South Yorkshire Times, June 28th 1942
Marconigrams
From the provinces, the totals of iron railings salvaged for weeks ending February 28th and March 7th (the ” peak ” weeks for London) were, respectively 3,356 tons and 4,066 tone. Now, railings are being collected from the provinces at the rate of between 8.000 and 9,000 tons week.
Road fatalities during April amounted to 565. Apart from this figure, 3,032 persons were seriously injured and 8,143 sustained slight injuries. The figures show a decrease on the totals of the corresponding month of last year, though this was to be expected in view of the fewer number of cars on the roads.
A week-end training course in physical recreation for members of the Youth Messenger Service in the Don Valley is to be held on Saturday and Sunday at Mexborough Secondary School. Fifty boys selected from fifteen areas in the Don Valley and five areas in the Bother Valley, will attend and will go from the course to act as leaders to more than 500 other boys in the A.R.P. Messenger Service. This is the first course of its kind to be held in the counts,
The collection of medicinal plants is being organised on very wide lines this year. County Herb Committees have already been set up in 45 counties in England and Wales to arrange collection, drying and despatch to the manufacturers, and the Board of Education have asked all schools and youth organisations to help. Among the wild herbs used in the manufacture of drugs are: buckthorn, red poppy petals, elder flowers, comfrey, coltsfoot, horse radish, hyssop, hemlock henbane, foxglove, stinging nettles and dandelions. No attempt should be made to collect plants until arrangements have been made with the local committees for drying and despatch of the materials.
The fourteen men rescued in the Barnburgh disaster in April were entertained to dinner by Mr. J. A. Hall, President of the Yorkshire Mineworkers’ Association at Barnsley on Friday.
Mr. A. T. Thomson, of Wath, a prominent personality in the industrial, social and sporting life of the district, was bereaved on Wednesday by the death of his wife. Mrs. Cecile Emilie Thomson.
Lord Wootton, opening the ” Bread Into Battle” exhibition in London on Monday gave the assurance that there should be no need to ration bread next year if every person conscientiously saw there was no waste.
Mr. Tom Smith, Labour M.P. for Normanton, recently appointed Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Fuel, Light and Power, is an old pupil of Wath National School. He was Secretary for Mines in the Labour Government.
The Mexborough Butchers’ Association are issuing a ticket of admission to the charity cricket match at Mexborough on June 22nd to every member of the Mexborough and Roman Terrace Old Men’s Retreat —a gesture which will no doubt be greatly appreciated.
A petition signed by ten wives and thirteen mothers of Goldthorpe men in the Forces urging the opening of a second front in Europe was presented to the Rt. Hon. Tom Williams, M.P., on Friday, when he visited Mexborough to speak at the Secondary School Speech Day.
Eric Brook, Mexborough’s international football star, whose prowess at cricket is not far behind his footballing ability, is the latest player to be fixed up for the all-star charity cricket match on June 22nd at Mex-borough. Brook is a fierce hitter and has some remarkable quick scoring feats to his credit.