Memory Lane

AT Bromsgrove Petty Sessions, Harry Hampton Page, of Worcester Street, was fined for riding a bicycle without a light in New Road.

PC Rolinson gave evidence saying he saw there was no light.

Page was fined 7s 6d.

Also at the sessions, Herbert Potter of Moseley Road, Birmingham, Hurbert Overington of Park Road, Birmingham, and Robert Best, of Selly Oak, were all fined for driving their motor cycles in Bromsgrove with the number plates obscured by passengers riding on luggage carriers.

At Droitwich Borough Petty Sessions, a Co-operative Society branch was charged with selling bread that was not the weight promised.

A small loaf was purchased from the shop at one and a half ounces short.

Mr Wood, the society’s general manager, said the loaf was three days old when sold so would probably lose one ounce a day.

He pleaded guilty, but said there had been no fraud.

The Mayor said as there were no previous convictions, the shop was fined 40s including costs.

IN the Worcestershire and the War section the Messenger reported the deaths of Bromsgrove men.

They were Lance Corporal Edwards of 1st Worcesters, Rifleman William Wheeler of the 4th Rifle Brigade, and Sergeant Fred Wright. All had been killed in action.

It was also reported that the Women’s Volunteer branch were holding a parade at Bromsgrove Secondary School.

June 4, 1965.

BROMSGROVE traders had generally welcomed a new town centre plan that promised to preserve the centre of the town as a traffic free shopping area.

Mr Cuppitt said it would be pleasant for the public to be able to shop without having to dodge cars, while Peter Weston, managing director of a large grocery store in High Street, said he welcomed any move to held the town centre, because congestion had reached serious proportions.

Mr Harris, from a furniture shop business, commented he did not think he would lose any sleep over the creation of the new Bromsgrove.

THE Messenger reported on a new clock that had gone up outside the Golden Cross Hotel.

The clock, described as “most remarkable”, had been specially made for the hotel’s owners Mitchells and Butlers.

It had split second accuracy, and was expected to vary by no more than 20 seconds during a month.

AFTER a meeting was held, 350 assembly workers who had been on unofficial strike at Austin Works Longbridge factory decided to return to work.

Cause of the stoppage was the refusal to accept the speeding up of the track, which was considered necessary due to the increasing demand for Mini cars.

Strikers had claimed the track speed was dangerous.

During the action 4,000 vehicles, worth more than £2,000,000, were lost.

June 7, 1990.

ANGRY Bromsgrove binmen looked set to go on strike days after signing contracts and being told they were the best by district council leader Margaret Taylor.

The men were angry as they said they had been blackmailed into signing the contracts that left them £20 a week out of pocket.

The men claimed they were told to sign the contracts by the end of May, or the authority would sack them.

A BROMSGROVE footy fanatic had his dream come true.

Michael Walters, aged 10, had won two tickets to watch that year’s world cup in Italy.

The Liverpool supporter was very excited to have won the tickets after netting first prize in a national competition.

STOKE Prior and Hanbury residents were jubilant after Hereford and Worcester County Council backed down on their plan to create a travellers site on green belt land.

The land in Holmes Lane had been earmarked by the authority to provide six pitches – but the parish and district council protested with the support of 100 residents.

Although Stoke residents were delighted with the outcome, some were still worried about the designated number of 30 permanent sites in Bromsgrove.

THE chairman of Bromsgrove and District Twinning Association was stranded in a Gronau hospital after his leg and wrists were broken during celebrations to mark 10 years since Bromsgrove was twinned with the German town.

David Turner had been in the hospital for weeks after falling from a wagon transporting him to a picnic lunch.

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.