Worcestershire | Archive | 2005 | January
THERE is something nice about going for an early morning walk on a cold and frosty morning. more...
WHEN I first started work with Wyre Forest District Council within its Ranger Service things were very different. more...
PUXTON Marsh nature reserve is a lovely place to visit in the spring when the wild flowers are coming into bloom. more...
THE evening before I had gone for a stroll on Hartlebury Common, and once away from the glare of the worst of the street lights, I had taken a moment to stop and stare up into the clear skies. more...
THE first event after the holidays found the Young Rangers feeling heavy after eating too much, so it was time for some exercise. more...
ON seeing a black coloured bird it may be tempting to assume it is a crow, but there are at least five different common birds it could possibly be in the Wyre Forest district. more...
LAST week I was fortunate enough to spend some time working on Hurcott Pools and Wood nature reserve. more...
EACH year I always look forward to the flowering of the blackthorn. more...
IN the spring, many people take great delight in the beautiful display put on by many of the garden bulbs, such as daffodils, snowdrops, crocuses and hyacinths. more...
MILD weather in February has brought an early start to the frog breeding season. more...
AS March blends into April spring slowly starts to unfold. more...
AT the beginning of April many people may indulge in, or at least keep a wary eye out for, people playing tricks on them. more...
HAVING spent most of the week at the end of March decorating I found myself with a free day. more...
THE nature reserves of Hurcott Pool, Spennells Valley and the Rifle Range, in Kidderminster, are just a few of the woody areas which are now covered in a ground flora of lush green succulent leaves. more...
RANGER jobs are competitively sought after, as a recent advertisement proved with over 100 applications for one vacancy. more...
PART of my job as a ranger with Wyre Forest District Council is to share my knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of the natural world with others. more...
APRIL has certainly been a month of contrasts. The beginning of the month was cool and spring-like, the end of the month was wet and cool, while the middle of the month was hot and summery. more...
IN the last few weeks one of Britain's most graceful and beautiful birds has started to arrive on our shores after undertaking a mammoth journey from the equatorial regions of Africa. more...
THE deluge of rain we had in April has proved to be a bounty for many of our district's wild plants and animals, with mild and damp conditions being just what many of our springtime plants needed to put on a real spurt of growth. more...
ALL of us in Wyre Forest district have a new way of getting rid of our waste this year. more...
I ALWAYS feel that the months of May and June are important times in the calendar of a Ranger looking after wetland areas. more...
THE lovely warm weather of May and early June has been a real bonus for one particular form of insect. more...
WHERE can you find foxes and tigers living in harmony together on just one nature reserve? more...
IT must have been quite a few years ago when I first came across the remains of the old Second World War American army hospital's water tower on Burlish Top. more...
IT is the sixth year of the Wyre Forest GAP project. more...
ONE frequently asked question is "what is the difference between a butterfly and a moth?" more...
IN Britain we have six species of native reptiles. more...
ONE of Wyre Forest district's most impressive birds has to be the grey heron. more...
SUMMER school holidays are great for the kids, but it can be quite a challenging time for some parents, as they attempt to keep the youngsters interested and prevent them from becoming bored and getting into mischief. more...
Blake Marsh in Kidderminster has had a troubled history. more...
IF you take a walk through Habberley Valley now there are some pretty spectacular fungi to encounter. more...
One thing that often puzzles me is the lack of wildlife programmes on television looking at British wildlife. more...
THE end of the month of August is always a sad time of year. To me, it signifies the turning of the season and the end of summertime. more...
WHAT rain we have had. Just when you thought it could not possibly rain any harder a new storm would appear and prove you wrong. more...
THE shortening of the daylight hours has a few advantages. more...
ON many occasions I have written about the splendour of our district's lowland heaths. more...
Fire mixed with nature is nearly always a bad thing. more...
THE phrase "fresh," sums up so well the experience of exploring the countryside just following dawn on a clear and sunny autumn morning. more...
Winter is a difficult time for many of our wild mammals. more...
