THE large number of vagrants seeking relief at Droitwich Workhouse had put a strain on resources. The master asked the governors for permission to substitute the morning gruel ration to eight ounces of bread instead.

100 years ago

June 18, 1898

THE large number of vagrants seeking relief at Droitwich Workhouse had put a strain on resources. The master asked the governors for permission to substitute the morning gruel ration to eight ounces of bread instead. But on the other side of the coin, the tramps had broken up all available supplies of stone in return for a night's bed and breakfast.

ALLEGATIONS of cruel treatment by staff on pupils at Lickey End School were unfounded, an inquiry found. It followed a case of a pauper boy named Carter, from the Bromsgrove workhouse, who claimed he was struck across the face by a teacher wielding a cane, making his nose pour with blood. There had also been cases reported of young teachers flinging text books across classrooms at unruly pupils. But Job Leadbetter, who sat on the workhouse board, declared the inquiry had been conducted unfairly as no pupils had been interviewed about the incidents.

THERE was concern that Bromsgrove's annual midsummer fair on June 24 might suffer as a result of it clashing with the Royal Show in Birmingham. However, some thought the dealers and buyers who came to Bromsgrove from all over Britain might combine the two big events.

DAVID Palmer paid a high price for stealing two cycles belonging to John Bryant and John Clegg, both very highly respected Bromsgrove men. The judge at the Summer Quarter Sessions in Worcester sentenced him to 18 months' hard labour. He was also charged with stealing a spirit level from a pawnbroker's shop in Worcester Street.

50 years ago

June 19, 1948

A SHORTAGE of junior football pitches in Bromsgrove meant teams having to share, with some games being played on Saturday mornings. The two new pitches at the BYO Ground, New Road, were not ready to be used yet.

SEVERAL Bromsgrove residents received food parcels and an accompanying letter from Princess Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. The food, much of it from abroad, had been sent to her last year as wedding presents. Among the grateful recipients were Herbert Jones, of Staple Hill, and Mrs Overton, from Orchard Road.

CATSHILL residents were upset that the Prince of Wales Cinema in the village had been forced to close. Bromsgrove magistrates had refused it a licence after hearing evidence from the county fire officer who said the premises was an ''exceedingly high risk to life.''

HARRIS brushworks was earning Britain much needed foreign currency by exporting specialist machinery made at its Stoke Prior plant to the USA, among other countries.

A LIFE-SIZED portrait of Droitwich's most famous racehorse was back in the boardroom of a Spa charity. It was the winner of a match 279 years ago between the best horses belonging to Spa MP Henry Coventry and his brother-in-law Sir John Packington. The £3,000 that Coventry won was used to endow a charitable hospital for the aged in the town. It had been given back to Droitwich by the trustees of the Coventry estate.

25 years ago

June 15, 1973

BROMSGROVE'S new district council, which was set to come to power next April as a result of a merger between the rural and urban authorities, would be Conservative controlled. The result of this week's poll showed Conservatives had 25 seats, Labour 13 and ratepayers 4. It was claimed the rural vote had clinched it for the Tories. Labour councillors meanwhile threatened to boycott the inaugural meeting claiming afternoon meetings were ''not convenient for the working man.''

BERT Taylor, 72, from Berry's Lane, Upton Warren, was the new president of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Riders' Association. Mr Taylor was managing director of Stourbridge Road Motors, Bromsgrove, and had seen every TT race since they had started 52 years ago.

RAYMOND and Tony, the 28-year-old twin sons of Mr and Mrs Bourne, of Newton Road, Aston Fields, had both become doctors of philosophy.