100 years ago.

THE news of the death of Sir Henry Foley Grey, which reached Malvern early yesterday morning, came as a great shock to the inhabitants generally. Comparatively few people in the town knew that he was ill, and many of those who knew it were not prepared to hear that his illness would terminate fatally. For many years the late Sir Henry grey has been a commanding figure in the public and social lie of Malvern. Having large interests in the town, he fulfilled in a strenuous manner and with ungrudging activity, the many duties of his elevated position. As Lord of the Manor, his estates were governed wisely and well, and the interests of Malvern as a health resort were safe in his hands. He was always ready and willing to do anything and everything he could to maintain and increase Malvern's popularity as a health resort. In his position as Chairman of the Council he possessed a perfect knowledge of the transaction of public business, and was a very efficient Chairman. In the social and charitable life of the place, many organisations claimed him as president, and he took a genuine interest in everything with which he was concerned.

Malvern Gazette, December 18, 1914.

50 years ago.

Welland is having trouble with its water. It is so hard and possesses a corrosive element that hot water cylinders are being eaten away. Electric kettles are also suffering. The parish council concerned about the matter is to ask the Worcestershire County Council to analyse the village's water supply. Mr E H Purser, chairman of the council, said that it had fought hard to have the village connected to the mains supply. He was disappointed, however, at the apparent hardness of the water and also that it seemed to be corrosive. Mr Purser said that he had received three or four complaints about water cylinders being eaten away. Mr WE G Roberts said that villagers were also experiencing trouble with electric kettles. Pointing out that innumerable complaints has been received, Mr F Poole commented, "If it eats away cylinders in eighteen months, I don't think it can be doing false teeth any good." It was agreed that the council should express its concerns about the water, which comes from the Gloucester supply, to the County Council and ask for it to be analysed.

Malvern Gazette, December 18, 1964.

25 years ago.

District councillors, who responded to the proposed demolition of Seaford Court, Malvern Link, with anger, are pressing for the building to be listed to save it from destruction. The house, which was originally bought by the West Midlands Regional Health Authority for a new malvern hospital, and is now almost derelict, was Seaford Court school until the early 1980s when the RHA bought it. After Seaford Court school moved out, the Court was occupied by the Wyvern Trust, which runs Malvern Hills college, until October 1986. a 10-year lease was then offered locally and nationally, and was taken up by Graham Shaw Hostels Ltd last year. The new tenant has never occupied the building and recently sold the lease. Vandalism and the theft of lead from the roof has caused further damage, and the building is now considered to be in a dangerous state, according to a report from the RHA, with £200,000 needed to restore it to "reasonable order". It would not be reasonable to require the RHA to expend large sums of money on reinstating Seaford Court, particularly since it has a limited life.

Malvern Gazette, December 22, 1989.