100 years ago

June 16, 1900

THE school summer holidays in Bromsgrove were fixed this week to run from July 12 until August 13. But this was on the understanding that if pea and strawberry crops looked like maturing earlier, the chairman of the town's school board was empowered to close them a week early so pupils could help gather the crops.

DROITWICH Board of Guardians, which oversaw the running of the Spa's workhouse, were undecided about supporting calls to the Government urging that children under 16 should be banned from buying alcohol. Chairman Sir Harry Vernon told his colleagues, at a meeting, it would be a great pity if youngsters could not be sent to fetch beer for their parents. However, Mr Flintoff, another guardian, remarked that parents could always go themselves thereby not putting temptation in their children's way.

RASCALLY John Wilson, described as a well-dressed beggar from Cheltenham, was brought before Bromsgrove magistrates charged with begging from well-to-do gentlemen in the town. The court heard how he first made inquires as to who lived in a particular house before knocking on the door, pretending to be a long lost relative and asking for food and money. The court, which always took a dim view of beggars, sentenced him to 14 days' hard labour.

BROMSGROVE Court Leet Bailiff Mr Millington chaired a meeting in the Town Hall to decide how to celebrate the end of the war against the Boers following the recent capturing of Pretoria by the British. The meeting decided it should take the form of children's entertainment. However, it led to a dispute over whether to invite youngsters from villages. Eventually, it was decided only pupils at elementary schools in Bromsgrove town, Lickey End and Finstall would join in the fun.

BROMSGROVE Cycling Club held it first run of the season -- to Droitwich. Riders set off from club headquarters at the Golden Cross Hotel, in Bromsgrove, at 8.15pm and reached the Spa just before 9pm. The next trip would be to Chaddesley Corbett.

50 years ago

June 17, 1950

BROMSGROVE Urban District Council bowed to the inevitable when, on the advice of radio engineers, it decided to allow tenants to put up H-type TV aerials in order to get BBC programmes. But it stipulated they had to be put on poles in the gardens of prefabs or on the gables of brick-built houses.

ARRANGEMENTS for next year's Festival of Britain celebrations in Bromsgrove were being drawn up. It was likely there would be two grand parades, one by the St John Ambulance Brigade and another highlighting Bromsgrove's history. A St John Ambulance XI versus a town police fancy dress football match was also on the cards. There was also a suggestion that the Spadesbourne Brook could be dammed to make paddling pools for youngsters living in the northern end of Bromsgrove.

A BABY belonging to Mr Hathaway, steward of Blackwell Workingmen's Club, had a lucky escape on Saturday when a freak whirlwind filled its pram with sand and grit before the child's mother could push it to safety.

THE Vernon Arms pub, at Hanbury, was sold by auction for £17,000 to Atkinson's Brewery. The price included 25 acres of land, formerly part of the Vernon estate, and a garage producing a rent of £50 a year. A shop and two cottages nearby were sold for £1,825.

THERE were several prizewinners from the Bromsgrove area at the largest ever Three Counties Show, held at Leominster, Herefordshire. Among them was Edward Webb and Son, from Stoke Works, whose Hereford cattle took a prize and F Coney, from Tardebigge, with his Friesian cows.

25 years ago

June 13, 1975

THIS week's heatwave prompted the East Worcestershire Waterworks Company to call on consumers to use less water. Staff at Spencer's pop factory, in Bromsgrove, were working extra shift to meet consumers' demand.

CHRIS Tarrant, of ATV's Tiswas fame, led a fancy dress procession of King Arthur's knights before opening Barnt Green Parent Teacher Association's fete. The £400 proceeds would help pay for a new £2,400 classroom.

MORE than 200 paintings went on display at Bromsgrove's third annual Art Mart held in the Market Hall.

BROMSGROVE Rovers fans faced a 5p rise in admission prices next season. The move had been forced on the club by the Southern League.

THE voice of Bromsgrove's MP Hal Miller was heard on the radio during the first live broadcast by the BBC from the House of Commons. He was asking Michael Meacher, the Under Secretary of State for Industry, about British car exports to the Common Market.