October 12, 1901

100 years ago

October 12, 1901

THE gales which had swept the district left a trail of damage in their wake. In Droitwich, a large elm tree snapped off in the grounds of the Worcestershire Hotel and landed in a small garden nearby.

MANAGERS at Stoke Prior School launched a crusade to try to stop children as young as ten from smoking what they described as "evil smelling," five for a penny cigarettes. They claimed smoking stunted growth both physically and mentally and could be one of the reasons why today we had no one of the stature of a Wellington or Nelson and why it was taking so long to win the war in South Africa.

MICHAEL Hart, aged 25, of no fixed abode, was in the dock at Bromsgrove Police Court charged with stealing an elastic belt worth 1/- (5p), the property of John Barnett from the town's Bell Inn. He told the court he had taken it without thinking. Magistrates too didn't have to think hard before sentencing him to seven days' hard labour at Worcester Jail.

A WILD flower, the fritillary or snake's head, never before found in Worcestershire, was growing in abundance near Bromsgrove. A half-acre patch of the plants with their distinctive brown and purple flowers had been seen growing at a secret location within four miles of St John's Church, in Bromsgrove during the summer.

HARRY Wadhams was recovering after being seriously wounded while out shooting with friends on land near Barnt Green station. He was stooping to pick up a rabbit when he was shot in the arm and stomach. Swift action by Dr Pierce, who was in the area, prevented him from bleeding to death. He later had to have his injured arm amputated. The shooting remained a mystery.

50 years ago

October 13, 1951

caretaker at Birmingham Road Methodist Church, adjacent to her home, suffered severe burns when she fell on red hot clinkers while attending to the boiler. Her cries for help alerted two neighbours who vaulted a hedge to douse her burning clothes. She was taken to Birmingham Accident Hospital.

MEMBERS of the recently formed Bromsgrove Society went on a fungi foray to Randan Wood, at Dodford, where they identified 65 different species.

YOUNGSTERS in Bromsgrove were better shod than their parents or grandparents. There had been so little call on the town's poor children's boot fund that officials had not applied to hold a flag day this year.

A LARGE cross, made from electric lamps equivalent to 2,146 candle-power, adorned the tower of St John's Church, in Bromsgrove, as part of the Bishop of Worcester's mission to further Christian fellowship. The cross could be clearly seen as far away as the Lickey Hills.

AN outstanding feature of Bromsgrove and District Farmers' Club's 43rd annual show, held at Woodcote, was the achievement of Messrs C Richardson and Sons, from Ridgeway Farm, Wychbold. For the third successive year it had won the coveted silver Worcestershire Farmers' Cup for gaining the most points in show.

25 years ago

October 8, 1976

THE main feature of the 14th arts festival, sponsored by Stoke Prior brush manufacturers L G Harris, was a selection of works known as the Huhsien Peasant Paintings, from Shensi province in China, depicting aspects of everyday life.

COMMUNITY groups and others hiring school premises in Bromsgrove and elsewhere in the county for after hours meetings were warned to wrap up warm this winter. As part of an economy drive, cash-strapped Hereford and Worcester County Council had ordered the heating be turned down and suggested those not happy should make their own arrangements to keep warm. The schools' Christmas holiday had been extended by ten days to save expensive fuel.

ANGRY traders in Bromsgrove started a petition calling for urgent action to stop the flooding which had cost them thousands of pounds recently. Premises in High Street, Church Street and Worcester Road had been flooded when last month the heavy rain, which had ended the drought, had swamped their businesses. In three days 4.29ins fell, the equivalent to 25 per cent of last year's total in the district.