swindon

1952: A scale model of an Attacker, the jet fighter in use by The Navy and in production at the South Marston factory of Vickers Armstrong, was presented to Swindon Model Aero Club on behalf of the firm, by Mr C Barton, service manager in Swindon.

1952: Major J Gardiner won the Class 1 (cars built before 1905) in the Veteran Car Rally held in Swindon. The major had started from Lymm, Cheshire, in his 1902 10hp Wolseley at 7.45am and reached Cirencester at 5.45pm.

1962: Mr J C Lavington, a water bailiff, hooked a 6lb trout, measuring 24ins in length at a pool just below St John’s Weir on the River Thames at Lechlade. He had to call for assistance from the landlord of the Trout Inn, Mr A Brigden, before landing the trout after a 20 minute fight.

1962: A party was held at the Cross Keys Hotel, Wood Street, Swindon for Mr Jack Freeman, an employee of J Wilmer, a Swindon firm of coal merchants who celebrated 50 years service in the coal delivery business. Mr Freeman, 65, of Ripley Road, Swindon was married with two daughters. He was presented with a wallet and a sum of money by Major F Pullen, chairman of the Wiltshire Coal Merchants Federation.

1972: Private Wilfred Terrance Ball of Castle Hill, near Cricklade was in Swindon on special recruiting duties before he returned to his regiment in Colchester. Pte Ball has won the award for Best Junior Soldier in his platoon Louisburg, in The Royal Hampshires based in Exeter. Pte Ball went to Fairford Secondary Modern School.

1972: Mrs Mary Lyford of Longleaze, Wootton Bassett, hosted a two-hour sponsored event at home with 20 members of the Crochet Club. The skilled craftswomen were holding a crochet-in to raise funds for the Cancer Research Campaign.

THE WORLD

1329: Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland from 1306, died of leprosy at Cardross Castle on the Firth of Clyde, and was buried in Dunfermline Abbey under the High Altar.

1520: Henry VIII and Francis I of France met in a glittering ceremony at the Field Of The Cloth Of Gold, near Calais.

1614: The Addled Parliament was dissolved. It earned its name by failing to pass a single Bill since it first sat on April 5.

1778: “Beau” Brummell was born. Although he became a leader of fashion and a friend of the Prince Regent, he died destitute in France at the age of 62 through gambling and extravagance.

1929: The Papal State, extinct since 1870, was revived as the State of Vatican City in Rome, as a result of the Lateran Treaty.

1945: Benjamin Britten’s opera Peter Grimes was premiered at Sadler’s Wells, London.

1946: Television resumed after the war, and announcer Leslie Mitchell said: “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted...”

1970: The Who’s “rock opera” Tommy was performed at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House.

1989: Peter Shilton made his record 109th appearance for England against Denmark, passing Bobby Moore’s long-standing record.

2017: Iman paid tribute to her late husband David Bowie, during what would have been the week of their 25th wedding anniversary.

BIRTHDAYS

James Ivory, film director, 90; Virginia McKenna, actress, 87; Tom Jones, singer, 78; Ronald Pickup, actor, 78; Michael Pennington, actor and writer, 75; Orhan Pamuk, novelist, 66; Liam Neeson, actor, 66; Damien Hirst, artist, 53; Anna Kournikova, former tennis player, 37.