December 9, 1899

100 years ago

December 9, 1899

THERE was a very rare occurrence at Bromsgrove's Magistrates Court on Tuesday -- there were no cases to try. The Messenger noted that the pair of white gloves customarily presented to the chairman on such occasions were also absent.

THE well-known Bromsgrove man Pt Walter Bratt had been called up as one of the Worcester Regiment reservists to be shipped out to the war in South Africa. On his departure from the town his friends presented him with a smoker's outfit comprising two pipes, a pouch, a pound of tobacco, a cigarette holder, matches and a purse of gold.

BROMSGROVE veterinary surgeon Mr J Young had taken out a patent on a piece of harness equipment he had invented. He claimed it prevented any horse from kicking when between the shafts.

THE long-awaited public inquiry regarding the construction of a light railway system from the station at Aston Fields to the town centre was set to start in the town hall next week.

AN appeal by Lady Georgina Vernon, from Hanbury Hall, for 'comforts' for our soldiers serving in the South African war had met with a good response. So far 500 pillows, 36 dozen handkerchiefs and 12 dozen bottles of lavender water had been sent to the front.

DODDERHILL Parish Council agreed to arrange a variety concert to raise funds to pay for lighting along the roads in Stoke.

50 years ago

December 10, 1949

MRS Hamlet Russell, of Keeper's Cottage, Hanbury, was invested with the Order of St John of Jerusalem by Lord Wakehurst, Lord Prior of the Order, at Birmingham Town Hall. The honour was in recognition of her work. She had joined the order in 1920.

BROMSGROVE'S growing number of TV viewers found they had excellent reception when the first simultaneous sound and vision broadcasts were beamed into their homes from Sutton Coldfield on Sunday afternoon.

At Catshill, pictures were said to be "beautifully clear" except when an aircraft overhead temporarily produced a snowstorm effect on screens.

A SERIES of lunch hour concerts staged by workers at the Longbridge car plant raised £136 for charity. A total of £101 would be spent on a TV for the Woodlands Hospital, Northfield, the remainder would help pay for a Christmas party for youngsters at Nazareth House, Rednal.

A HUGE increase in the membership of Bromsgrove Pig Keepers' Club meant Mr Weaver, from New Road, Sidemoor, had been appointed to help.

The club had been founded with just nine members when food was scarce in 1943, now there were 600 on the books.

ONE of the best known veteran members of the Droitwich Golf Club, Ernest Jones, from Lyttleton Avenue, was recovering after being knocked down by a taxi. Mr Jones had been a garage proprietor in the town for many years.

25 years ago

December 6, 1974

THIS week proved a boom time for Bromsgrove's two independent bakers, Godsalls and Robinsons, as the strike by staff employed by the big national firms began to bite.

Demand was running way ahead of supply as staff worked round the clock. Godsalls' production went up threefold to 1,000 loaves a day.

A PIECE of Messenger history was unearthed during the demolition of the New Road Baptist Church, in Bromsgrove. When workmen removed the foundation stone they found a cutting from the paper dated April 17, referring to the day it was laid.

SPIRALLING inflation had finally caught up with the production of Wychbold and Upton Warren parish magazine. From January 5, the cover price would go up from 2.5p to 4p, a 60 per cent rise.

FORMER pupil and Oxford Blue, Paul Sawtell returned to Bromsgrove School as first team rugby coach. His appointment was just in time for the school's clash with old rivals King Edward's School.

THE Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Rev Robin Woods, marked the beginning of a new education era in the history of Clent when the first school to be opened in the village for 269 years, at Holy Cross, was dedicated. It had cost £39,000 to build.