Chronicle chief reporter Jack Tolson takes a look back at what was making the news fifty years ago in April 1975.
BAN ON EXORCISMS PENDING REPORT
CHURCH of England ministers in the Wakefield Diocese have been banned by the Bishop Rt Rec Eric Treacy from practising exorcism, pending a report on all aspects of exorcisms by a Diocese Commission.
The Bishop announced this on Wednesday, the day after Mr Phillip Gill, the Wakefield district coroner, decided to reopen the inquest on a woman killed by her husband after he underwent an exorcism ceremony at St Thomas’ Church, Gawber.
Mr Gill made his decision after talks with senior West Yorkshire Police officers who investigated the death of Mrs Christine Taylor.
Her husband, Michael Taylor, was found guilty because of insanity of murdering her by a Leeds Crown Court jury last week.
During the trial, the vicar of Gawber Rev Peter Vincent, and a Barnsley Methodist Church Minister, Rev Raymond Smith, were said to have conducted an all-night exorcism.
ANNE’S DOUBLE LIFE
SHAPELY Anne Copley earns her living as a sales assistant - and she is also earning a big reputation as a budding entertainer with stunning mimes of popular female singers.
During the day, Anne, 20, works in a Barnsley men’s outfitters shop.
In the evening she dons the mantle of Shirley Bassey, the late Marilyn Monroe, or some other star, and mimes their numbers in a seductive style of her own.
Her mother, Margaret Copley, a former Barnsley councillor, is her keenest critic and helps her design and make some of the fabulous revealing creations with she wears.
Anne first began taking an interest in a part-time stage career 12 months ago.
“I would like to do it professionally, but I enjoy my work as a sales assistant too much,” she said.
ASHLEY GOES BACK TO PAINTING BY NUMBERS
BARNSLEY artist Ashley Jackson went back to painting by numbers when he was a guest on one on Britain’s most modern destroyers, HMS Norfolk, recently.
To be more accurate, Ashley was in fact painting the numbers by swinging in a bosun’s chair over the stern of the ship while local sailor Michael Rowlands kept a knife on the rope to ensure Ashley did not put a brush wrong.
We understand Ashley managed to avoid a ducking through his experience as a signwriter before he became a full-time artist.
Michael, one of the ship’s regular writers, left his home in Park Road, Barnsley, to join the Royal Navy two-and-a-half years ago.
Up to now he has visited Toulon, Genoa, St Tropez, Monte Carlo, Corsica, Malta and Gibraltar.
In his spare time he is keen on football and snooker.
