I'M kicking off this week's blast-from-the-past with an email from regular TRM reader, Alison King, who, once again, is worried about the town's future, and wants to raise concerns over the continuing detrimental changes to the face of Milford.

This time it follows the closure of Barclays Bank.

"Hi Jeff, I saw today, the planning application by Barclays Bank, to change the bank into a shop. Surely, we can't let them alter the facade of one of our historic buildings.

“Each building on our beautiful Hamilton Terrace depends on the architectural integrity of its neighbour. It would be so sad to lose that. You wouldn't be allowed to put a Tesco in the middle of Trafalgar Square, would you?

“I was telling my son all the things we've lost from the Terrace…remember the lovely General Post Office, with all the wooden counters and tables for people to write at (5?)...banks..the library... the town hall…Mr Newings,' the ironmongers, where you could buy almost anything…Mr Larson the chemist, and Father Harri from St Katharines…the street is bereft!"

Well said, Alison...and here's a very old snap to go with it…the flag is flying from what was then J D Harries's chemist shop, before it became the Newings' Aladdins cave.

In TRM Trawler Corner this week is the William Bunce LO482.

A Castle Class steel-sided trawler, built in 1917, in South Bank-on-Tees. 275 tons. 125' long.

Local owners...Thomas J Jenkerson, and Jenkerson & Jones, Milford Docks.

Landed at Milford from 1919 to 1956...Skippers…Percy Tucker, Albert Seeling and Walter R Robertson.

During the First World War, she was requisitioned by the Admiralty as a bomb thrower.

In 1939, under Skipper Percy Tucker, she carried off the Blue Riband by grossing over £13,000.

That same year, whilst in the Atlantic fishing grounds, she was one of the many Milford trawlers who greeted the King and Queen on their voyage to Canada, in the Empress of Australia.

It was in 1956, during Milford's fishing depression, that the dreaded news that the old-established trawling firm, T J Jenkerson and Sons, were going out of business, and seven ships, including the William Bunce, were to be scrapped.

Here is a snap of the trawler, as well as one of her crew, from a WW Guardian of Nov 1954.

Back row…L-R…Deckhand..John Furlong; 2nd Eng…V Ryndoch; Cook…G Knapp; Fireman…V Dawes.

Front row…Deckhand…J H. Smith; Ch Engr…R Hicks; Fireman…George William Lowe; Skipper…Walter Robertson; Mate…Bill Armes; Bosun…Jack Phillips; Deckhands…Harry Parker and R F Abramson.

I've been delving back into the sporting archives of St Ishmaels cricket club, and found this local newspaper snippet, which I'm re-naming… 'The Green, Green, Grass of Home’.

"St Ishmael's cricketer, Gerald Llewellyn, celebrating his 41st birthday at the Tish Sports Club, discovered that teammate, Glyn Griffiths' birthday fell on the same day, so the pair decided to throw a small party.

“Apparently, it was quite a night, and Gerald was led astray by his younger teammate.

“Gerald looks after the Tish cricket ground with Alan Jenkins, and Gerald remembered that important role, because I am reliably informed that throughout the evening, the pitch was constantly watered at regular intervals. The grass is even greener at Tish this year than is normally so."

Nice one Jets...you would've made a good ‘Pill boy’...though, I suppose, having whisked Anne away from Vicary Crescent on the back of your motorbike to make her your bride, you can lay claim to being a half Pill-ite anyway!

This week we've got another teaser from the mind of TRM devotee, Les Haynes.

I have a tail and a head, but no body. What am I?

I think that's enough of my waffling for another week, next time, all things being equal, I'll include a little more from the war time memories of the Old Pill Boy.

Bye for now.