BROMSGROVE Trades Council was highly critical of the police and the district council for banning a rag week procession by Shenstone College. Police said it would cause traffic disruption, while the council would not OK a street collection. Trades council spokesman Trevor Porter said it was wrong that the Court Leet would be allowed to parade the following week for 'its own glorification,' but the rag procession, which would have raised cash for charity, could not go ahead.

A THIEF who broke in to Rubery Building Supplies, in New Road, accidentally locked himself in the premises and had to resort to using some new tools to undo the lock in order to free himself. He got away with £1.50.

THE county council had called a temporary halt to all its activities to give it a month's breathing space to discover how much the government proposed to lop off the budgets of local authorities. Schools, old folks' homes, roads and other basic services would be affected.

THE Friends of Bromsgrove Hospitals held its annual fete at Parkside school. Headmaster Bill Beddoe opened the event.

Unusually, it was the Friends' only fund-raising activity this year as they had forgotten to apply for permission to hold a flag day in the town. The fete raised £450.

l The film of the Messenger for part of 1981, held at Bromsgrove library, was missing this week. Not wishing to spoil your enjoyment of this popular weekly feature we have given you snippets from the relevant week 30 years ago instead.