THE Messenger's pages contained many adverts for Christmas goods. J Wheelock who had a shop in Market Place had children's velvet and fancy party suits on offer. And Longfield's in Worcester Street were proudly advertising their guaranteed English farm fed poultry and game. Counds Cycle Shop in High Street had 55 new and 109 second hand machines to choose from starting at £1. Children's bikes started at £4.

JANE Perks, married, and aged 29 from Hill Top, was hauled in front of Bromsgrove magistrates charged with being "hopelessly drunk and incapable" in Hanover Street. She told the bench she merely went into the pub to shelter from a shower and had not intended to have a drink. Fined 2/6 (12.5p) with 6/6 (32.5p) costs. Given to Saturday to pay.

WORK on building the new county mental asylum at Barnsley Hall was progressing very slowly and efforts were being made to speed up the work. Already the wells had been sunk at a cost of £940. Mr W Goldring from Kew had been engaged to design the gardens and vegetable plot and advise on planting and landscaping.

BROMSGROVE'S annual Christmas fatstock sale was held on Monday and reckoned to be one of the best ever with 307 beasts coming under the hammer. Prize money of £52 was put up by town traders and the auctioneers.

HENRY Bourne, a tramp, appeared before Droitwich magistrates charged with stealing an 8/11 (44.5p) pair of boots from Austin Harford, a bootmaker in High Street. The bench made an example of him by sentencing him to a month's jail with "as much hard labour as he was capable of."