May 26, 1900

100 years ago

May 26, 1900

Lord Windsor was held at the Town Hall. The busy agenda included the announcement of seven deaths of freeholders and the appointment of two new Court Leet members. A collection on behalf of a Boer War Fund raised 17s (85p).

THREE unlucky members of the Crane family were injured while taking an afternoon drive through Lickey. Their horse slipped on a stone slab and Mr Crane, his wife and son were thrown from their cart onto the road. Their horse gashed his knees and the shaken family went home with cuts and bruises.

VOTERS were under discussion at an Urban District Council meeting held at the Town Hall. Mr Corbett called for Worcestershire County Council to issue an order for the election of members to be held triennially instead of annually. He said it would be less of an annoyance to ratepayers if they only had to vote once every three years and would rouse more of an interest in elections.

Councillors also discussed the possibility of buying the Drill Hall, in Recreation Road, as a new location for the market hall. But they came to the conclusion it was too far out of the way and unsuitable. Councillors decided to advertise to find a site for the town's market.

POACHER Alfred Richards, of Linthurst, was summoned before Bromsgrove Petty Sessions for trespassing on Lord Windsor's land, in Barnt Green.

PC Prosser caught him walking near bushes with a gun at 4.30pm, searching for game. Richards told police he had been on his brother's land, the other side of a railway track, and thought he was now on a public footpath. Magistrates dismissed his claims and Richards was fined 20s (£1), including costs.

THE death of a young Belbroughton soldier was announced in the Messenger. Private Thomas Foxall, of the 2nd Worcestershire Regiment, died of enteric fever. He was the son of John Foxall, of Hollies Hill. Private Thomas, aged 23, died at a hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, after taking part in the celebrated 200-mile, 14-day walk from Norvois Pont to Bloemfontein.

50 years ago

May 27, 1950

GROOVY residents were urged to book a date in their diary for the Grand Whitsuntide Dance, sponsored by the Stoke Prior and District Youth Club. The event was being held at Harris Brushworks canteen, in Hanbury Road. Billy Donelli and his accordion band were set to provide the music. Transport had been arranged to pick up residents dressed in their glad rags from across the district.

FOLLOWING Stoke Prior Parish Council's recent decision to re-open the question of street lighting in Stoke Works, the council's clerk, Mr Pinfield, informed the meeting that the Ministry of Transport could authorise a long term loan to meet the cost of public lighting. This would relieve the burden on ratepayers concerned. The parish council suggested residents might want to consider this information. Councillors decided to obtain an estimate from the Midland Electricity Board to find out the cost of a lighting scheme.

COFTON Hackett residents decided not to proceed as a syndicate to buy Cofton reservoir. But, the matter was not closed. A small band of residents decided to try and raise the £1,105 needed to buy the pool, amid fears a lido would be built there.

A GOODLY crowd gathered at Linthurst playground on Saturday to witness maypole dancing by the 1st Blackwell Girl Guides. The youngsters dazzled villagers with their stylish country dancing. On show at the event was an ingenious miniature model of the village made by the guides.

25 years ago

May 23, 1975

ANIMAL-loving children, from Rigby Hall School, in Rigby Lane, Aston Fields, were pictured with their pets on the Messenger's front page. The youngsters had hosted a pet show to raise cash for a new minibus. Pets ranging from goldfish to cockatiels were on show in the school's playground. The event raised £10.

OPINION was sharply divided at a Bromsgrove District Council policy and resources committee meeting as to whether a strong protest should be made about the purchase of German-made cars by West Mercia Constabulary. A majority voted that the council should ask the Chief Constable why German cars had been chosen when the Longbridge car factory could reportedly produce vehicles suitable for police use.

A BROMSGROVE fire engine raced to Romsley Hill Hospital when a fire broke out in a faulty electric heater. Molten metal from the heater dripped onto an 83-year-old paralysed patient's bed. The woman was treated for third degree burns.

COFTON Hackett Parish Council remained opposed to a large-scale development in Warren Lane, Rednal. Members claimed the construction of a £25,000 pre-historic monster museum at a former amusement site would completely change the lane's character. The developer was planning to convert the land into a museum of replica pre-historic mammals, as large as ten feet high. He also wanted to build caves, waterfalls, stalagmites and Australian gum trees.