A LARGE number of people queued at Bromsgrove post office on Thursday, the first day that they could apply for a form to claim the new old age pension. The majority of the 50 or so who applied on Thursday and Friday were unable to write and staff were kept busy helping them fill in the necessary forms. The most important information wanted by the government was people’s ages and place of birth.

PEOPLE in Bromsgrove were amazed when a sudden evening downpour in the town centre sent them scurrying for shelter while not a drop of rain fell a few yards away in Upper High Street.

THOMAS White, from New Road, one of Bromsgrove’s greatest ever benefactors, died aged 88. His first job was helping his father run the family fellmongers business, but he later went on to make a fortune when he acquired the Indigo Works in Worcester Road. Many of his charitable gifts were not made public, but among those that were known was the building of the Cottage Homes which bears his name, £700 to build the tower at Dodford church, £400 towards the construction of the tower at All Saints’ church and £1,000 to St John’s for roof repairs.