Memory Lane

IN the Worcester and the War Section the latest roll of honour was published.

It included the names of those killed, who had died of wounds and who were wounded and missing.

An extract from a letter, written by Wychbold man Company Sergeant Major J Stevens, of the 5th South Lancashire, was published.

He wrote: “Where we are now has been occupied by Germans and people say ‘Germans no good’.

“The people in England do not know what war is.

“It cuts to the core when you see what destruction has been wrought to beautiful homesteads, cottages, factories.”

AT Bromsgrove Petty Sessions, Charles Thornton, of the Nags Head Inn, The Strand, was fined 5s for allowing a chimney on his premises to be on fire.

Also at the sessions, James Douglas Lyle, of Linden Road, Gloucester, was charged with driving a motor car in Worcester Street at a speed considered dangerous to the public.

PC Marsh said he saw the defendant driving at around 25 to 30 miles an hour in the narrow part of the street, at its junction with Station Street.

Walter Warren, landlord of Sampson Inn corroborated and defendant was fined 40s and 2d.

April 16, 1965.

BROMSGROVE residents were facing an Easter without bus services following the calling of a new strike.

The dispute among employees and bosses at the Midland Red garage had broke out that Sunday and spread rapidly.

The cause of the strike was that Midland Red had employed a part time driver at weekends and opened up the invitation to other part timers – a move employees said jeopardised the overtime earnings of the men.

JAMES Dance, Bromsgrove’s MP, was to ask the Minister of Transport when he expected to announce his decision on the proposed withdrawal of passenger trains to Bromsgrove and Barnt Green railway stations.

The issue had been discussed at a Transport User’s Consultative Committee inquiry a month earlier.

DESPITE £6,000 being spent on a new plant at Stoke Prior brushworks to stop the smell from pig bristle brought from abattoirs, the smell was still causing complaints.

The issue was reported to Bromsgrove Rural District Council’s public health inspector.

It was decided that the company should again consider the smell and the question of waste disposal.

BROMSGROVE league team beat an Old Stars team 3-2 in a game staged at the Victoria Ground for the benefit of three footballers who had been injured during the season.

Stacey of Catshill, and Greenway of Rubery scored while Dunn and Crook netted for the Stars.

April 19, 1990.

COUNCIL chiefs were accused of jumping the gun installing new Bromsgrove town centre parking meters more than a week before a final decision on new fees was due to be made.

Shoppers and traders had protested about the Conservative council’s plan to increase long stay charges from 20p to £1 a day.

Labour councillor were now criticising officials from the authority for putting up the new meters – capable of accepting £1 coins - on council car parks, ahead of a full council decision.

Council chairman John Tracey said he didn’t know about the meters but agreed it was jumping the gun.

THE introduction of playground minders was being considered by Bromsgrove District Council to make play areas safer for children.

Councillors had previously been discussing the resurfacing of the playgrounds using loose fill bark instead of expensive rubber.

Although bark was considered a safer surface, it needed to be regularly maintained to keep it clean.

It was recommended play area minders be employed, at a cost of £500 a year, to carry out the maintenance.

Councillors were to make a final decision later that month.

A BROMSGROVE industrial estate was to be expanded after town planners gave the go-ahead.

It was decided six acres of agricultural land was proposed to be used for industrial use at the Buntsford Hill Business Park, near Sugarbrook Mill.

Memory Lane is compiled from the papers dating back to the Messenger's first edition in 1860. The papers are free to view at Bromsgrove Library, in Stratford Road.

For more information call the library on 01905 822722.