WILLIAM Crampton, landlord of the Boat pub at Stoke Works, and George Patterson, of the White Hart in Hanover Street, appeared before Bromsgrove magistrates charged with adding water to their whisky and rum respectively. In both cases Lucy Perry, whose father was a police sergeant, had posed as a customer to buy a pint of the spirits in each pub for 2/4d (11.5p). She had then given her father samples to have analysed. Both landlords were fined £1 with 7/6d (37.5p) costs.

THE Old Vicarage at Lickey, now known as Rose Hill and described as a "commodious" residence with a large garden, was sold by auction at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham for £1,220.

YOUNGSTERS at Finstall Council School briefly set aside their slates on Wednesday when pupil Alice Stride was presented with a silver watch for her exemplary attendance record. From June 1894 at the tender the age of three years three months, when she started at the school, until June 9 this year, she had never missed a day, a total of 4,194 days. She had also tramped a grand total of 6,500 miles to and from her home to the school during that time.

WAGONER William Minton, aged 44, met with a shocking accident when he fell beneath the wheels of a three horse cart laden with three tons of manure he was driving at Oaten Fields Farm, Hunnington. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His death prompted the inquest jury to call for a mortuary for the area as two pubs had refused to accept the body after the accident.

BROMSGROVE Rovers would kick off the new season on September 10 at home to Kings Norton, the new fixture list revealed. They would end the season at home to old rivals Redditch on April 25.