Memory Lane

STOKE Prior Parish Council discussed the idea of a joint fire brigade, although councillors were concerned by the cost involved. The current steam engine was useful, but owing to the breakdown of horsing arrangements, it could no longer be taken outside the town district, and North Bromsgrove and Stoke Prior were both unprovided for as a result.

A BARNT Green gardener, aged 36 claimed exemption from military combatant service on the grounds that he was a Christian and could not take up arms for the taking of human life. He said he was willing to work with the Red Cross to save lives.

The chairman of the local military tribunal asked if he would object to using arms if attacked by a robber, the man said he would not carry arms, but when asked if he would attack someone to save his own wife and children, he replied he would. Although he was exempted from combatant service, he was advised to get ready to go.

July 22, 1966

Bell End residents complained about the ‘gross inadequacy’ of the water supply at their homes,which made it impossible for two people to have baths in quick succession.

Several residents had small wells on their premises, but they were relying on the goodness of heart of a neighbour, who now wanted to erect a cottage for one of his stockmen, which would put further pressure on the supply.

He argued that he needed the stockman to be living onsite for the farm to run efficiently.

ABOUT 40 war veterans from the 1914-18 war were welcomed to Bromsgrove School. The old soldiers who were all in their 70s and 80s were entertained with cricket and a swimming match as spectacles and treated to tea, before moving over to the parade ground where they watched the group standard bearers competition, and the cadet band giving a demonstration.

THERE had been no serious opposition from teacher organisations to the introduction of a comprehensive system in Worcestershire schools, members of the county council were told. They agreed that they were prepared to formulate a plan for secondary organisation on comprehensive lines, but further time was needed. Due to the high complexity of the subject. There was a general feeling that it was a great pity to break up the present secondary education system which had only just been completed and was beginning to show excellent results.

July 25, 1991

A CAT rescue centre was facing its biggest crisis after being called on to find homes for 54 cats from the home of an elderly woman. Bromsgrove Cat Rescue in Lyttleton Avenue saw its population double overnight, and had to launch a major public appeal to help rehouse the cats, which were all discovered outside a 82-year-old resident’s Fairfield cottage after the owner was taken into hospital.

PERMISSION was granted for a 1920s style ice-cream tricycle to set up in business near the play area on the town’s recreation ground in Market Street in the town centre. Members of Bromsgrove Council gave their full backing to the scheme, granting a temporary licence to Lynn Redhead to start trading immediately, so that she didn’t miss out on the busy summer period whilst waiting for a licence.

JOB prospects were looking even bleaker in Bromsgrove, with a further 115 people joining the dole queue. The jobless total in the Bromsgrove local authority stood at 2,465 at the end of June, compared to 2,350 at the end of May, with little increase in the number of job vacancies. A spokesman for the Job Centre said that there were the same number of vacancies as in the previous year, but many more people were applying for them.

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 at the new Parkside development in Market Street. For more information call the library on 01905 822722.