THE first of four men only Sunday afternoon services was held at St John's Church in Bromsgrove. A fairly large congregation turned up to hear the vicar give his sermon on the subject "Workingmen and the Church." The aim was to encourage more men to attend services. Coincidentally, a letter signed by someone calling themselves "a well wisher of the poor" appeared in the Messenger suggesting that special simple "plain language" services be held at St John especially for the poorer classes.

NEWS that a grand three-day pigeon shooting carnival was to be held at the New Rose and Crown pub, Lickey, was announced. Big prizes were on offer including £100 guaranteed by Mr A Lilley, the Warwickshire cricketer. He had also struck a £20 bet to see who could down the most birds with Mr Mole the celebrated Lancashire fast bowler. A large attendance at the event was anticipated.

BROMSGROVE Cottage Hospital's annual ball attracted many of the town's most notable people among the 200 or so who danced the night away at the Drill Hall until 3am. The austere barn-like building had been lavishly decorated with evergreens, mirrors and drapes kindly loaned by guests. The ball was one of the hospital's biggest fund raising events in the year.

THE sudden end to the big freeze up which brought with it drizzle, caused havoc in Bromsgrove, as roads and pavements turned swiftly into skating rinks making travel difficult for horses and pedestrians alike. Some outlying villages around the town became cut off as roads were impassable.

THE Guardians at Droitwich workhouse welcomed a proposal from colleagues at Ashbourne, Kent, that tramps should in future be detained and made to work in return for a meal and a bed. The Droitwich board said it would help prevent the spread of diseases and weed out the "professional" tramps from those who had just fallen on hard times.

DETAILS of the new Barnsley Hall Mental Asylum, about to be built in Bromsgrove were revealed in a talk given by quantity surveyor George Kenwrick to a large audience at the Forest Inn, Lickey End. The building would cost £150,000 or £1 per ton of materials used. The 10 million bricks would, if laid flat, would cov