MR James Yates Holt, Bromsgrove's senior practising solicitor and one of the town's oldest inhabitants, celebrated his 93rd birthday at his home, Alloa House, in Birmingham Road. Among many visitors who called to wish him well were members of the Court Leet, his business partner John Sellars and the chairman of the urban district council, Councillor Henry Webley. Mr Holt had been Bailiff in 1913 and had lived all his life in the same house, which had been built by his father James and named after the town where his mother's family originally came from.

A HORSE pulling a coal barge along the towpath near Thompson's Bridge, at Stoke Pound, slipped and fell into the freezing water. The towpath had been made treacherous by snowstorms that had raged for three days. All attempts by the bargee to rescue the stricken animal had failed. It was eventually hauled to safety by eight men from the fire and police forces using stout ropes.

ONE of Bromsgrove's best loved and most respected former residents, GP Dr Francis Coaker, died at his home in Dulverton, Somerset, aged 83. Dr Coaker had spent 40 years serving Bromsgrove in many capacities. He had been 39 years on the urban district council and had two spells on the county authority. Among many medical appointments he held had been surgeon at the Cottage Hospital. He also served as a magistrate, was Court Leet Bailiff in 1926 and was a life governor of Bromsgrove School and of the local St John Ambulance Brigade. He retired to the West Country in 1946. His last home in Bromsgrove had been Battlefield House.

A REPORT published by the Birmingham Regional Hospital Board recommended hospitals must have one nurse to every four mental patients. That being so, Barnsley Hall, with 733 patients, would need 183 instead of its present 67 nurses. Rubery Hill, with 924 patients, and Hollymoor, with 713, had 111 and 61 nurses respectively.