AT the start of the cricket season The Messenger had offered a prize of a bat worth a guinea (£1.5p) to the local player with the best batting average.

100 years ago

September 21, 1901

AT the start of the cricket season The Messenger had offered a prize of a bat worth a guinea (£1.5p) to the local player with the best batting average. The winner was Mr Meade who played for the successful Rubery Asylum team. He batted 13 times scoring 551 runs, at a splendid average of 55.1.

BROMSGROVE Guild was to begin an interesting experiment by starting evening and weekend classes teaching silver work and how to make jewellery. The scheme, said to be one of the first of its kind in the country, was aimed at finding talented new recruits for the firm which had made a name for itself and Bromsgrove with its fine exhibits at the Paris Exhibition.

THE usually sombre meetings of the Board of Guardians at Bromsgrove Workhouse was enlivened when members discussed appointing an extra nurse. Mr Neasom spoke for many of his colleagues when he said the youngest and prettiest candidate invariably got such jobs. Chairman the Rev Stockdale suggested they should not be swayed by appearances.

BROMSGROVE magistrates were kept busy on Tuesday dealing with school absentee cases following a clampdown on erring parents. As usual, money was the prime reason for the move, rather than a regard for youngsters' education. Absenteeism meant fewer grants for schools which in turn meant heavier rates bills for residents.

50 years ago

September 22, 1951

Mr T HOWARD, the manager at the Aston Fields Wagon Works, was presented with a grand-daughter clock when he retired after 13 years. He had been responsible for keeping the works in Bromsgrove, thereby saving hundreds of jobs.

PARISH councillors at Stoke Prior had some strong words to say about the new housing estate being built in Ryefields Road. In a letter of complaint to Droitwich Rural District Council, councillors said they deplored the layout and design adding it was a "disgrace" and an "ugly conglomeration of dwellings and a potential slum."

BROMSGROVE was gearing itself for the General Election now the date had been set for October 25. At the previous one, 17 months ago, 86 per cent of the 49,000 electors in the town had voted. There had been two recounts lasting ten hours when it was announced Tory Michael Higgs had beaten his Labour opponent by just 190 votes.

WITH due pomp and ceremony, the first honorary freemen of Droitwich Spa were created on Thursday on a stage near the Winter Gardens. The honours were bestowed on Viscount Nuffield, the motor car magnate, and philanthropist Alderman Dr Eric Shirley Jones, one of the Spa's leading citizens and benefactors. Among the large crowd of onlookers was Lieut-Cmdr Winslow, a descendant of a Pilgrim Father who came from Droitwich.

MR Pearson P Chamings, sanitary inspector to Bromsgrove Rural District Council, was warmly applauded when he spoke to fellow inspectors from all over Britain at a conference at Margate about the terrible condition of most of Britain's lavatories. He said he deplored the filthy language scrawled on walls, which could easily be seen by children paying their pennies to use the conveniences.

25 years ago

September 17, 1976

A MAJOR row was brewing over Bromsgrove District Council's decision to impose preservation orders on six Chartist bungalows occupied by old folk in Dodford. They claimed they were being unjustly penalised financially compared with other villagers.

ENTRIES for Garrington's annual horticultural show in Bromsgrove were down. Organisers, the firm's sports and social club, said it was partly because of the long hot summer and lack of interest by members.

BROMSGROVE Chrysanthemum Society planned to celebrate its forthcoming 25th anniversary show with a special class, the prize for which would be £50 plus a silver salver.

CAPED crusader Batman, accompanied, as always, by Robin, was the big crowd-puller at Rubery carnival on Saturday. The procession wound its way round the village while a gala, opened by Bromsgrove MP Hal Miller, was a huge success.

A NEW police headquarters for Bromsgrove was being proposed at a cost of £281,490. However, it might be shelved in view of the country's economic situation.