Archived Extracts

Sutton Urban Council are faced with the necessity of providing a new filtration plant at the Public Baths. With this end in view, and with the desire to obtain the best system possible, the Baths' Sub-Committee made an excursion on Wednesday to Leicester and Leamington Spa to inspect plants in operation in those centres. It is understood their duty was made exceedingly pleasant, and they were much impressed with all they saw and heard, with the result that the Sutton Baths should soon become equipped in a first-class manner. The Committee were favoured with delightful conditions in which to travel through attractive country, and were thus enabled to combine pleasure with duty, a very happy condition of affairs.

Though little is heard of the activities of folk dancers in Sutton, it is good to know that there is a band of enthusiasts capable of holding their own with any other part of the country. They carry on their activities quietly, but nevertheless with determination, and by so doing are recapturing something of the joys associated with the folk dancing of olden days. It is in the schools where the work is making the most progress locally, and at a festival held at Nottingham on Saturday they helped, with hundreds of others, to delight large crowds with the light-hearted manner in which they carried out their dances. Teams from Huthwaite, Selston, Sutton and Kirkby Schools all gained certificates, and they are to be complimented upon the successes which they achieved.

During the week-end the Skegby and Stanton Hill districts were linked up with a fresh supply of water. This comes from the joint scheme of the Blackwell Rural and Warsop Urban Councils, and it is confidently felt that a constant and satisfactory supply will be at all times available, a state of affairs that has for a long time been desired. Hitherto the districts, including Teversal, which also comes under the new scheme, have been supplied from Sutton, but the growth of the won and neighbourhood had made conditions such as to severely tax the capacity of supply, and the change which has now taken place should prove a boon to Sutton, as well as an advantage to the neighbouring districts. It means that some five million gallons of water which had previously been supplied to the Skegby and Blackwell areas per month will now be available for Sutton consumers, and when the Huthwaite area goes over to the new supply, which it is expected to do shortly, another three million gallons per month will be saved to Sutton. This should very considerably ease the position, and enable all demands to be readily met.

A week to-morrow there will be great happenings in Sutton, Huthwaite, Skegby, Stanton Hill and Teversal. The occasion will be the third annual "rag" on behalf of the Mansfield Hospital, and every nerve will be strained to make the day an unqualified success. The promoters are aiming at obtaining the balance of £600 required to endow a cot at the Hospital, and as over £300 has already been gathered by the raggers at the two previous events, it is confidently hoped that this time the £195 now wanted will be secured. It is perhaps a big sum to aim at in these days of trade depression, but with everybody responding according to their means there is no reason why the object in view should not be attained. As before, a very fine programme has been arranged, and Mr. A.W. Woolley, on whom the onerous task of organisation has fallen, has evolved a series of events, which promise to be most spectacular and interesting. Raggers will live over again some of the episodes in the far off days of Queen Elizabeth, Sir Francis Drake, and the Spanish Armada, and with everybody entering thoroughly into the spirit of the fun the day should, given fine weather, be an outstanding success. But above all, those who help in any way will have the satisfaction of knowing they have been assisting a worthy and deserving cause.

Yesterday.- Before Dr. Nesbitt (in the chair), Mr. C.H. Coupe, Mr. S. Davidson, Mr. H.C. Wright and Mr. W. Mattley.

  The game of "Spottem" was explained to the magistrates in a case in which John Thomas Walker, New Street, Huthwaite, was summoned for using the tap room of the Peacock Inn, Huthwaite, on May 29th, for the purpose of betting with other men; and Wm. E. Gascoigne, the landlord, was summoned for "suffering" or permitting the premises to be used in contravention of the Betting Act. Walker pleaded guilty and Gascoigne (represented by Mr. R.P. Marchant) not guilty.
  Mr. E.S.B. Hopkin, prosecuting, said that at 1.25 p.m. on May 29th, two police officers in plain clothes visited the house and when outside could hear Walker calling out 5 to 1 the field, 6 to 4 a place. On entering the tap room the officers saw Gascoigne serving at a bar in the corner of the room, and at a table six feet away there were seated Walker and six other men. Walker was conducting a game named "Spottem," with cards which had a sealed packet in which were three numbers. The odds were called out by Walker, the men staked their money on the numbers, this was collected by Walker, then Walker opened the packet and disclosed the numbers and the money was paid to the lucky man. (Specimens of the card game were handed to the Bench).
  During the time the police were in the house, the game was played several times and all the time Gascoigne was at the bar serving drinks and it was submitted he could see and hear what took place. When the police disclosed their identity they told Walker he would be reported for gaming, and later made a similar statement to Gascoigne. His reply was "I didn't know. I have told them several times about it in the last nine months. What can I do?"
  P.c. Stubbs described what he saw and heard in the house, and said that in his opinion the landlord form the bar could hear and see what was taking place. P.c. Fisher corroborated.
  Mr. Marchant pointed out that no possible advantage could accrue to Gascoigne from permitting gaming, and on this occasion he had no knowledge of it. On a previous occasion Gascoigne had to speak to Walker for indulging in a form of gaming on tram tickets by taking bets from men as to the sequence of numbers.
  In evidence Gascoigne said he had no means of observation of the tap room from the bar, and did not see or hear Walker engaged in the game. He heard no calling our of odds, did not see the cards until the police showed him, and there had been no gaming in the house with his permission.
  The magistrates fined Walker £5 and Gascoigne £10.

Set to obtain 182 for victory - the home team having declared with only three wickets down - Huthwaite C.W.S., guests of Ashwell's (Nottingham) on Saturday, found the task too big, their scoring falling short just as the century was reached.

A valuable half-century by G. Stuart and some effective bowling by W. Buxton were the chief factors in Sutton Trinity's victory over Huthwaite C.W.S. Reserve on the latter's ground on Saturday. Seventy-three were all the home team could muster, four of their wickets falling to Buxton for 11 runs. Trinity's reply, thanks largely to Stuart, was 113.