ONE of the things that always surprises me is just how much wildlife can be found even in a small nature reserve. more...
THE other morning I once again indulged myself in a dawn walk, this time it was at Hurcott Pools and Wood nature reserve. more...
NO matter what the weather, no matter what sort of horrible, stressful or boring day at work you may have had, there is one little wildlife gem that can always brighten the day and bring a smile to your face-unless of course you are a fish. more...
Bonfire Night is always described rather optimistically by the staff of the Ranger Service as "interesting times." more...
WITH less light to trap for energy, freezing nights and days can easily damage fragile leaves. more...
THE Devil's Spittleful nature reserve, which lies in the triangle of land between the towns of Stourport, Bewdley and Kidderminster, must be one of the most enigmatically named nature reserves in the country. more...
AT the start of this year's concert, the mayor of Kidderminster, Councillor Siri Hayward, gave a short history of the Town Hall to mark its 150th anniversary, then asked for a minute's silence in respect of the victims of the tsunami disaster. more...
WHEN it comes to picking the handful of truly great bands which have defined the first few years of the 21st century, Kings of Leon will undoubtedly be on the list. more...
WITH most of the trees having lost their leaves in readiness for the coming winter, gardens can often look rather bare. more...
A VISIT to a nature reserve can sometimes present us with a puzzle which can lead to doing a little detective work to solve the mini mystery. more...
Winter is always a hard time for our terrestrial wildlife. more...
Usually, crows are not very highly regarded birds. more...
I have been working as a Ranger within the Wyre Forest District Council for some fourteen years and over this time have found it to be exceptionally rewarding watching the nature reserves change and improve as the management works start to have an effect. more...
Many of us will only have ever seen a leech on television when some daredevil of a presenter will allow him or herself to be bitten for the sake of scientific curiosity and presumably a fat pay cheque. more...
NEW YEAR'S DAY CONCERT more...
WHILE it does not cater for everyone's tastes and takes some getting used to, there is no escaping the hilarious allure of spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary Bo Selecta once you're hooked - and I am. more...
IT'S fair to say funnyman Peter Kay and his hilarious pal Dave Spikey have created a timeless masterpiece in Phoenix Nights - and the second series provided me with a laugh a minute. more...
IT is little wonder this movie, which charts the effects of the American Civil War on a group of people whose lives are intertwined by love, desperation and sheer hopelessness, has been nominated for 13 BAFTAs and is expected to shine at the Oscars. more...
NEIL Simon's glorious dialogue is given a brilliant interpretation by the Nonentities this week. more...
TOP Gun becomes Shogun in this epic tale of honour and conflict between eastern and western cultures. more...
THEY were dancing in the aisles (literally) as this new musical based on the hit 1980s film starring Kevin Bacon hit the stage at the Alexandra Theatre. more...
KIDDERMINSTER Operatic and Dramatic Society have come up with another winner. more...
THE Young Musicians series organised by the Classical Music Society has introduced us to many talented pianists over the years, and the first recital since being renamed the Beryl Chempin series, certainly kept up the standard we have come to expect. more...
THERE are bossy women, very bossy women, and then there is Emma Hornett, who could boss for England. more...
IN Wyre Forest we have the potential to encounter all three of Britain's newt species. more...
THE "men in red" are on top form in this, their centenary year, and made a super start to their concert season, the high spot of which will be their concert in Symphony Hall on June 19. more...
JUDITH Standing forsook her usual position as musical director to take the title part in this happy musical, handing over her baton to Tim Hackett. Claire Worboys also stepped over the footlights, as director and choreographer. more...
THIS country pub near Telford was "the" place to be for any self-respecting indie fan last Thursday night when Babyshambles came to the Midlands for a hastily arranged and very secret gig. more...
THERE were so many twists and turns in this play I think the audience were almost as mentally tired as Dennis Beasley looked at the end of his marathon performance. more...
THE Nonentities brought the well-known characters in this very potted version of Jane Austen's novel to life with aplomb. more...
