Memory Lane

AT Bromsgrove Petty Sessions, Robert Douglas Cotton, of Finstall Cottage, was charged with riding a motor cycle in Stourbridge Street.

Police sergeant Pheysey said he saw the rear plate of Cotton’s vehicle obscured by the mackintosh of a passenger who was riding on the luggage carrier.

Cotton defended himself by pointing out he had rode from Wilson’s stores in Market Street, to Mrs Rea’s newspaper shop. He was ordered to pay 3s 6d costs.

THE annual health report was presented to Bromsgrove Rural District Council.

There were 309 births registered, 160 male, 149 female.

In the district 178 deaths were registered. Of these 86 were people over 65, and out of the 86, 21 were cancer related, while 23 were due to organic heart disease.

IN the Worcestershire and the War section it was reported that Gunner Percy Bladon at Trench Salop, the Royal Field Artillery, had been killed by shell fire. His sister, Mrs Trapp of Market Place, had been notified.

There were also reports that a Bromsgrove soldier, Private Perrygrove, had been wounded in France, while Droitwich man Sapper Harry Coker had being wounded and had been transferred to a hospital in Satley, Coker.

May 7, 1965.

IT had been announced that Bromsgrove was to have a royal visitor, the Queen Mother, that summer.

The Queen Mother would be visiting Bromsgrove School at its annual commemoration on July 10.

Arrangements were still being finalised but it seemed likely it would be the first time a royal visitor had travelled to Bromsgrove by air.

FIELD View International Students’ Hostel at Stoke Prior was to be sold to the trustees.

Worcestershire County Council had given the green light to the move, while it was also agreed £200 would be spent to eliminate dry rot.

PLANS for that year's Bromsgrove Festival, being held that May, had been announced.

Appearing would be internationally celebrated pianist Achucarro, Yepes the guitarist, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and Spanish Dance Company Antonia Y Marino.

Events were scheduled to take place at the College of Further Education.

AN exhibition on the history of Wychbold and the surrounding area was being held at a parish church.

The exhibition featured legal documents, newspapers, magazines, and photographs, and were displayed at Wychbold Parish Church.

THE Midland Red bus chairman, Mr JS Wills, had told the company’s shareholders at an annual meeting that a recent strike of employees had been “futile”.

The strikes were held on Saturdays as part of unions claims for an increase in wages and improved working conditions, and caused disruption for Bromsgrove bus users.

The chairman said what it was hoped to gain by unofficial strike action was “difficult to imagine”, and action was as futile as it was irresponsible.

May 10, 1990.

BROMSGROVE police made an early morning May Day call to Tardebigge after a Charford Man reported seeing a UFO flying over the area.

The man said he was peering from his landing window at 4.15am when he saw a vivid bright light in the sky over Stoke Prior.

He said he thought it wasn’t a balloon or aeroplane.

Inspector Bob Dipple said three police vehicles attended, but they could find no evidence.

PLANS for a travellers site in Stoke Prior had been temporary shelved, as the county council and district council continued their dispute.

The county council was pushing for the development of six permanent pitches for travellers in Holmes Lane, while the district council was opposed to the scheme.

County councillor Martin Davey said Bromsgrove District Council had been “unco-operative” during talks.

IT was announced £5,000 had been raised towards the £11,000 needed for a new clock in Bromsgrove High Street.

The Nailers Clock, dedicated to the town’s former industry, was planned to go up in the middle of High Street once the money had been raised.

PLANS were unveiled to demolish the former Blackwell Recovery Hospital, turning it into housing and apartments.

Rigg Construction had put forward the plan to pull down the mid-19th century building.

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.