NOSTALGIA

Monday, January 11, 1937

SEVERN TUNNEL GWR MAN’S LONG RECORD

Councillor, Social Worker, Trade unionist

Mr Ernest Sidney Sparks, of Hill Crest, Rogiet, has retired from the Great Western Railway at Severn Tunnel Junction after completing 45 years’ service. 41 of which were spent on the footplate. Mr Sparks commenced his career at Newport, High Street, as a cleaner on July 21, 1892. He was promoted to fireman on February 10, 1896 to Neath, and in January 1900, he was removed to Paddington as a first class fireman, and was then promoted to the post of engineman.

He moved to Severn Tunnel Junction in 1913, where has been stationed ever since.

Mr Sparks has worked many of the Carmarthen to Paddington express goods and passenger trains.

Mr Sparks, a councillor, has played an active part in the social life of Rogiet.

He has been overseer of the parish for five years and is honorary clerk to Ifton and Rogiet parish councils. He has served for many years on Monmouthshire Divisional Labour Party Executive, of which he is a vice-president.

SIMPLE MISHAP RESULTS IN TETANUS CASE

Monmouth Boy dies after Hayrick fall

How a simple accident led to death from tetanus was told to Monmouth Coroner Mr Herbert Williams, at an inquest on Graham Ralph Pearce, aged 11, whose parents live at 141 Rockfield Road, Monmouth.

Edwin George Pearce, the father, said his son had arrived home on January 2 and said he had fallen from a hayrick on to a stake. The boy had a wound in his right thigh. The wound was bathed, and looked nothing at first.

On the Wednesday, the boy complained of his leg being stiff, and he was taken to Dr Harvey’s surgery.

The Coroner: On the Thursday morning, did you find he could not open his mouth? – My wife did, and I was sent for from work.

The father added that his son was taken to Monmouth Hospital where he died on Friday. When he, witness, left home to go to work on Thursday morning, the boy seemed quite normal. Later his wife told him he had a fit.

PLAYING ON THE RICK

William Henry Bradley, aged 13, said he was playing with Pearce on a hayrick near the Rockfield Road. Pearce tried to climb up the rick with the aid of an iron hurdle.

He fell, and the pointy of the hurdle entered his thigh. The wound did not bleed, and Bradley tied it up with a handkerchief.

Dr T G Francis Harvey said he saw the boy on the Wednesday evening. The wound was 11 inches long and half an inch deep. He cleaned it out and stitched it. There were no symptoms of tetanus.

Dr Harvey added that he saw the boy the next day at Monmouth Hospital, and he was then suffering from tetanus. The bacillus might have been on the hurdle, which had been on the ground.

Recalled, the boy Bradley said the hurdle had been taken from some barbed wire.

The coroner recorded a verdict of death due to tetanus, following a wound in the thigh accidentally caused.

SHORT LIST OF FIVE

Five candidates have been placed on the short list for the office of Clerk to Monmouthshire County Council and the Clerk of the Peace for the county.

They are:

Mr H Oswald Brown, Shire House, Norwich;

Mr Ellis R Davies, Shire Hall, Reading;

Mr V Lawrence, Glamorgan County Hall, Cardiff:

Mr J Harper Smith, Town Hall, Salford; and

Mr P E White, Shire Hall, Shrewsbury

All the candidates are solicitors.

MEETING TOMORROW

The appointment will be made by Monmouthshire County Council at a private meeting to be held tomorrow.

Originally there were 26 applications for the post, and the number was reduced to 11 by a special committee appointed by the county council.

That committee further reduced the list to five.