JOHN Vaux from Stoke Heath, a first class sportsman who played senior cricket and rugby for the town, died at the early age of 46. He joined the cricket club in 1927 and went on to captain the side six years later. During his first year the town gained a record 17 victories.

A LOCAL firm started by three Rubery brothers with 'high hopes, low funds and no customers' celebrated its silver jubilee. Now with 100 on the payroll, Clements Bros (Displays) had gone from strength to strength, gaining a solid reputation for craftsmanship and industry along the way. The firm was launched on Empire Day 1930 in Clegg's Entry, but was now based on the site of a former chapel in Kidderminster Road.

JAMES Dance won the Bromsgrove seat for the Conservatives in the general election in a straight fight with Labour. The result was Dance 27,461, Lester George 22,287, a majority of 5,174. The number of people eligible to vote was 60,898.

THIRTY members of the Bromsgrove branch of the Electrical Association for Women enjoyed an eye-opening visit to the College Road home of Mrs John Horton wife of the Court Leet Reeve. Her home bristled with the latest electrical gadgets and appliances including a deep freeze, refrigerator and a clothes drier.

A PARTY of pupils and staff from Bromsgrove's Watt Close School travelled to Birkenhead docks to visit the Motor Vessel Laertes of the Blue Funnel line, a ship they had adopted in October 1951. The day before, its skipper, Captain de Boer, visited the school to thank pupils for the many letters they had written to the crew since that time.