READ all about the stories of the day occupying readers' minds in 1970s Teignmouth with the latest Teignmouth Post and Gazette nostalgia column.

► ROTARY CHEQUES

Two cheques, totalling £525, were presented at the Christmas dinner of the Teignmouth Rotary Club on Wednesday evening, one for £75 to the Inner Wheel for the good work they do at Christmas, the other for £450 to the Cancer Research Campaign.

The chairman, Mr. Frank Russell, said it was with great pleasure and no little pride that he presented the cheque; since 1953, the Rotary Club had been interested in the old British Empire Cancer Campaign, which has since changed its name but is still doing good work. 

The local committee here has raised more than £19,000 since it was formed, a really magnificent result. You would not have been able to do it had it not been for the support of the town. Only six percent went on overheads - the rest went directly into work on research.

► LIBRARY SYMBOL WANTED

Mr. Ted Pinney, chairman of the new County County Council’s Amenities and Countryside Committee, at an informal gathering of 40 senior library staff, said he was astonished at the range of facilities offered. 

To project the right image of the Library Service, a suitable symbol should be found, which would be instantly recognisable by the people who saw it on library vans and buildings.

► SHORT STORIES

A writing class, tutored by Mrs. Judy Chard for the Teignmouth branch of the Workers’ Educational Association, has produced an 18 page book collection of short stories. 

The 17 members, six men and eleven women, of varying ages and social backgrounds, developed the basic theme , which stems from the advice of Kipling, who said there are nine and ninety ways of constructing tribal lays, but everyone of them is right. The tutor’s advice was make it simple and don’t talk down.

► SEWERAGE SCHEME

Because of the cut-back in public spending, Teignmouth’s new sewerage scheme cannot go ahead. The local authority is so concerned that it is prepared to withhold its capital programme on lesser projects, if it would help. 

Hundreds of new homes, due to be built in the resort, will now be delayed even longer, because the Devon River Authority has embargoed any new development until the system is improved. The existing one cannot cope with the rapid expansion of the town.

Mr. Arthur Bladon said “There is a great deal of money invested on land in this town on our assurance that the embargo would be lifted. Some companies are paying up to £400 a week in interest charges, and some could go bankrupt.Teignmouth must have this scheme, and we should tell the Ministry so.”

► CRUISE OF THE “POLLUX”

The adventurous Teignmouth brothers, David and Alister Guy, in their home-made catamaran, have finally reached Gibraltar.

They delayed in Falmouth to alter the mainsail, whether to have a wish-bone gaff, or the preferred 34ft length of 2” aluminium scaffold pole - this was working well. 

They sailed on down the coast of Portugal, and as it happened, every time they set off anywhere, they had the wind against them. A rough sea put up, and being on a lee shore, they had to decide whether to go to “Gib” or Morocco, or go back 45 miles to Cadiz, which they did. One problem - they could not get her anchor up at Trafalgar. 

They had to buoy it, lead it, and come back later. Their second anchor, pulled up at Cadiz, was bent 30 degrees. They had to repair it themselves.

► CANAL BOAT

A horse-drawn boat, carrying 60 - 80 people, may be operating on Devon’s Grand Western Canal from next April. The contract is awarded to Kennet Horse Boat Company of Newbury to run passengers on the 11 mile long canal from Tiverton Basin.

► RIVIERA CINEMA

“Daughters of Satan” and “Super Beast”. From Tuesday: “Snowball Express” and “The Royal Wedding”.