SNJ reporter Eddie Bisknell looks back at news from across the decades.

1967

EBLEY Youth Club were granted permission to rebuild their hut after it was gutted in a fire.

Members eagerly began raising money for a replacement and raised over £1,000 before the club trustees, the Countess of Huntington Connexion, stepped in to block the plans.

The Ebley Youth Club Appeals Committee met to discuss the issue and reversed the decision.

Youth club chairman Louis Townsend said: “We are thrilled to the marrow.”

RESIDENTS were reassured that there were no plans to close Stroud Station.

The chairman of the West Region Rail Board visited Stroud on a routine check but there were fears that the station would be closing after several goods depots in the town were shut.

He said: “Naturally I cannot give 100 per cent assurance, but there is no intention at all to make any change in the status of Stroud Station.”

1977

A WEATHER report documenting the previous year’s records was released by Geoffrey Fisher of The Rectory Cottage in Minchinhampton.

He found that the previous winter had been the coldest for five years, had the heaviest snow fall since 1970, and the lowest temperature was -7.8c.

At one point six inches of snow fell in 12 hours September was the wettest since records were kept in Minchinhampton, following the driest summer on record.

PLANS for a third fish and chip ship in Stroud High Street were granted by Stroud District Council’s Planning and Development Committee.

The panel had considered objections from the Stroud Town Committee but granted permission to A. Peglar of Bath Road, Nailsworth, to convert the site from its use as a children’s clothes shop.

1987

THE future of Sheepscombe School was hanging in the balance.

Gloucestershire County Council had recommended that the school should be closed because it only had 16 pupils.

A flood of protest came from parents who believed the school was an asset to the village.

After the pupil count rose to 22, councillors agreed to reconsider

THE construction of Stroud’s £2million East-West bypass was set to begin.

Dr. John Cordwell, chairman of the county council’s Planning and Transportation Committee would be cutting the first sods.

The road would follow a route from Merrywalks on to the Stroud-Brimscombe road and take 18 months to complete.

1997

THE Princess Royal met with pupils from Park Infant and Junior Schools on a visit to the Stroud area.

Princess Anne visited Stonehouse Community Centre and visited Frocester Manor, toured the craft workshop and met with Richard Cosgrove, the home’s first resident.

DEVELOPERS Robert Hutchins submitted plans for 149 more homes on the site of the Manor Farm development at Bussage and revealed plans for 265 further homes.

The revelation stunned local campaigners who claimed to have discovered a 30-year-old law which could lead to a ban on any housing on the site.

2007

CHILDREN at Foxmoor Primary were preparing for life in a new school building to rival any in the county.

The project cost £850,000 for the 270-pupil school in Cashes Green.

After a devastating fire in 1989 the plans for a new build had been put on hold.