1982 Worries over Diana, airy homes, the death of 'Old Nora' and much more made the news 27 years ago this week.

Buckingham Palace said that the Princess of Wales was "in the best of health" - and scotched rumours that she might be suffering from the slimmers' disease anorexia nervosa.

According to reports in The Sun and the Daily Mirror the Princess's health is causing concern among the Royal Family. But a palace spokesman said "As far as we know she is in the best of health."

Recent photographs appeared to show that the Princess has lost weight since the birth of her son, Prince William.

Prince Charles was reported to have explained that his wife was unwell when she failed to arrive with the rest of the royal party for the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, however, she arrived several minutes late, at first looking pale, but by the end of the evening, she was smiling with the Prince.

A businessman whose JCB was destroyed while he was rescuing a pet dog from a blaze now says his livelihood may be threatened because the vehicle was not insured.

Robert Staple, 30, proprietor of two small Aberdare businesses, claims they may be in jeopardy unless he receives some compensation to enable him to replace the vehicle.

He battered down the doors of a burning warehouse complex using his only heavy plant vehicle in the rescue bid just over a week ago.

The animal was found and taken to safety but the vehicle was destroyed. Damage to the warehouse was estimated at pounds 250,000.

Mr Staple said it was only after the JCB was ruined that he found his insurance policy had expired. He said he manned the JCB when the fire service asked. Seven men and a woman appeared at a committal hearing before a Cardiff court charged with conspiring to cause explosions and various other offences.

Reporting restrictions were re-imposed at the hearing after being lifted at an earlier one.

Before the hearing started at Cardiff Magistrates' Court there was a demonstration outside the building by more than 20 sympathisers of the Welsh Political Prisoners Defence Committee. Builder Ron Williams took his own revenge when he thought he wouldn't get paid for a job - and smashed up his handiwork.

His customer stood by and stared in disbelief as Mr Williams took a hammer and laid into the freshly-plastered ceilings and new roof tiles.

But Mr Williams was unrepentant and said: "Sometimes you have to get across to people that builders are not here to be taken advantage of.

"As far as I was concerned the customer had broken an agreement and was not going to pay me. I just took back what I had given him; it was my plasterboard, plaster and tiles."

Arthur Askey, probably Britain's best-loved comedian, died in St Thomas' Hospital, London, aged 82.

He had been in hospital since July, when he had his left leg amputated after doctors diagnosed gangrene. His right leg was amputated last month.

Arthur Bowden Askey, famous for catchphrases like "Hello Playmates" and "Aye Thang-you," had been a showbusiness top-liner for nearly 60 years.

With his straight man Richard "Stinker" Murdoch he was one of radio's first comedy stars in the Thirties and survived triumphantly through into the era of television.

Former All Blacks captain Graham Mourie admitted to the South Wales Echo that he and his team had discussed the ploy of a line-out "dive" in the event of their game against Wales in 1978 going badly - but denied he ever gave the instruction on the pitch for the "trick" to be used.

In the game at Cardiff, Wales were penalised in the last minute when they were leading 12-10. Brian McKechnie kicked the goal to give New Zealand a 13-12 victory which became surrounded by controversy.

Welshmen alleged that New Zealand locks Andy Haden, right, and Frank Oliver deliberately fell out of the line-out in order to fool the referee into awarding a penalty.

Speculation that the move was planned has been fuelled afresh by a passage from Mourie's autobiography, just published in New Zealand.

In it, Mourie says: "I played a part in it. Haden and I have always had a policy of having an ace up our sleeves, something to throw down at the last minute when the stakes are high and all else has failed to win the hand.

"The previous night at Porthcawl I said to Haden, 'Remember that time Ian Ellason got penalties off Colin Meads diving at the suggestion of J J Stewart, who was then Taranaki coach, from line-outs?'.

"Haden replied: 'Yes, we need something like that sometime'."

Speaking from his home in Opunake, Mourie confirmed that he discussed the idea with Haden, but said there were no instruction issued to his players. There were rumours that spectators at All Blacks training sessions had seen them practising the dive from the line-out. But Mourie said: "That is a load of nonsense."

Some of the English-only signs at Cardiff's pounds 13m St David's Hall will remain despite protests that the national concert hall of Wales should be bilingual.

Names of the old Welsh counties which are used to distinguish parts of the auditorium, will have the Welsh added and some of the bars will also have their names changed.

But many of the notices will remain in English only, although wherever possible all writing will be removed and only symbols used.

An elderly woman who had slept rough in Cardiff and was a familiar sight with her dog always by her side was found dead in a city arcade.

A lonely figure, she died with her only friend in the world - her pet - pining next to her.

But one of Cardiff's leading workers for the homeless, Fred Josef, said that everything possible that could have been done for Nora Bridle, known as "Old Nora" was done, at least for the last few years of her life.

Cardiff City Council offered her three flats, the Wallich Clifford Community for the homeless, run by Mr Josef, wanted to take her in and many people in Cardiff Central Market fed her and her dog.

Her homes included a car and a telephone kiosk.

Hildegard Fortt's prefab Airey home could not be more airy... as wind, rain and cold come whistling through her walls.

Nearly 90 half-inch holes have been punched into her house by the local council following Government advice. And now after 13 months of excuses, she has told the council "Put a cork in it - quick." The holes were made after a Government safety probe on 900 post-war Airey homes in South Wales.

"Workmen made the holes a year ago last month," explained Mrs Fortt. "They said the house was safe...but didn't come back."

Mrs Fortt and five neighbours in Tai-Penylan, Capel Llanilltern, have put up with one winter being battered by the elements and don't want another.

"We've written to our MPs and councillors and I've even travelled to the council offices in Pontypridd. All of us are fed up with excuses," said Mrs Fortt. Australian fast bowler Terry Alderman was taken to hospital after being injured in a riot by England fans in Perth.

The incident came 20 minutes after tea on the second day of the first Test between England and Australia.

England in their first innings had just reached 400 when a group of their supporters raced on to the pitch waving Union Jacks.

One of them went up to Alderman and punched him in the ear.

Alderman gave chase and with a rugby tackle brought the youth to the ground where he was restrained further by Australian players Dennis Lillee and Allan Border.

Once the police had clapped the youth in handcuffs, the players suddenly realised that Alderman was lying on the ground in pain clutching at his right shoulder.

England physiotherapist Bernie Thomas came out to give assistance while the Australian captain led his players off the field.

S4C is proving more successful than UK4 according to figures released.

More than 40% of Welsh speakers who could receive the service watched the very first programme broadcast by S4C.

Its five most popular programmes in Welsh attracted audiences of more than 24%.

This compares with just nine per cent of the British audience of UK4's top programme - Brookside.

S4C's director, Owen Edwards, said he was very pleased with his channel's Welsh figures.

Archive information courtesy of: Central Library, Mill Lane, Cardiff, CF10 1FL. Tel: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]. Website: www.cardiff.gov.uk/libraries. Opening hours: Mon to Wed, 9am to 6pm; Thurs, 9am to 7pm; Fri, 9am to 6pm; Sat, 9am to 5.30pm

CAPTION(S):

Cardiff eight-year-old Kevin Keenoy and his sister Maeve who in September presented a 1,151-signature petition opposing the closure of the Globe cinema celebrate the news this week in 1982 that the cinema has been saved.