25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, October 14, 1975

A COURT was told today of a drag artist's statistics . . . 38, 22, 38, 9. It was said to be entertainment time at a country club, with an audience of shouting women.

'I don't want to shock you,' the drag artist was said to have told the women, giving his measurement. But he added: 'The last one was my shoe.' The court, at Bournemouth, was hearing a retrial of last August's 'Viking stripper' case.

LANCASHIRE have been sent a cheque for £500 by the Test and County Cricket Board - and asked to give it back! They won the money for taking their wickets at a better striking rate than any of the other 16 sides in County Championship matches in 1975 - one every 47.72 balls.

Then they had to hand it back because they did not reach the required over rate of 19.5 an hour in the second half of the season. Their average was 18.53.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, October 14, 1950

KITCHEN SCRAPBOOK

Old powder puffs are soft and flexible enough to make excellent silver polishers, and for applying cleaning material for mirrors.

A small magnet kept in the sewing basket will pick up pins and needles without pricking your fingers.

Wilting bristles on household brushes can be revived by rinsing them in a solution of alum.

Plastic clothes pegs are worth the initial outlay; being smooth, they do not catch on delicate fabrics, and they do not suffer deterioration through wetting like the wooden sort.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, October 14, 1875

THE following paragraph appeared in the London Times in September, 1808:- 'A poor weaver, who has a wife and several small children, and resides at Bolton-le-Moors, has lately come to an estate of £4,000 a year. He has obtained it from a wealthy uncle, who has not seen him for a number of years. It appears the uncle did not forget his poor relations while living, for he wrote a number of letters to the nephew in question which did not come to hand, and it was suspected they were intercepted by a designing servant. The uncle, however, left a will, bequeathing the estate to his nephew, the poor weaver, provided he claimed it six months after his death; and in the case of failing to claim it within this time, the estate to go to his servant, who is suspected of intercepting the letters.

The will, being of a novel nature, became a subject of conversation, and so it happened that two travellers at an in in Bolton were conversing upon the subject at the time the poor weaver was in the house, and within hearing of the conversation; and he knowing that he had a rich uncle, although not knowing where to find him, soon learned that the deceased person was his uncle and had left him the estate; he, in consequence, communicated the circumstances to some friends, who undertook to see into the business, and he proved to be just within the time limited in the will for the claim.' The paragraph does not contain the name of the fortunate Bolton weaver.