TWO old trophies given out by the SNJ in the 1930s for life saving have been found during a house clearance.
The awards given out in 1939 were found in a house in Chalford after the owner - Austen Smith, known as Titch – died two years ago.
They may have been presented to Austen, who would have been 16 at the time.
The items were brought to the SNJ office this week by Austen’s friend Shortt who travelled all the way from his home on the Isle of Portland in Dorset in the hope of shedding light on their history.
At the time, the SNJ was called the Stroud News.
The identical awards are engraved with the wording ‘Winner Stratford Park Life-Saving Trophy 1939 Presented by The Stroud News’.
Austen and Tony met when they worked next door to each other and as Mr Smith had no surviving relatives when he died, Tony chose the keepsakes to remember his friend.
Although now living on the Isle of Portland, Mr Shortt kindly brought the trophies to the SNJ office in the hope that readers can help him to find out about the history of the awards.
If anyone has information please email tla@stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk or call 01453 769427.
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