Teignmouth Post and Gazette No 4885 Friday 3 October 1975

INVASION OF OCTUPI

Devonshire Fisheries Committee reported that local coastal waters have been experiencing the greatest invasion of octopi for fifty yers. They have been entering lobster pots and chewing the lobsters.

SLIMMING PILLS

Doctor Kenneth Hudson, who has a surgery in Bitton Park Road, and his secretary Miss Monica Hall, of Chudligh Road, Kingsteignton, were each fined £600 by Newton Abbot magistrates on Tuesday.

They admitted joint charges of dishonestly obtaining by deception quantities of Ponderax tablets from chemists’ shops.

The doctor treated both private and National Health patients. When he had difficulty obtaining Ponderax tablets, he decided to solve the problem by obtaining them under the Devon Family Practitioners’ Service.

After filling in the National Health prescription forms, Miss Hall went to various chemists in Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Torbay, Exeter and Ashburton to obtain the tablets, which Doctor Hudson then sold to his patients. He told the police that they had committed the offences, not for financial gain, but to buy extra equipment for his clinic. They were both emphatic that they did not intend to make even a penny apiece.

SPANISH SHIPS BLACKED

An order to dockers at Teignmouth and other ports in the South West has come from the Transport and General Workers Union not to touch Spanish vessels. At the moment, there are no Spanish ships in dock here.

£1 MILLION CUT IN BUDGET

Devon County’s anticipated budget for 1976 - 77 of £104 million will have to be cut by nearly one million pounds. A 2.9% increase on spending had been anticipated , but a recent ruling has caused this to be cut back to 2%. This will be taken care of by the proposed national reduction in road maintenance expenditure.

CONCERTS CANCELLED

It looks as if serious music lovers will be on pretty thin rations this coming winter season, with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra taking the huff at Torbay’s recommendation to refuse the Orchestra a grant, and cancelling four of the five concerts at Paignton. Last year, Torbay gave the Orchestra £ 1,600 but, asked to give £2730 this year, they have offered nothing. Even if the Council decided to make the grant, it will be too late to reinstate the Orchestra’s list of engagements.