NOSTALGIA: War hero falls in action in 1918 and go-ahead for shopping centres in 1988

Funds were raised for good causes when the White Hart, in Old Leake, staged a pram push event 20 years ago. Pictured is one of the teams that took part on the day with their design based on The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe story.

* News had been received in Kirton that former resident and holder of the Victoria Cross Sgt Harold Jackson had been killed in action, aged 26.

“The death of the popular hero will on all hands cause the greatest sorrow and regret,” The Standard wrote.

In May of that year, the paper reported Sgt Jackson, of the East Yorks Regiment, had been awarded the honour for ‘conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty’. This included single-handedly taking out an enemy machine gun.

The following month, he had been welcomed by a huge gathering at Kirton and a parade in the Boston Grammar School field, before being presented with a £50 War Bond, a gold watch, £25, and a copy of the bible.

He received his VC from the King at Buckingham Palace that same month.

* Sgt Jackson was not the only fallen soldier from the area featured in that week’s paper.

Pte Tom Darling, of the King’s Own Lancaster Regiment, had been killed in France by an exploding shell while handing dressings to his captain for a wounded officer, the Standard wrote.

He was son of Mrs A. Darling, of Spain Place, Boston. Her other son, Arthur, was at that time in Rouen Hospital.

This week in 1988 ...

* Two multi-million pound shopping centre schemes in Boston had been given the green light.

Members of Boston Borough Council gave the go-ahead to the projects – one a shopping centre and car park at Strait Bargate, Red Lion Street, and Wide Bargate, and the other the Pescod Square mall planned for between Strait Bargate, Main Ridge, and Mitre Lane.

Conditions on the Pescod Square plan included no gates being put up at mall entrances and that the scheme’s lanes and malls should be open to the public 24 hours a day.

* One of Boston’s oldest supermarkets, Grandways, in West Street, was to close with the loss of more than 15 jobs.

According to supermarket bosses at the head office in Hull, the closure came because a lease review would have made the premises too expensive to run.

* Blockbusters champions Mike Siddaway and Andrew Cummins were set to fly from Heathrow Airport for a dream-come-true 10-day holiday at the Olympic Games, in Seoul, South Korea.

The holiday was their prize for completing five ‘gold runs’ on Central TV’s Blockbusters programme, presented by Bob Holness.