CHRISTMAS at Bromsgrove's various hospitals was made more bearable by staff who, as usual, did a sterling job to bring cheer to the wards. The General with its 200 in-patients saw its busiest Christmas yet. The wards were decorated using different themes and scenes from popular pantos. The Post Office in Bromsgrove, which had taken on 75 high school students as part-time posties, had a record Yule handling 430,000 items of mail. This was 15,000 up on last year. On Christmas morning it had delivered 21 telegrams, 13 of which contained greetings messages.

THE driver of a car which skidded on the icy Kidderminster Road on Christmas morning had a lucky escape when his vehicle crashed through a parapet on the bridge over Battlefield Brook. The front wheels were overhanging the stream, but he was able to open the door and step to safety.

BROMSGROVE Rovers enjoyed mixed fortunes over Christmas. On Christmas Eve they were thrashed 7-3 when playing at Rugby. But on Boxing Day they made amends by beating old rivals Redditch United 5-1, the Green's biggest win in a local derby since 1948.

RESIDENTS in some parts of rural Bromsgrove were looking forward to being able to turn on a tap to get fresh water in the New Year. Schemes were in hand to pipe water to the tiny Droitwich hamlet of Chawson and to households near the Gate Hangs Well pub at Woodgate. Both schemes were costing in the region of £1,500.