May 11, 1901

100 years ago

May 11, 1901

A MEETING of parishioners and members of All Saints' Church met in the nearby schoolroom in Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove, to discuss installing a peal of bells in the tower.

RATEPAYERS and members of the working class in Droitwich, held meetings at The Rifleman's Arms and Barley Mow pubs in the spa to protest at the council's dismissal of the borough surveyor Mr Baylis. They claimed he was doing a good job on their behalf. Mr Baylis said the fact that he totally abstained from any form of alcohol was the only reason he could think of for him being sacked.

A 14-YEAR-OLD pauper girl named Barnett, who was being sent to Canada by the ruling Guardians at Bromsgrove workhouse, appeared before town magistrates to confirm she was going with her own free will.

A WHOOPING cough epidemic was sweeping the Sidemoor area of Bromsgrove where the school had been closed for two weeks because pupil numbers had been decimated.

EXCITEMENT was mounting at the prospect of a visit to Bromsgrove for one day of Ada Alexandra's circus. The highlight was a re-enactment of the Transvaall war. Taking part would be 250 men and woman plus herds of elephants and camels. Admission was seats 3/- (15p), boxes 2/- (10p) the pit 1/- (5p) and the promenade 6d (2.5p).

50 years ago

May 12, 1951

IT was as you were in Bromsgrove following last Monday's local elections which saw the ruling Tories retain their control of the district council. They gained one seat from the independents and one from Labour. Labour's Eva Franks was elected in the north west ward to become only the council's third woman councillor.

THE hall at Watt Close School, in Bromsgrove, was packed with children from schools in the area who gathered for the annual three-day district music festival. Mr Benoy, the county's music advisor, said he was delighted with the quality of the performances by the 1,500 youngsters who had taken part.

THE new group set up to study and record details about the history, archaeology and natural history of Bromsgrove and district held its first meeting in the library. Its president was Sir Hugh Chance. The meeting decided it would, in future, be called the Bromsgrove Society.

WILLIAM Cowper, former works manager at the Bromsgrove Guild, died aged 86. He came to Bromsgrove from Shropshire as a young man and could boast being descended from a long line of decorative metalworkers. He had overseen the manufacture of the famous Buckingham Palace gates and the erection of the Liver Birds in Liverpool.

WORK to stop the flooding of homes in Gunner Lane, Rubery, caused by water running off Waseley Hills School playing field, by using a pipe beneath the road to join two ditches, was approved by Bromsgrove Urban District Council.

25 years ago

May 7, 1976

MAURICE Ross retired as principal of Bromsgrove College of Further Education after 27 years. He had been involved with the college from its humble beginnings.

FINSTALL Follies, Bromsgrove's answer to Pan's People, proved "Women's Lib" was alive and kicking in the town when they took on a team of men from Bromsgrove Rugby Club and beat them.

BROMSGROVE'S railway station, which had been fortunate to avoid the Beeching axe, was set to be revitalised to cater for a new hourly service to Bromsgrove and Worcester.

FRANK Griffin, an Upton Warren parish councillor for 30 years, 22 of them as chairman, had decided to stand down. He was a former schoolteacher.