SWINDON

1952: Methodists from all parts of the Prospect Place Church in Swindon met at Clifton Street Church in Old Town for the circuit rally, under the chairmanship of Mr P Sheppard. A miscellaneous programme of vocal, instrumental music and elocution was enjoyed. Mrs F Hacker of Wroughton received the gifts for the circuit fund from the various churches which totalled nearly £90.

1962: A relative of RD Blackmore, the novelist among whose works was the classic Lorna Doone, has celebrated her 90th birthday in Swindon. Mrs Bessie Grove of The Bungalows, Pinehurst, was born in Devon, moved to London and then left in 1915 after a week of heavy bombing by Zeppelins.

1972: Swindon Religious Music and Drama Fellowship has staged The Gift of Myrrh under the direction of Joyce Cameron, showing the more traditional side of the life of Christ rather than Godspell which was grabbing the limelight in London. The Swindon play by Reg Carter with finale by George Hicks highlighted the key events in the three decades of the man who claimed to be the Messiah. In eight acts with music from St Luke’s Passion by Bach the life of Jesus Christ unfolded.

the world

1861: London’s first tram cars, drawn by horses, began operating from Bayswater, designed by a Mr Train from New York.

1919: In Italy, fascism became an organised political movement following the founding of Fasci di Combattimento by Benito Mussolini a month earlier.

1921: Donald Campbell, who emulated his father, Sir Malcolm, by breaking land and water-speed records, was born in Horley, Surrey.

1966: The first official meeting for 400 years between the Catholic and the Anglican churches took place in Rome between Pope Paul VI and Dr Ramsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

1971: Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, proclaimed its independence.

1981: Englishman Mike Hailwood, nine times world motor cycling champion, died two days after a car crash in which his nine-year-old daughter was also killed.

1981: All animal transportation on the Isle of Wight and in southern Hampshire was banned in a successful attempt to contain an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

1989: A 1,000-foot diameter asteroid missed the Earth by a mere 400,000 miles.

1991: In a speech to Conservatives at Southport, John Major outlined plans for his Citizen’s Charter.

2001: The Mir space station was disposed of. It broke up in the atmosphere before falling into the Pacific near Fiji.

BIRTHDAYS

Barry Cryer, writer/comedian, 83; Michael Nyman, composer, 74; Alan Bleasdale, playwright, 72; Chaka Khan, singer, 65; Amanda Plummer, actress, 61; Sir Steve Redgrave, retired Olympic rower, 56; Marti Pellow, singer, 53; Damon Albarn, singer, 50; Mike Atherton, former cricketer, 50; Gail Porter, TV presenter, 47; Joe Calzaghe, former boxer, 46; Sir Chris Hoy, six-time Olympic champion track cyclist, 42; Princess Eugenie of York, 28.