POTENTIAL landlords made their way to the sale of the Red Lion Public House, in Alvechurch. Bidding started at £300 and, after some spirited competition, it was sold to Henry Ward for £545.

100 years ago

February 24, 1900

POTENTIAL landlords made their way to the sale of the Red Lion Public House, in Alvechurch. Bidding started at £300 and, after some spirited competition, it was sold to Henry Ward for £545.

TOWN skaters took advantage of a cold snap and spent several fun days whizzing about on ice covered Grafton Pond, Bromsgrove. A charity collection raised £2.7s for the Soldiers and Sailors Family Association.

WILLIAM Newbould, of Hill Top, was brought before Bromsgrove Petty Sessions for being drunk in charge of a horse and wagon in High Street. PC Underwood said the defendant came down the street with a horse and cart at a trot. Witnesses shouted at him to stop but their cries went unheard -- because he was fast asleep. He was fined 10s (50p).

BROMSGROVE Nailforgers celebrated a successful year at its annual meeting, in Sidemoor Schoolroom. More than 250 members attended and later some of the group were given a lantern exhibition on the subject of slum life in London.

IN Droitwich Spa, an inquiry was held into the death of an unknown baby girl whose body was found in a sewer. The baby, aged between five and six months, had been washed down a drain. Her parents could not be traced.

50 years ago

February 25, 1950

BROMSGROVE firefighters were called to a blaze at Callowbrook Farm, in Rubery, owned by A and J Mucklow. Before the fire crew arrived, quick-thinking PC Perkins used buckets of water to put out the flames leaping from a shed.

A NEWLY appointed Blackwell vicar thanked residents at a parish meeting for welcoming him into their community. The Rev Genders moved to St Catherine's Church from a position as rector at a large parish in Manchester.

THE Messenger reported an outbreak of gastro-enteritis at the nursery in All Saints' Hospital, Bromsgrove. Children affected were treated in specially constructed isolation cubicles.

A DECISION by Bromsgrove District Council to employ direct labour for painting council houses came under fire at a meeting of the Bromsgrove and District Building, Trade and Employers Association. The association claimed it had been proved in other areas that direct labour was more expensive than putting work out to private contract.

TEENAGE twin sisters placed an advert in the Messenger seeking employment together as assistant cooks in the Bromsgrove area.

FORWARD-THINKING governors at Bromsgrove Art and Technical College introduced a pre-nursing course for girls leaving secondary modern schools looking for a career in the health service. Students could enter the two-year scheme aged 15 and their curriculum would include biology, history and hygiene.

A PANTO at the Congregational Schoolroom, Whetty Lane, Rubery, was well received by residents. Actors and actresses from the junior youth group dazzled the audience with their production of Cinderella.

25 years ago

February 21, 1975

RAIDERS who broke into Bromsgrove General Hospital's new sports and social club took the entire stock of drinks and cigarettes -- worth £350. The club was officially opened just weeks before and had been stocked up with subscriptions from hospital staff.

BROMSGROVE MP Hal Miller joined up with the Messenger to begin a new weekly feature reporting on his busy life at Parliament. Mr Miller would be writing about the latest issues at Westminster and the part he played in its affairs.

PLANS to bring the Bromsgrove to Birmingham rail service up to date with local developments were crushed by Hereford and Worcester County Council. It rejected proposals to contribute towards the costs of a branch line between Longbridge and Frankley which would have increased the number of trains running from Redditch and Bromsgrove.

A RIGBY Hall School teacher raised £45 towards buying a new school minibus by roller skating more than six miles to classes. June Robinson said -- although she fell over three times -- she still managed to make it from her Redditch home to Aston Fields in a creditable time of one hour and 40 minutes.