100 years ago. August 15, 1914.

THE Messenger had a section entitled "Worcestershire and the war".

Among the updates were a story about how a meeting of those interested in the national reserve had been held at the Territorial headquarters in Bromsgrove.

The chairman spoke at the meeting of the supreme crisis that had arisen, and it behoved them to do what they could, to help the cause of their King and country.

All men in Worcestershire were being invited to join the regular Army or Special Reserve, and those wishing to join were asked to report to Col Sergeant Fisher in Worcester Street, or at the Territorial Headquarters in The Strand.

Worcestershire had to recruit for two more regular battalions, so recruiting for the regular Army was the first consideration.

Emergency meetings had also been called by Bromsgrove Urban District Council, Bromsgrove Guardians and Rural District Council, and by the Red Cross movement in Bromsgrove.

A SUCCESSFUL flower show was held at Dodford and District Horticultural Show.

The Vicar of Dodford said they were meeting under unique circumstances, when shows in many other places had been cancelled in the face of the war.

He highlighted the show’s importance saying the duty expected of every man was not confined to the field of battle. He pointed out people must contribute to making the soil more productive, so that they would be capable of meeting the strain that was coming.

50 years ago. August 14, 1964.

THE final stripping of rail services from Bromsgrove and other areas had been officially proposed.

After the rumours, British Railways had announced it would be discussing the closure of Bromsgrove Railway Station with management and staff, with a formal notice giving a closure date expected afterwards.

Other stations threatened with the axe included Blackwell, Barnt Green and Alvechurch.

It meant people from those areas would be forced to travel to Worcester or Birmingham to get a train.

The chairman of Bromsgrove Urban District Council, Mr AW Grant, opposed the move saying rail travel was like sending a letter – a service to which the public had a right.

Bromsgrove MP James Dance said he still felt local facilities would not disappear entirely, suggesting a passenger service could run as was done on the Continent, where the driver was also the ticket collector and there would be halt points to pick up passengers.

THE Messenger reported on the changing face of Bromsgrove. Sunny mede, in New Road, had stood for years as a doctors residence, but the house was being demolished with new houses being built on the site.

Three old cottages that had stood at the junction of St John Street and Kidderminster Road for centuries, had also been pulled down after being acquired by the county council for the purpose of widening a section of Kidderminster Road.

25 years ago. August 17, 1989.

A BROMSGROVE pastor asked the Advertiser/Messenger to spread the word that the church had not gone out of existence.

The Reverend Keith Blades, minister of the New Road Baptist Church, said he had heard people talking about the 13-year-old church’s disappearance, assuming its closure.

In fact the old church building had been demolished so that a larger church could be built on the site.

COUNCILLOR Ann Walton had attacked the state of public toilets in Droitwich.

Speaking at a meeting of the town’s planning committee the Spa councillor said the toilets, opposite Gateway supermarket, had no toilet paper, no seats, no doors and no water.

She described the situation as unacceptable and utterly disgraceful.

As the toilets were operated by a private firm under contract to Wychavon District Council, the committee decided to contact the firm to get them to act.

PLANNING chiefs in Bromsgrove turned down an application from TSB in High Street to replace its shop front.

The bank said the shop front was a rather boring 1960s design, and wanted a mainly plate-glass shop front.

But the authority refused permission because the design was considered inappropriate.

 

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.