LOOKING back on some of the stories the Gazette has reported through the years...

July 1977

A SCHRIDER organ in St Mary’s Parish Church in Wotton, which was 251 years old, was used for its first recital since its £4,000 facelift.

Old Wottonian Kenneth Cook (Dursley’s deputy organist) gave a solo on the organ at a summer concert with the Cheltenham Bach Choir.

As well as Bach, music was from Gabrieli, Stanford and Williamson, and James Coles was also a guest artiste with his violin.

The concert was to help finance the recent organ overhaul, for which only half of the money required had been raised.

Work on the organ, which took about six weeks to complete, included stripping the instrument down almost completely and replacing some of the pipes.

This improved the sound quality particularly in regard to the choir section.

Given to St Martin-in-the-Fields by King George I early in 1726, the organ was purchased for Wotton-under-Edge in 1800 for £200 by the then vicar, the Reverend DW Tattersall.

July 1987

FRENCHAY health chiefs were quizzed about the future of Cossham Hospital.

The authority proposed shelving development plans on Cossham in favour of expanding the ‘cook-chill’ system in hospital kitchens at a cost of nearly £800,000.

The proposals to shelve development were slammed by Kingswood borough councillor Wally Lewton, also a member of the authority.

He criticised the officers for “double dealing” and speaking at a meeting of Kingswood councillors he said health chiefs had shown “a complete lack of integrity”.

Health authority chairman Geoff Mortimer said the decision had nothing to do with Cossham’s future.

“I believe Cossham has a future and there is nothing being planned that would imply we are trying to run it down,” he said.

July 1997

SCHOOL governors in Winterbourne feared that children were at risk from dog owners who exercised their pets on the village recreation ground.

Part of the ground nearest to St Michael’s Primary School, which was used for school activities, could be fenced off to keep out dogs.

The governors said this would protect pupils from the risk of disease from dog excrement and make the maintenance budget more manageable.

However, parish councillors and sports people in the village were worried that splitting up the recreation ground will restrict public use of land.

Councillors said they were opposed to dividing up the recreation ground because of the effect it might have on sports.

The ground was being used for football and cricket matches at the time.

Responsibility for the land was shared between Winterbourne Parish Council and the school governors.

July 2007

THE Warehouse in Dursley, dogged by controversy, was sold off to developers who would build 17 houses and three flats on the site.

Terry Cole, owner of the bar and nightclub in Parsonage Street, bought the former Royal British Legion land behind the Warehouse last year and gained planning permission for 17 two and three storey houses with gardens, parking and three flats.

The developers, Cotswoldgate, also plan to convert the empty Warehouse into a part commercial and part residential building.

Consultants Alder King, acting on behalf of Mr Cole, said the property had been sold for an undisclosed sum.

Ten terrace houses facing the road will be built in May Lane with seven houses going on the former British Legion site and the flats being built behind May Lane.

Work on the new flats and houses was due to start by the end of the month.