has issued a writ against the writer and publishers, seeking to prevent publication without her consent of material based on taped conversations between herself and Mr Rilla in February of last year.”

We can find no further mention of the case in our archives, or evidence that the taped conversations appeared in print.

Wolf Rilla was a film director whose most memorable film was 1960 science fiction classic Village of the Damned, about a generation of sinister children growing up in a small community.

In 1975, he had directed a comedy called Bedtime with Rosie, in which Diana Dors appeared among a cast which also included Una Stubbs and Johnny Briggs, who would later find fame as Mike Baldwin in Coronation Street.

Another story that week saw us send a reporter and photographer to RAF Fairford, which had been used to test Concorde prototypes a few years earlier.

The runway rang with the sound of another type of engine as a clothing company boss bid to put himself in the Guinness Book of Records.

Robert Horne, 33, was co-chairman of Hornes, a national chain of gentlemen’s outfitters.

He was also a lover of very fast cars, and was at Fairford in his Ferrari 512 M for an attempt at the British flying mile speed record.

The rules were simple – accelerate to full speed and hold that speed for a mile.

Mr Horne managed 191.64mph, breaking a 170.6mph record set 51 years earlier by pioneering speed record king Sir Malcolm Campbell.

There to offer support and advice was racing driver Derek Bell, the 1975 Le Mans champion.

The Ferrari later changed ownership, and was in the news last year when it was ticketed in London by a parking warden. Newspaper reports said it was valued at £10m.

Returning to Swindon and showbusiness, a prominent actress of the day celebrated not only her birthday but also her first performance in Swindon.

Jennifer Wilson was appearing at the Wyvern Theatre in September Tide, a Daphne du Maurier play about a woman who falls in love with her daughter’s husband.

The actress was instantly recognisable thanks to her role as a secretary called Jennifer Kingsley in The Brothers, a saga about a haulage company.

The seventh series had aired the previous year, and would turn out to be the last, but in 1977 there was widespread speculation about a possible return.

Jennifer said: “There is always a danger in being too strongly identified in one role. I love The Brothers but I’m very happy to be back on stage.”

In Pakistan, political unrest over a hotly-contested election led to riots in the nation’s largest city, Karachi.

This was worrying news for a quartet of young Swindon women – although the cloud had an especially bright silver lining for them.

We said: “Four Swindon dancers due to appear in a show in the riot-torn Pakistani city of Karachi may find themselves performing in the Bahamas instead.

“Because of the violent street fighting and martial law in the city, the London management may not take the show to Pakistan on May 14 as planned.

“The show, Mayfair Magnificence, was due to run in Karachi for six months with a cast including Tanwood School dancers Sharon Turner, Cindy Burrell, Jane Bolan and Stefanie Newman.”

In Shaw, the Jubilee Hall at the Roughmoor Centre was officially named in honour of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

The hall, we said, was the latest chapter in the story of the Breakthrough Trust Deaf-Hearing Group, a charity emphasising self-help and helping others.

The naming ceremony was performed by Hambro Life founder and former human rights lawyer Joel Joffe, who would be ennobled many years later.

Assisting him were Roughmoor warden Lizzie Sheppard and management committee chairman Terry Waters.

Another Jubilee-themed story was about a march through the centre of Swindon by personnel from RAF Lyneham.

Swindon Mayor Les Gowing and other local dignitaries took the salute during a march-past in Princess Street.

We said: “The parade set off from Faringdon Road and marched via Farnsby Street and Commercial Road to the saluting dais in Princess Street, returning to the starting point via Fleming Way.”

There had been other marches since the base was given the Freedom of the Borough 13 years earlier, but the Jubilee version had an extra sense of ceremony.

Another difference from previous parades was that women took part for the first time. The WRAF contingent was led by Flt Lt Tana Linton, an air traffic controller.