January 12, 1901

100 years ago

January 12, 1901

A CHRISTMAS concert was held at the Institute in Bromsgrove to raise cash for the parish church Sunday school treat. The evening consisted of sacred music, songs by choristers and concluded with the vicar singing popular numbers such as Sally in our Alley.

AN inquest jury sitting at the Golden Cross Hotel returned a verdict of accidental death on ten-year-old Henry Stiles who fell under the wheels of a wagon laden with manure on which he had been riding. The boy was returning from Birmingham market with his father, also called Henry, who had a market garden in Catshill. The wagon collided with a dray coming in the opposite direction close to the Dog Lane and Gigg Lane junction, in Catshill. The lad was hurled to the ground by the impact rendering him unconscious. He died the next day in Bromsgrove Cottage Hospital from internal injuries.

TWICE last week generous John Corbett, from Impney, organised the distribution of 100 gallons of soup to poor folk in Droitwich Spa who had suffered as a result of last month's widespread floods. The mayor, Cllr Culley, had chipped in with 150 loaves.

BROMSGROVE magistrates were lenient with old offender Sam Pugh, from Sidemoor, when he appeared before them on his 25th charge for drunkenness. The court heard he had fallen into the brook, in Market Street, where he had remained for 30 minutes until his cries for help were heard. It then took him two hours to walk the short distance to the Drill Hall, in Church Street, where he was met by his wife and a constable who arrested him.

DROITWICH Rural District council was still counting the cost of the recent floods which had brought havoc to the area. Dog Lane, in Upton Warren, had been impassable for some time and footbridges at Wychbold Mill and Hanbury had been swept away and destroyed.

50 years ago

January 13, 1951

THE first stage of the new four-acre King George playing field at Sidemoor, Bromsgrove, had been completed. Facilities included several cricket pitches and a full sized soccer pitch. To one side of the new path through to Perryfield Lane would later be added a tennis court and a bowling green.

THE long drawn out battle by residents and the parish council to get a GP practice in Stoke had at last been successful. The London-based Medical Practices Committee had given the scheme the go-ahead despite objections by Worcestershire Health Authority.

WAYS of cutting the cost of building much-needed council homes in Droitwich Spa was a headache for councillors on the cash-strapped borough council. The latest idea was to make them smaller and to build more terraced homes to rent.

THE number of council house tenants in Bromsgrove buying TV sets continued to grow. During November and December, the district council gave a further 23 householders permission to install aerials.

THE Holy Thorn, in Tardebigge churchyard, had yet to bloom. It had been taken as a cutting from the famous Glastonbury Thorn which traditionally bloomed at or around Twelfth Night. Tradition had it that it originated from Christ's crown of thorns or from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea. In previous years, the Tardebigge thorn had bloomed on December 25.

THE Midland Red bus company warned services would have to be axed if more staff could not be recruited. Presently, the firm was 700 below strength and had 30 vacancies for drivers and conductors in its Bromsgrove depot. The company was set to increase fares for the first time in 30 years.

25 years ago

January 9, 1976

RESIDENTS in Bromsgrove and Droitwich woke on Saturday morning to face the havoc caused by Hurricane Harry the previous night. Hundreds of properties were damaged and scores of trees blocked roads. At Stoke Pound Farm, a number of pigs were killed when a building collapsed. The 100mph gales had also ripped from their concrete blocks support cables holding steady the BBC masts, at Wychbold.

LES Kellet, the famous TV wrestling personality, was to pay his first visit to Bromsgrove later this month. He was to take on The Mighty Klondyke in a bout at Bromsgrove Baths.

TWO guitars belonging to Slade base player Jimmy Lea were among 15 instruments worth £4,000 stolen by burglars who raided the John Birch Guitar Factory, in New Road, Rubery. The group's equipment was being checked prior to them going on tour.

MARGARET Leighton, the famous actress who was born in Twatling Road, Barnt Green, died aged 53. She had been married three times to Max Reinhardt, Laurence Harvey and Michael Wilding. Her last film had been Great Expectations.