A gas explosion took place at Mr Grundy, baker and provision dealer at the Wyche, reported the Gazette 100 years ago.

The tranquillity of a Sunday evening was shattered between 8pm and 8.30pm.

"It appears that some of the family had gone to church and Mr and Mrs Grundy and their son were at home, sitting over the shop, when they were alarmed and shaken by two reports," said the paper.

"On going down to see what had happened, they found a portion of the ceiling and an archway torn clean away, leaving a big gap. The gas was at once turned off and the windows thrown open.

"The explosion alarmed a number of people around, and there was soon a large crowd. An employee of the Urban District Council, living at the Lower Wyche, came and found that the escape of gas came from the main in the road, and did not occur in the shop at all. It was stated that the frost giving so suddenly must have caused the main to burst and the gas must have got into the shop. Luckily no one was injured."

That was not all that the frost did. The paper recorded "the almost universal bursting of water pipes. Hardly a house escaped, and ever since the thaw came on Sunday, plumbers have been busy repairing the damage done".

In one house, the burst occurred after the owner had gone to bed, and unfortunately the pipe was above the bed.

"Evidently, the water had been collecting for some time, for hardly had he gone to sleep when a perfect deluge of plaster and water fell right over him. The language he used is unprintable."