Do You Remember When?

1908

WHEN will residents of Bexhill have the gratification of hearing the Council has arranged with the Tramway Company to extend the system to Sidley, and what definite possibility there of a Pavilion being erected? Seaside places in other parts of the country do not hesitate to agitate with all the power at their disposal for the extension of tramway tracks to populous and outlying districts '“ Comment column.

A MYSTERIOUS discovery was made at Bexhill on Saturday afternoon, when a man named Ball found the body of a newly-born female child wrapped in brown paper and placed under a holly tree near the top of the Golf Links and De La Warr Road. Up to the present time the police have been unable to trace the parentage of the child, or who deposited the gruesome parcel where it was found. The inquest was held by the Coroner for the Rape of Hastings, Mr. Charles Sheppard, at the Town Hall on Monday afternoon.

1958

THERE was a capacity attendance at the annual Police Ball, organised by Bexhill Division of the East Sussex Constabulary, at the De La Warr Pavilion. One of the most popular social events of the year, all tickets were sold a fortnight ago and there was a waiting list of would-be patrons in the hopes that some tickets would be returned.

THE erection of 36 aged persons' flats '“ 26 at Sidley Green Estate and eight on land adjoining Buxton Drive '“ will cost 43,180, report the Borough Housing Committee who state that a fixed price has been agreed with Messrs. Knights (Sussex) Ltd.

1968

EAST Sussex County Education Committee's plan to amalgamate the Boys' and Girls' Grammar Schools at Bexhill from September 1970, were outlined to the Observer this week by the Chief Education Officer (Mr. J. Rendel Jones). The amalgamation would be the first stage of a two-part scheme for local comprehensive education.

THE future of hospital house committees locally is being considered by a specially-appointed sub-committee set up by the Hastings Group Hospital Management Committee. The proposal is the house committee in the group should be replaced by a system of hospital visits by members of the management committee.

1978

LIVELIEST spot in Bexhill on Tuesday was The Marina, where the Tuesday market finally opened up for business. The chilly weather did little to deter the early morning crowds. They flocked in their hundreds to check out the goods for sale '“ and most of them seemed well pleased with the set-up.

ONE of the biggest jobs on the Old Town by-pass '“ putting a bridge over Chantry Lane '“ will be starting next week. The footbridge across Hastings Road should be ready by Easter and traffic will start to use parts of the by-pass next year.

1988

HOME Secretary Mr Douglas Hurd has announced proposals to expand Category C Northeye Prison '“ initially to 400 inmates but eventually by phased re-building to house 500 to 600. The five-phase proposal could cost over 95m. The Home Secretary says secure cell-block accommodation planned in the latter phases would be To "Category B or C security standard."

WITH producer and sound recordist in hot pursuit, Bexhill's Goon-in-exile Spike Milligan returned to the town on Wednesday to record a special edition of Down Your Way. Let loose on the town, he took the opportunity to look at the sights he remembered from when he was stationed here with D Battery, 56th Heavy Regiment in the 1940s.

1998

BEXHILL police have announced a high-profile crackdown on shoplifters in the run-up to Christmas. The 10 shopping days before Christmas '“ December 14-24 '“ will be heavily targeted in Operation Manger, a police initiative to detect or deter thieves in shops. CCTV operators in Eastbourne will be on the alert to spot known shoplifting criminals from Hastings or Eastbourne moving in on Bexhill at the busiest time of year.

PRIORITY should be given to a call by residents for Sidley's zebra crossings to be converted to pelican status, county councillors will be told. Ten accidents involving 13 pedestrians have been recorded in the last five years alone on Ninfield Road's two existing crossings.