25 years ago:

March 13, 1993

CRISIS: Housing Minister Sir George Young will examine the plight of the homeless in rural areas when he visits Bridport next week.

He is spending Wednesday in West Dorset to see for himself how the district council are helping to provide homes for people in the area.

In consultation with the authority's Chief Executive, Clive Rennison, West Dorset MP Sir James Spicer has arranged the Minister's visit which he described as "very important."

He added: "I want to bring together a group of people at lunchtime for a general discussion on housing problems and homelessness, which is an ever-increasing concern in rural areas."

Among those likely to be involved in the talks at Mountfield, Bridport, are council and housing association officials.

CELEBRATION: Marie Curie nurse Rita Bechervaise will visit 10 Downing Street later this month to attend a charity function hosted by Norma Major.

CHARITY: Knitting needles will be clicking away in the hands of around ten residents of Bridport's Flaxhayes Court on Monday afternoon in a sponsored Red Cross knit-in.

50 years ago:

March, 8 1968

CHURCH: Parts of the 15th century Parish Church of St Mary, Chard, are crumbling to dust and it will take from £1,200 to £1,500 to make the necessary repairs, it was stated at the annual church meeting.

In his report on the fabric, churchwarden Mr Jack Bartlett said that at the base of the North Wall all of the old deal panelling had been taken out and replaced, but because of the condition of the footing of the church on the North outside wall, extra work had to be done to prevent damage to the inside of the panelling.

QUACKERS: Shooting a Mallard duck "on the spur of the moment" resulted in Dennis Winter, of Lawless Cottage, Combe St Nicholas, appearing at Ilminster Magistrates' Court.

MILK: In a pre-farm price review speech to Somerset County N.F.U. at their annual meting at Wells on Monday, Sir Richard Trehane, chairman of the Milk Marketing Board, warned that while the Minister of Agriculture might be willing to take some steps to arrest the decline in milk prices, due to increased productivity, much would depend on the Treasury.