EACH week in the Free Press we look back at what made the news 150, 100, 50 and 25 years ago. Here is a sample of the items featuring in the This Was The News column this week.

150 years ago – January 8th 1870

At Williton County Court, Judge C Saunders awarded £50 damages to Mr David Pile, a sheep farmer, of Ashton Farm, Countisbury, against a sheep-dipper. The judge found that the sheep-dipper used a wash from which 200 of Mr Pile’s sheep died.

100 years ago – January 10th 1920

Somerset County Council was told that the main road between Bishops Lydeard and Crowcombe had practically ceased to be a road at all. There was no road so bad anywhere else in the county.

50 years ago – January 10th 1970

Somerset County Council’s education committee recommended the closure of the Exmoor County Primary School in Simonsbath due to a falling number of pupils.

25 years ago – January 13th 1995

A public outcry was growing at suggestions that Minehead’s only single-handed GP practice could close. Hundreds of letters were sent in support of the South Court surgery, in Warren Road, which had 1600 patients.