Here's what was making the News headlines 50 and 25 years ago

CHARITY: Teddy bears made by women in the Whitchurch Canonicorum area will be sent all over the world to bring comfort to destitute children. Members of the local WI and the Mothers' Union created the bears in response to an article in the parish magazine. 

MYSTERY: Golfing pensioner Len Wilshaw wandered off course and triggered a search when fog rolled across the Lyme Regis links. 80-year-old Len yelled fore - then disappeared in thick mist as he set off for the fifth green on the cliffside course. A full scale search was launched after Len failed to arrive at the flag - he'd taken off in completely the wrong direction and was heading towards the edge of the cliffs. 

SPEEDING: Measures to discourage speeding motorists at Bridport's Crown and East roundabouts are underway, town councillors have been told. 

The measures and attention to the pedestrian subway at the Crown roundabout to accommodate the disabled were described by the town council's plans committee chairman Roger Draper as 'a package of most welcome improvements.'

50 YEARS AGO
January 12, 1968

PROTECTION:The cost of carrying out coast protection at West Cliff, West Bay, has risen from an estimated £159,800 in 1965, when the cliffs were examined, to £207,269. This was announced by the County Planning Officer (Mr. Lionel Abbott) at a meeting of the County Planning Committee in Dorchester.

Members agreed to make a grant of £22,535 towards the work. 

EXPORT: Bridport is famous throughout the world for nets of all descriptions. Now there is a bid to 'export' her charms as a holiday resort and to attract an increasing number of holidaymakers from beyond these shores. The voices of a number of well-known west Dorset personalities are to be heard throughout Australia and Tasmania in a programme on holidays in Great Britain. 

MISTAKE: Because of mistakes in a list of old folks' names kept by Bridport and District Old People's Welfare Committee, parcels of Christmas foodstuffs were sent to pensioners who had been dead for up to two years, a member of the town's Round Table organisation revealed this week.