ONE of the most disastrous fires in the memory of man destroyed a large part of the carriage works belonging to Daniel Giles. in Station Street, Bromsgrove. The blaze, which was thought to have been started deliberately, was spotted just after midnight by the lamplighter while on his rounds extinguishing the lights. The cost of the damage is colossal at more than £1,000. Production was, however, to continue in another part of the works.

SHOWERY weather over the Whitsuntide holidays brought smiles to the faces of smallholders in Dodford, Catshill, Sidemoor and Lickey End. Many were heard to remark "it's raining strawberries," referring of course to the crop's need for rain at this time to bring the valuable, luscious fruit on which their prosperity depended, to perfection. But the wet weather didn't stop cyclists and motorists taking to the roads in great numbers. The Messenger observed Bromsgrove was busy from dawn to dusk making crossing the main street a hazardous venture.

AN inquest into the death of an 18-year-old farm labourer, William Bradley, from Aston Fields, was held at the police court in Bromsgrove. Early in May, while taking a load of wheat to be ground at Sugarbrook Mill for his employer Mr Gibbs, the lad had fallen under one of the cart wheels while removing the break "scotch" as they got to the foot of Stoke Pound hill. He suffered a crushed toe and slight damage to a knee but had since progressed well in the Cottage Hospital. Recently, however, he had complained of feeling shaky and of having a stiff neck, symptoms of lock jaw caused by his dirty wounds, and which the inquest decided had killed him.

A GROUP of 76 Catshill mothers who met regularly for social activities enjoyed their annual outdoor tea party this year, held in a large marquee in a field at Lydiate Ash belonging to Mr Breedon. Afterwards, they listened to a selection of gramophone records followed by games and sports.