25 YEARS AGO

OCTOBER 1994

CAT STARTS FIRE: Retired civil engineer, David Choldcroft thinks a cat may have caused the fire which destroyed his £12,000 boat. He said a cat used to nose about the boat on his drive.

The blaze is thought to have started in the electric bilge pump. Mr Choldcroft said: “The pump wasn’t turned on when I left. I can only think that the cat must have come around and put his foot on the toggle switch on the dash.”

SQUARE NAMED: The year-long search for a name for the cobbled area behind Bridport Town Hall has finally ended.

Councillors agreed the area should be called Bucky Doo Square following a competition in which Marjorie Gale suggested the name.

BUSINESS CLOSES: Bridport’s ailing economy suffered another blow this week when Solent Furniture closed with the loss of 54 jobs.

Solent Furniture has been put into voluntary liquidation. The firm was bought at the start of August by Len Parsons and his son, Scott, who specialise in trying to revive companies. Fourteen staff were dropped in August.

50 YEARS AGO

OCTOBER 17, 1969

ROAD IMPROVEMENTS: One of the most dangerous stretches of road in west Dorset is to be improved in the not too distant future. It is the section of the Bridport to Beaminster road at King’s Head Hill, Bradpole.

For years, the lack of narrowness of the road and the lack of footpaths have been criticised at local road safety meetings and by parents of children attending Colfox. An £80,000 scheme will widen the carriageway to 24 feet and provide footpaths.

NEW MANAGEMENT: The Golden Rod Café, which has operated in South Street, Bridport, for many years, is shortly to come under new management.

It is understood that the goodwill of the business has been sold to west Dorset businessman, Mr Douglas Catmull, who runs the Chesil End Restaurant at West Bay.

BOMB DISPOSAL: An anti-submarine mortar, used for practice purposes only, was washed up on Charmouth beach. The police were called, and they summoned the bomb disposal team from Portland, which took the mortar back to their headquarters.