From the Advertiser archives - December 14, 2017 edition

December 15, 1917

Advert: On Christmas Day, every household in Rugby and district is asked to make a collection at their Dinner Table to help to maintain a continuance of the very necessary food parcels for our unfortunate men who are Prisoners of War. The increase in the cost of food has caused a serious strain upon the funds of the Rugby Prisoners of War Committee. Please place your collection in the special envelopes which will be left at your house and hand same to the authorised collector, who will call soon after Christmas.

December 15, 1967 (see below)

Petrol station owners in Rugby have been warned that they are running the risk of losing the licenses unless immediate steps are taken to prevent people smoking cigarettes on forecourts. Rugby’s Petroleum Officer says in a letter to proprietors: “There can be no exceptions to this rule. It does not matter whether the offender is a valued customer, an employee or a mere passer-by.” The letter has brought strong complaints from garage owners.

Fears over smoking ban at petrol pumps

As with the uproar over the introduction of the 1967 drink driving laws we’ve been mentioning in recent weeks, it’s hard to believe there was also a time when smoking at petrol stations was normal! Garage owners feared friction with customers and loss of trade. Reg Bosworth of Terrace Garage said: “While we must agree with the instructions it is going to be very embarrassing.” He estimated the 99 per cent of drivers are smoking when they draw in for petrol and strongly object to being asked to put out cigarettes while they are in their own cars. One of several customers interviewed at a local garage said: “This is like being asked to take your shoes off every time you go into a house. It is just another example of one’s loss of liberty.”

December 10, 1992

Rugby’s annual Victorian Fayre raised around £10,000 for competing charities last year, with another £1,000 going to organisers Rugby Rokeby Lions Club. This year, the fayre will again be set in Market Place, High Street and Sheep Street, with 37 stalls already booked. This will be the fifth year of the fayre, which will be opened at 4pm on Sunday and run for three hours, with fairground rides and the traditional Bilton Silver Band adding to the Christmas spirit.