FOR an evening of breathtaking stunts, juggling dexterity and exhausting acrobatics, there can be no better place than at ringside of the circus. more...
ANYONE who did not enjoy Saturday's concert must be very hard to please. more...
ON Friday night, after Duncan Honeybourne's performance of his Piano Sonata number one, composer John Joubert commented: "That was exactly right" - praise indeed. more...
KIDDERMINSTER MALE CHOIR CENTENARY CONCERT more...
THE young cast from Kidderminster College made us laugh with this up-beat version of Aristophenes' tale of the original women's libbers, who decided they had had enough of war-making, so refused any love-making until their menfolk came to their senses. more...
IT is not every day a stately home opens its grounds to host a live music festival so I had to satisfy my curiosity when the wild child of jazz came a knockin'. more...
IT was great to see the young folk of Kidderminster Operatic and Dramatic Society's youth section (KODYS) so obviously enjoying themselves while entertaining us last week. more...
DIRECTOR Peter Mimmack stated he wished to create a "fresh, visual, psychological, theatrical and dynamic perspective" with his version of this popular Shakespeare play. more...
Over the Christmas period it seems to me that we have had almost every sort of weather imaginable. more...
THOSE of you who own the clutch of stunning albums Todd Rundgren made during the early 70s probably pondered over whether to check out his show last week at Symphony Hall, one of his first British dates in a decade. Well, you didn't miss anything. more...
A CUDDLY baboon stole the show on Saturday night, having been taken along by Mary Baulk, who runs the Butterfly Puppet Theatre. more...
WHAT can I say that has already not been said about this fantastic show? more...
I DON'T like being uncomplimentary about a concert which was a great idea and for a wonderful cause, but this lacked organisation, with little attention to timing, balance or musical content. more...
BILL Kenwright's new production is a polished show with all the essential ingredients of a theatrical smash. more...
THE only word I can think of to sum up this concert is "Wow". David Howles's idea to invite the concert-goers of Kidderminster to his birthday bash was inspired, and the talented singers of Wyre Forest combined with the Bostin' Pops Orchestra - new to me but absolutely brilliant - to present an afternoon of entertainment par excellence. more...
"JOLLY hockeysticks" abound in this tale of a "posh" girls school, where the students are horrified to learn that an elementary schoolgirl has won a scholarship to their establishment. more...
SUPERBLY written with some wonderful, witty dialogue, Arthur Miller's play The Price provided a perfect evening's entertainment. more...
WHEN David Quigley visited Kidderminster two years ago as guest of the Classical Music Society, I was most impressed by the confidence and style of this young pianist, and I eagerly awaited his return performance. more...
WE were transported back to the days of the Palm Court orchestra at Kidderminster Library on Friday evening, in the first of the Classical Music Society's collaborations with the CBSO, which included the familiar strains of Fritz Kreisler's Liebesfreud, the theme music for the radio programme of my youth. more...
ALASTAIR Fothergill told the remarkable story of the groundbreaking documentary series about our planet's oceans with great wit, charm and insight yet it was the breathtaking imagery captured for the BBC's TV epic which enthralled the festival crowd. more...
THE Andy Warhol Syndrome is Jenny Eclair's hard-hitting one woman comedy play which reflects the current obsession with reality television and the consequences on those living Andy Warhol's prophecy. more...
THE cast of Carpet Trades Operatic Society's latest production received a deserved standing ovation on Monday night. more...
WHEN Babyshambles last played this neck of the woods in April lead singer Peter Doherty was a member of The Libertines who, after just one album, were touted as the finest British band of their generation. more...
BOOGIE Nights is back - and this time it's the 1980s with stiletto heels, padded shoulders, puffball skirts, Bob Geldof and Maggie Thatcher. more...
STEPHEN Wicks and Mark Welford retired as principal dancers with the Royal Ballet 10 years ago, and opened a very successful flower business in Covent Garden. more...
IT is often difficult to bring radio or television shows to the stage but, with its format of great chat and intimacy with the audience, Test Match Special is made for the stage. more...
