A SAD tale of a drink-sodden nuisance enlivened the pages of the Malvern Gazette this week 100 years ago in the court reporting column.

"Albert Bishop, familiarly known as Tickle, of Harden Cottages, West Malvern, was summoned for bring drunk on December 31, but did not appear," said the paper.

"Mr Theodore Kensington JP of Mathon Lodge stated that on Old Year's night, in consequence of a conversation with one of his servants, he went to the door with his son in law and saw the defendant, who was making a great noise.

"Witness asked who he was and he replied 'Mr Bishop'. Witness inquired what he was doing, and his answer was, 'I'm singing carols and songs and that sort of thing'.

" Defendant said he had no money and wanted a Christmas box. He smelt very strongly of drink and to test him witness asked him to walk across the yard. Defendant did it passably well.

"Bishop, who was told to go away, then asked witness to buy some collars. At last they made him go, and he lurched about badly in Mathon Park, exclaiming 'my heart is not broken yet'."

This was not the first time that 'Tickle' had been making a pest of himself at these premises, the court heard, and he had previously served a short spell behind bars for a similar offence.

"Three times since October, defendant had entered the grounds of Mathon Lodge. He had been a nuisance and scared the servants. The bench imparted a fine of 10d and costs, or 14 days."