July 1, 1899

100 years ago

July 1, 1899

A PENALTY contest with a difference to see who could score the most goals from five shots was to be one of the highlights of a visit to Bromsgrove by the internationally acclaimed Lord Sangers' circus. Bromsgrove Rovers' star player J Grice would pit his sharp-shooting skills against one of the performing elephants.

THE start of the pea and strawberry picking season heralded the usual crop of school absenteeism cases which came before Bromsgrove magistrates this week. Parents were fined between 2s (10p) and 5s (25p). The inspector told the court it was impossible to arrange school holidays to meet the wishes of every parent who wanted to send their children out into the fields to earn an extra few shillings.

THE ruling guardians at Bromsgrove's workhouse decided in future to regulate the issue of new cleaning rags. It followed the removal of a barrow load from the institution's drains which cost the authority £4 to unblock.

J S WILLIS, a family butcher trading in Bromsgrove's Worcester Road, was delighted to announce he had installed an up-to-the-minute cold room with all the latest appliances to keep his meat fresh. The temperature would be maintained at a level one could expect in November or December.

HERBERT Taylor took his employer John Munslow, a castrator from Cutnall Green, to court for failing to pay him his weekly wage of 10s (50p) with meals thrown in. Droitwich Spa magistrates ordered Munslow to pay with 2s 6d (12.5p) costs.

THERE were fewer visitors to Bromsgrove's annual Midsummer fair than usual. The horse fair attracted 609 entries but this year there were no cattle on offer.

50 years ago

July 2, 1949

Michael's Church, Stoke Prior, were re-dedicated at a service on Saturday. The work had cost £824, of which £220 had still to be raised.

WOODCOTE naturalist Fred Fincher in his new By Field, Wood and Hedgerow column in The Messenger revealed he had caught some rare yellow necked mice at his home in Randan Wood. He had sent them to Birmingham Museum.

PARISHIONERS in two of Stoke Prior's three wards decided they did not want street lighting. Finstall said it couldn't afford it, Stoke Prior declared scarce resources and manpower should be channelled into installing electric in homes first, while Stoke Works was still undecided.

PAT Collin's annual Midsummer funfair had visited Bromsgrove for only four days, one of the shortest on record. The event attracted a moderate number of visitors, but there was a larger than average number of hucksters operating in Market Street. The horse fair, off Well Lane, attracted 228 horses and ponies.

BARNT Green Sailing Club held a successful regatta on Bittell Reservoir. The home team took four of the first five places in the challenge trophy race for Firefly dinghies.

25 years ago

June 28, 1974

RESIDENTS in Marlbrook on the outskirts of Bromsgrove were being plagued by flies from the nearby former quarry which was being used as tip by West Midlands Metropolitan County Council. Bromsgrove District Council was preparing to ''throw the book'' at the authority unless action to alleviate the menace was taken soon.

COLIN Aldis was shell shocked when his spade struck a war-time mortar bomb while he was digging in the garden at his home in Callowbrook Lane, Rubery.

A SUPERB gilded figure of St John the Baptist carrying a lamb in the River Jordan, crafted by Robert Pancheri of Bromsgrove, was to be installed in a niche over the 15th century doorway in Bromsgrove Parish Church.

COUNCIL house tenants in Catshill, Bromsgrove, who were having their homes modernised threatened to withhold their rents because of the inconvenience they were being caused. However, the district council was unlikely to agree as it claimed the work would benefit tenants.