On This Day in Wembury
4 March 1995 — Wembury WI, Christian Aid, and a familiar warning about pollution
On this day in 1995, the Western Evening Herald carried its Wembury local notes, giving a busy snapshot of village life.
Wembury had raised £212 for Christian Aid during December, adding to contributions from Plymouth churches. The report thanked everyone who had helped and contributed.
The Wembury Federation of Women’s Institutes had been discussing New Year’s Resolutions, not just as good intentions, but as proper statements of future conduct. Members were reminded that the Mothers’ Union had hundreds of thousands of members worldwide and encouraged families to spend more peaceful time together, especially around meals.
Meanwhile, Wembury WI was preparing for a full programme of events, including the County Federation’s 75th anniversary celebrations, a daffodil walk, and lunch with Betjeman.
But the most striking note came under the heading “Did You Know?” It looked back thirty years, to December 1964, when Wembury Parish Council had discussed pollution. The warning was blunt: unless care was taken, the parish could face an outbreak of typhoid. Mr G. F. Bailey had reported on the condition of sewage outlets around the parish.
The column ended with the pointed question: “Sounds familiar?”
Thirty years after the 1964 warning, and now thirty years beyond this 1995 reminder, the same concerns about sewage, water quality, and the health of Wembury’s coast still feel very close to home.
Source: Western Evening Herald, 4 March 1995.
Entries are summaries and interpretations of historical newspaper reports.