The Stratford Press archives: What was making the news in 1970

The Rev G Baker and family.

Stratford Press editor Ilona Hanne takes a look at what was making the headlines in the Stratford Press 50 years ago, in March 1970.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Taranaki in March 1970.

Children from around Taranaki went to see the Queen in 1970.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Taranaki in March that year. The Stratford Press reports school buses took children from Stratford and Eltham school districts to the New Plymouth airport to see the Queen arrive on the day.

An estimated 1000 children from Central Taranaki were there to wave to the Queen and her husband on the day.

Nicky Keegan leaps over a marker before diving into Wilbur Childs.

The Taranaki stock car team won the teams race in March 1970.

At the event, at the showgrounds in Stratford, the team beat the visiting team, Jesters from Wellington, by 40 points to 10.

The Stratford Press reports that the local drivers hit hard at everything in sight, including the marker drums around the track.

Two-year-old Donna with the giant pumpkin she found in her grandfather's pumpkin patch.

A "girl-sized" pumpkin was photographed for the Stratford Press in 1970.

Two-year old Donna McKinlay was hunting through her grandfather's pumpkin patch when she found the giant vegetable.

At 54 inches, and still growing, the pumpkin nearly dwarfed the toddler.

Her grandfather, Mr W J McKinlay of Juliet Street said he planted the seeds in a compost heap and since then the plants had gone wild.