swindon

1952: Eight-year-old Terry Miller of Chiseldon, mascot of Swindon speedway team, rides the track prior to meetings at Blunsdon Stadium and also accompanies the team at away matches. Terry has ridden at Aldershot, Southampton, Poole (twice) and appeared on Rodbourne Rockets Cycle Speedway track when a special effort was made for the Lynmouth Disaster Fund.

1952: Midget cars were raced at Blunsdon Stadium. The cars were the sole interest of 17 and a half stone David Hughes for the past five years. He bought one for his own amusement and then, backed by a crowd of enthusiasts, decided to launch out and perfect a team to tour the country.

1962: The Liberals came back to Swindon after a lapse of 12 years, when a Swindon Liberal Association was formed at a public meeting in the Town Hall. Mr A Thomas, who was elected chairman, told an audience of about 40 people that Liberalism had lain dormant in Swindon since Mrs Doreen Gorsky fought an unsuccessful campaign in the 1950 General Election. A small committee had worked to raise 100 paid up members in the last few months.

1962: The head boy Kenneth Aylett, conducted a Harvest Festival Service at Headlands Grammar School, Swindon. Prayers at the sixth annual service were said by the deputy head boy John Dennet and head girl Beatrice Matthews. Lessons were read by deputy head girl Susan Painter. The Rev J R Schad gave an address and there display of flowers and produce were to be given to old folks.

1972: More than 100 musicians took part in a television tribute to the famous English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who was born in the Cotswold village of Down Ampney, 100 years ago. The programme was shown on HTV West and Larry Adler, the well known mouth organist, played a piece written by the composer.

1972: The mayor of Swindon’s attendant, Mr Earnest Cann, took members of the Swindon and Bath Trefoil Guild on a tour of the Civic Offices. He explained that all the mayoral plate and other ceremonial regalia was given to the town by members of the public as the council was not allowed to spend the public’s money on that sort of thing. The women had tea with thee mayor in the members room after their tour.

The World

1535: Miles Coverdale’s translation of the Bible was published.

1883: The Boys’ Brigade was founded in Glasgow by Sir William Alexander Smith.

1895: Deadpan hero of the silent screen Buster Keaton was born in Kansas. His parents were acrobats in vaudeville, and by the time he was three, Buster was in on the act.

1911: Britain’s first escalators were introduced, connecting the District and

Piccadilly platforms at Earl’s Court underground station in London.

1957: Russia launched Sputnik I, the world’s first satellite.

1958: The first transatlantic passenger jet service began operating.

1970: The American rock singer Janis Joplin died. She left 2,500 dollars in her

will “so that my friends can get blasted after I’m gone”.

2010: Comedian and actor Sir Norman Wisdom died in a nursing home on the Isle of Man, aged 95.

2017: A foodbank revealed it had received its oldest donation yet - a bag of pasta that went out of date 40 years ago.

BIRTHDAYS

Sir Terence Conran, designer, 87; Susan Sarandon, actress, 72; Ann Widdecombe, politician/TV presenter, 71; Anneka Rice, TV presenter, 60; Chris Lowe, pop musician (Pet Shop Boys), 59; Mark Powley, actor, 55; Alicia Silverstone, actress, 42; Stacey Solomon, singer, 29.