Birds, bees – and battling top dogs
SEX, death and the weather.
The three golden topics for today's tabloids were also making headlines in Batley 65 years ago.
On this week in 1945, as the country battled through the last few months of World War Two, we look back at what topics were being covered in your local paper.
One article brought the news that a Carlinghow soldier was spending 28 days leave with his family.
Pte Charlie Crowther, 27, had been guarding German and Italian prisoners-of-war in Italy.
He said some of the prisoners "got tough and tried to be top dogs, but our boys kept them in order".
Meanwhile, a team of medics and religious leaders were teaching Batley's youth about the birds and the bees.
Up to 40 boys and girls from various youth groups had gathered at the Princess Royal Girls' School in Carlinghow for a weekend of lectures.
One of the speakers, Mr EJ Baggaley, called for sex education to be introduced into the school curriculum.
The reporter of the day said: "He particularly laid emphasis on the fact that 'sex' was a subject which should be raised out of the gutter, into which it had been cast by taboo, wrong impressions and malicious people.
"Mr Baggaley contended that the teaching of sex should be introduced into the curriculum of school life."
There was also the tragic story of a baby which had died after spending the night as one of five in a bed.
The baby, two-month-old Barry Ramsden of New Street, had died from bronchial pneumonia and not suffocation, an inquest heard.
But district coroner Mr CJ Haworth took the opportunity to warn against cramming a whole family into one bed.
He said: "Again I would call attention to the undesirability of children being in bed with other people, though in this case the doctor could say the child died from pneumonia and there was no question of overlaying."
Just as in 2010, the town was recovering from a 'big freeze', but the thaw brought problems of its own.
An article on the subject read: "Batley, in common with most parts of the country, has had its quota of burst water pipes with the thaw which followed the great 'freeze up'.
"There has not been a part of the borough which could not supply a sad story of considerable damage to house decorations and house-hold effects through escaping water when the thaw set in.
"The loss of water in Batley through these bursts, we are informed, will total a million gallons, and where much of it has run away has been down walls, through ceilings and over floors in the homes of the town, with the consequent trail of damage."
Adverts sang the praises of cough and cold remedies, winter coats and the latest cinema offerings.
And one advert, placed by the Ministry of Food, gave handy hints on cooking economically with potatoes.
Its first tip said: "Remember, as much as 25 per cent is wasted by peeling potatoes. If peeling is necessary, peel very thinly."
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Weather for Batley
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
