IT was the Christmas gift that has just kept on giving. For quite a long time in fact.
Because it was back in December 1892 the city council announced the citizens of Worcester were getting a new sewage works.
But like quite a lot of material coming out of the Guildhall it didn't arrive in a rush.
For it had been nearly 50 years before, in 1846, a chap named Henry Austin, who was secretary of the Health of Towns Society, produced a blistering report on the state of Worcester's sanitary conditions.
He wrote: "In many of the lower parts of the city, pools of liquid filth perpetually stagnate the surface of the streets or sink into the soil, there being no adequate drains for their removal."
Even the better class houses were often badly supplied with "the necessaries". In some High Street homes these were down in the cellars, from which "offensive smells perpetually poison the domestic atmosphere".
When the mucky mass was removed, usually by pumping to the surface, the "foetid atmosphere" was described as " scarcely bearable".
In Bull Entry the one "necessary", which served 15 families, not even people, was described as "one of the most horrible examples of loathsomeness and indecency" the writer had ever witnessed. So sickening he refused to go into detail.
Austin's report recommended a complete system of small sewers and a waterworks that, for the cost of one penny per week, would provide each citizen with a constant supply of pure filtered water.
Hence there followed in 1858 the City Waterworks in Waterworks Road, Barbourne, designed by Thomas Hawkesley, the greatest authority of his day on public water. Eventually, the sewage works in Bromwich Road was announced in December 1892.
The latter project had actually been opposed by several leading citizens on the grounds of "unnecessary public expense". However, the prospect of a looming cholera epidemic concentrated, and changed, minds leading to the facility that over the years has been the source of many stories for this newspaper.
None better than during a hot summer nearly 50 years ago when some bright spark in the water authority suggested copying the popular Lifebuoy soap advert of the day and ridding the sewage works of its BO problem by overpowering it with an acceptable smell.
To that end an armoury of sprayers were installed at the site to propel what was described as "a popular deodorant" into the air. It was 1974 so what would that have been? Hai Karate? Denim? Brut? Ah, the memories!
Worcester Sewage Works gets a mention in Worcester Civic Society's History and Heritage Calendar and here are a few more items from Decembers past over the centuries.
December 3, 1919: Chinese-born Djang Djin Sung became the last man to be hanged at Worcester when he was executed at the County Jail in Castle Street for murdering fellow countryman Zee Ming Wu. The victim's mutilated body had been found in Warley Woods, just 100 yards inside the old Worcestershire border with Birmingham, on June 23, 1919.
Sung was later arrested in London and accused of hitting Wu with a hammer. The jury took just 10 minutes to return a guilty verdict at the court case in the Shirehall the following year. At the subsequent appeal it was put that Sung had only witnessed the murder and supplied the weapon, stolen from his employers. This was dismissed on the grounds that he knew the purpose of the visit to Warley Woods and was thus complicit in the murder.
December 10, 1984: Maggs Day Centre opened in Worcester. It was founded in memory of a homeless man who died after spending a number of years sleeping on the streets. As a result of his death a group of churches got together and formed an action group which led to a day centre being set up for the homeless of Worcester at the former St Alban Church in Deansway.
Since then the day centre has gone from strength to strength, providing an invaluable service to help the homeless and socially isolated. With support from the community and charities, Maggs continues to offer these services and help to those in need.
December 15, 1898: The founding of Worcester City Golf Club, later to become Tolladine Golf Club. The long history of this accessible little golf club not far from the city centre came to a dismal end in August 2006 when bulldozers moved onto the course off Tolladine Road. The club had actually closed on May 14 after debts spiralled out of control to more than £125,000 and in July firefighters were called to the fairway after the clubhouse was targeted in a suspected arson attack.
Sandwiched between Newtown and Tolladine roads the course had been subjected to frequent vandalism. When the end came one former member said: "During my years I have seen how the club has prospered, having a waiting list for members, to its present demise. I'm saddened by the impact it will have on the local community and by the vandalism that has been a major drain on resources. It helped drive members away and contributed to the collapse of the club. When the course was damaged, members couldn't play properly and went elsewhere."
December 17,1896: Worcester was hit by an earthquake. A report in one local paper said: "People were awakened by a loud rumbling noise, accompanied by disturbance of the ground so that houses were shaking, windows rattling, beds rolling and general alarm was occasioned. Fortunately, there was no injury to life or limb and no damage of a serious nature, but numerous incidents were reported, some of a humorous description.
"At Claines the bells were set ringing, as also was the case at a residence in Droitwich Road. The clock at All Saints Church was also stopped. Tiles were shaken of the roofs of several houses and a chimney was thrown down in Ombersley Road. A maid servant, awakened to find her bed heaving, concluded there was a man underneath it, while another servant was nearly frightened into a fit by her terror at the rolling of her bed. One citizen was heard to declare 'the osculation was terrific'."
December 21, 1991: A unique Grand Sculling Challenge took place on the River Severn arranged by Worcester Rowing Club between American Joseph Michels, president of the Oxford University Boat Club, and Max Justicz from Worcestershire, president of the Cambridge University Boat Club. They raced each other in a novel two-mile figure of eight on the swollen river with Sir Adrian Cadbury as umpire. Justicz was 26 seconds faster at the finish in 13 minutes 26 seconds. Unfortunately, it was a better result for Justicz than the University Boat Race on the Thames the following spring which Cambridge narrowly lost. The Worcester race and the related regatta for crews from six other boat clubs in the county was part of an appeal for funds for the new WRC boathouse.
December 24, 1914: 111 years ago soldiers of the Worcestershire Regiment engaged in one of the most famous military actions of all time and didn't fire a shot. In December 1914 they took part in the famous WW1 Christmas Truce, an informal and spontaneous gesture between front-line troops of both sides when they put down their weapons, emerged from their trenches, exchanged gifts and played football in No Man's Land. Of course it didn't last and a few hours later the shooting and killing began again. It was also not repeated because officers were concerned such fraternisation gave an opportunity to spot frailties in defensive lines.
According to an account at the time the event seems to have started on Christmas Eve "with a good deal of shouting and chaff between our trenches and the Germans about La Petite Douve Farm, each inviting the other to come over". During Christmas Day itself a truce developed, which included "talking and fraternizing and accepting each other's cigars and cigarettes... and singing together".