SNJ reporter Sam Evans takes a look back through the decades at some Stroud nostalgia. 

1967

  • YET another church in the Stroud District was in trouble after being classed as dangerous.

Ebley Congregational Church established in 1797 was stopped from holding services until repairs on the damaged building were made.

The decision was made after a meeting between the church deacons and the congregation when it was announced dry rot had taken hold of the roof.

Services were to be held in the Day School until such repairs had been completed.

The cost of repairs were believed to be in the realm of £1,000, quite a sum of money in 1967.

  • THE BBC Sunday morning service was broadcast live from St. Rose’s Convent in Stroud.

It was carried by all home service regions except Scotland.

The service took the form of a bible vigil with reading and commentary.

1977

  • FLAMES swept through a shop in Stroud town centre, when fire turned a first floor flat into a potential death trap.

Fortunately, Mr Alec Alder and his wife Ada had left the building to go to work before the blaze started.

Stock worth between £4,000 and £5,000 of Mr Alder’s wool shop were destroyed in the fire which also seriously damaged the shop premises on London Road.

Fireman using breathing apparatus were able to contain the blaze to the ground floor and away from the adjoin shops.

  • A YOUNG-BOY who attended Archway School beat the competition to win the Stroud and District Cage Birds Society members show.

Clive Smith, 13, of Field Road, Whiteshill saw off both novice and champion competition to claim the big prize.

Clive’s elder brother Michael was won the Rodborough Cup for the best canary at the show.

1987

  • A JOINT Royal Airforce and Army tactical codenamed Roaring Lion, was held in Stroud.

RAF Hercules aircraft flew at medium and low levels in areas of southern England.
Features of the exercise saw paratroopers being dropped into local areas, the setting up of airheads and the evacuation of troops from Keevil. 

Other aircraft involved in the exercise included RAF Puma and Chinook helicopters.

  • A CAR radio valued at £120 was stolen from a car parked at Selsley.

Thieves gained entry to the vehicle by smashing the window.

A stereo radio cassette player, valued at £150 was also stolen from a Ford Escort nearby.

1997

  • A BLAZE at King’s Stanley shattered the piece of one sunny afternoon and turned a local man into a hero.

Alan Perrins, 62, was gardening when he noticed the flames coming out of the neighbours kitchen window in the first-floor flat at Red brick House, High Street.

The front door was open and Mr Perrins ran upstairs to find the occupant asleep.

He grabbed the young man and carried him out of the flat with both suffering no injury.

2007

  • FEARS of water shortages and further floods led to a rush to buy supplies of groceries and other essential items.

Panicking shoppers in Stroud soon began snapping up bottled water after Severn Trent announced supplies in other parts of the country were being cut off.

Staff at Iceland in Stroud and Somerfield in Nailsworth said sales of bottled water were going up so fast that they were temporarily out of stock.