These are the stories that were hitting the headlines in the South Wales Guardian 50 years ago on December 11, 1963.

With Beatle-mania sweeping the nation, Ammanford hosiery firm Corgi jumped on the bandwagon with its own Fab Four socks.

The knee-high stockings for girls, embroidered with the initials of John, Paul, George and Ringo, were making fans twist and shout because they loved them, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Almost half of the 130 pupils at the newly-opened Ammanford Infants School on Walters Road were absent as “a dysentery epidemic” swept through classrooms and corridors.

At least 50 youngsters were off ill although not a single teacher was affected.

A Llandeilo farm worker fined £2 for driving without a licence told magistrates he “forgot” he only held a provisional.

Meanwhile, A Gwaun cae Gurwen labourer was ordered to pay 50 shillings for being a nuisance.

A Chilean pine – or Monkey Puzzle Tree – growing in the garden of a Betws property was claimed to have been planted by Charles Darwin.

The original owner of Maesquarre claimed he met the world-renowned naturalist while the author of Origin of the Species “was out looking for the missing link”.

Ammanford Silver Band was warned that it would no longer receive its annual £50 grant from the urban council if it failed to fulfil all its engagements in the town park.

The band had cancelled two of its eight scheduled performances due to bad weather, but was told: “Come rain or shine, you will play on.”