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 – July 24th 1869

Edmond’s menagerie would be visiting the district. There would be public entry into each place by the beautiful band carriage, drawn by camels, dromedaries, elephants etc.

100 years ago – July 26th 1919

After a long drought, the weather broke disastrously for the Peace Day celebrations and there was incessant rain. Nevertheless, towns and villages carried on with their programmes, which consisted in the main of teas, religious services and sports. A feature in Alcombe was the dedication of the war shrine, timber for which had come from the old battleship Britannia.

50 years ago – July 26th 1969

Watchet Flower Show was to be opened by BBC’s The Archers character Polly Perks (Miss Hilary Newcombe, of Minehead). The flower show was now one of the attractions of the district, and competition for the 14 challenge cups was sure to be keen.

25 years ago – July 29th 1994

A huge 200-year-old anchor found in the Bristol Channel by fisherman Steve Yeandle last August was put in its final resting place on Watchet Esplanade