A SUCCESSFUL fancy dress ball was held at Salters' Hall, in Droitwich, where 100 revellers took to the floor, watched by an audience of around 200 from the galleries. The first part of the evening was given over to juniors interspersed with Highland flings.

BROMSGROVE Cricket Club was preparing for what was hoped would be a successful season, during which 34 first XI and 20 second team matches had been arranged. During the winter, the Perkins brothers, who as well as playing, acted as amateur groundsmen, had done sterling work on both pitches on the Parkside recreation ground. With cash in the bank and 200 plus members, it was now down to the players on the field to do their part.

THE strange suicide of widow woman Mary Layton, who ran a common lodging house in The Strand, set tongues wagging in Bromsgrove. An inquest held at the Roebuck pub, in High Street, heard she had been found, apparently strangled by her apron strings fastened to the foot of her bedstead. The jury was told she had been lately depressed and had taken to drink.

MAGISTRATES at Bromsgrove Police Court took a lenient view of Frederick Gaskin's first venture into crime when the 19-year-old, from Aston Fields, appeared before them, charged with stealing a dozen boxes of matches from his employer the local Co-op shop. The matches were worth a total of twopence halfpeny, but the bench imposed a fine of 10/- (50p) to ensure he didn't do it again.

A QUICK look at the Messenger's advertisement pages showed Deans the tailors in Birmingham's Bull Ring was luring customers from Bromsgrove with the offer of free return rail fares from the town to buy his 30/- (£1.50) tweed suits.