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 – June 26th 1869

The Minehead mail-cart had passed through the toll gate at Washford and was going slowly up the hill when it came into violent collision with a horse and spring-cart being driven by Mr Henry Churchill, of Bilbrook. The mail-cart horse was killed, and Mr Churchill promptly put his own horse in the mail-cart shafts so that the vehicle could carry on to Minehead with the mail.

100 years ago – June 28th 1919

Mr William Vearncombe, shoe-smith and general smith, of Vellow, Stogumber, transferred his business to Mr Ernest Chilcott, a shoeing gold medallist.

50 years ago – June 28th 1969

While the potato-carrying ship Stena Paper lay at Watchet, a group of farmers took the opportunity to stage a demonstration against the principle of importing things British farmers could well grow themselves. The Stena Paper’s cargo of 1000 tons of new potatoes came from Cyprus.

25 years ago – July 1st 1994

Villagers in Nether Stowey were protesting at the closure of their police station after 30 years. The building was boarded up and put on the market by Avon and Somerset Police Authority, which was trying to cope with an overspent budget.