THE Poppy Day collection in Bromsgrove amounted to £353, last year it amounted to £380. In Rubery £57 had been raised for the Earl Haig Fund.

THE opening meet of the Worcestershire Foxhounds was at the Vernon Arms, Hanbury. The start had been delayed because of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease at Worcester. Around 100 riders took part plus scores of followers in cars. Such was the large number of vehicles that they kept heading off the quarry resulting in no foxes being caught.

A SURPLUS of a little over £57 in Stoke Works coronation fund would be spent on buying equipment for the village playing field, the parish council decided. A plaque would be put up to inform future generations that this had been done.

ONE of Bromsgrove's best known personalities, auctioneer and valuer Arthur Chappell died aged 82. A John Bull-type character with a sharp wit who often spoke his mind, he was well known to all. A keen sportsman in his youth, he had been involved in many local organisations including for 23 years the Court Leet. He had the distinction of being the first Bailiff to be filmed. He had also founded the Bromsgrove Shire Horse Society in 1951.

THE Austin Motor Company at Longbridge was, according to its chairman Mr Lord, "fiddling around" with turbo jets with a view to installing one in a car.