Memory Lane

WILLIAM Jones, of the Strand, appeared at Bromsgrove Petty Sessions charged with being an absentee from the 13th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment at Wareham.

Superintendent Chare said the prisoner was arrested as an absentee without leave following a telegram from his commanding officer.

The prisoner said he would go back if given another chance.

The superintendent said he had been due back the previous Thursday, but made no effort to return instead stopping at pubs.

The prisoner replied that he had gone to the station, but there were no trains.

Jones was remanded to await an escort.

IN the Worcestershire and the War section, the Messenger featured a letter from Major Sebon the commander of the 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment.

In it he wrote he wanted to write a list of the strength of the regiment on it originally leaving England, and the actual strength of those serving in the regiment at that moment.

The major said: “I feel quite sure that this will be an interesting piece of information in order to show what the Battalion has been through, and how it has suffered since its arrival on the Gallipoli Peninsula.”

The numbers showed originally there were 1,001 serving in the battalion, but the number had dropped to 209.

August 13, 1965.

THE Minister of Transport, Tom Frazer, had announced he soon hoped to be able to give a decision of the fate of Bromsgrove Railway Station which was threatened with closure as part of a rail re-organisation.

The town’s MP, James Dance, had been putting pressure on the minister to make an announcement after a delay.

In a letter to the MP, Mr Frazer wrote: “I am sure you will appreciate that this is an extremely complex matter.

“I expect to reach a decisions within the next two or three weeks.”

ONLY a .22 rifle had been handed over to Bromsgrove police under an amnesty scheme announced by the Home Secretary for people to surrender illegal firearms.

Superintendent T Lewis said it was very disappointing having only received the rifle and a few bullets.

He added he was sure wartime souvenirs were out there, that could be handed in.

BUS fares on Midland Red services were set to go up in September 1965 after being approved by the traffic commissioners for the West Midlands.

Increases of one penny in each sixpence throughout the fare scale looked to go ahead.

August 16, 1990.

BROMSGROVE Labour councillors were calling for an independent inquiry into the handling of the binmen dispute, and they wanted local people to conduct it.

There had been weeks of arguments in the eight weeks since 47 binmen were sacked by Bromsgrove District Council after they went on strike over a new contract.

Labour group leader Trevor Porter was calling for a special meeting of the full council, where he intended to ask for an independent inquiry into the whole dispute.

Council leader Margaret Taylor said if there had been anything improper about the handling of the dispute, the union would have already acted on it.

FAIRFIELD Villa football team’s plan to upgrade its clubhouse was facing opposition from concerned residents living nearby.

The team’s officials had applied for an extension at the back of their premises including a lounge, news toilets and a kitchen.

But resident living near the premises on the Recreation ground off Stourbridge Road said it could lead to traffic problems and a noise nuisance at night.

Councillors were set to visit the site before making their final decision.

DROITWICH carnival was described as the best for years, as £2,000 was raised for good causes.

Hundreds lined the streets to see the procession, which featured six floats.

The £2,000 was to be split for St Richard’s Hospice, the Worcester Diabetic Centre and St John Ambulance.

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.