WE left the town hall to the strains of Thank you for the Music and those are my sentiments exactly. more...
LAST weekend the Zutons cancelled the remaining dates of their UK tour after drummer Sean Payne was struck down by a severe viral infection. more...
Nice blokes, The Finn Brothers. They drink what appears to be mugs of tea on stage, sing songs about how they grew up together, loved their mum and cherish their families and give fans the hits which made them famous as one half of Crowded House. more...
POINTLESS, silly and puerile, are the words which sum up the first of this double bill, presented in a joint venture between the Swan Playwrights and the Nonentities. more...
THIS year, the annual fund-raising concert starred The Sirens - Janine Smith (piano), Diana Sharp (soprano) and Dawn Foxall (mezzo soprano), and pianist Paul Fisher. more...
LIKE David Bowie before him, Nick Cave has won a huge cult following by balancing his love of discordant, semi-avant garde songwriting with melodic pop songs which retain the twist heart of his most daring work. more...
STUNNING is the only word to describe this production of Puccini's masterpiece by the Russian State Opera of Rostov. more...
MASTERMIND and University Challenge aren't a patch on the mental tortures dreamed up by cruel Chinese Princess Turandot. more...
AS far as I am concerned, you can never go wrong with Gilbert and Sullivan, so I was delighted to see that the first half of this anniversary evening was a potted, concert version of HMS Pinafore. more...
THE third in the series of Classical Music Society recitals featuring artistes from Birmingham Conservatoire was, as always, of a very high standard. more...
ON Saturday former Young Voices Russell Painter, Beth Dunn and Laura Bassett, led the youngsters in a concert performance of a condensed version of Leonard Bernstein's masterpiece, and it was brilliant. more...
FORMER Savage Garden frontman, Darren Hayes, has cultivated quite a following and they were out in force as he played to a packed hall at the Civic. more...
I WENT on a magical journey to Narnia on Saturday, and enjoyed every minute of it. more...
OUR men's choir's annual seasonal concert was well up to its usual standard, with lots of Christmassy songs, plenty of audience participation, and excellent guest artistes. more...
NEVERMIND "Grease is the word", Grease is the musical where everybody knows the words which leads to a hand-clapping, toe-tapping evening of entertainment. more...
I REALLY feel like Christmas after this festive concert, which was packed with popular carols and yuletide songs. more...
HIPPODROME bosses must have thought all their Christmasses had come at once when this year's panto star Joe Pasquale was named TV's King of the Jungle. more...
PROCEEDS from the forthcoming Bromsgrove Town v Barnt Green cricket match would be given as a benefit to Smith, the town's stumper, who had served the team well and who was presently on duty for the county against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Last week the town played away at Sparkhill and the Messenger was severely critical of the dangerous condition of the pitch. "A hard day with a scythe and roller would make it an ideal pitch for football," it said. more...
THE village of Catshill, in Bromsgrove, was coming to terms with a terrible accident that had claimed the lives of two people and injured several more. Mary Jack, aged 34, from Wildmoor Lane, and Brian Read, 21, from Woodrow Lane, had been among a party from the village's Welcome Hall Bible Class on a coach trip to Switzerland, which crashed in France when the driver was attacked by a wasp. After a joint funeral they were buried side by side in Catshill cemetery. more...
TWO Bromsgrove hospital workers had made it through to the final of the Miss Hospital Personality Competition organised by the Engine House Club at Tardebigge. They were Nanette Drew, a nurse at Lea, and Sandra Murphy, a secretary at the General. more...
TWO Birmingham men appeared at Bromsgrove Police Court on a charge of illegal gambling. Thomas Marsden, of Bordsley Park Road, Birmingham, and James Bridgwater, of Green Lane, Black Heath, were charged with playing a game called `backing the colours' at the Bromsgrove sports day. Superintendent Beal said he had seen the two defendants playing the game and trying to drum up trade. Police Constable Mead, dressed in plain clothes, observed the men for two hours and saw they had a shaker, a dice and a sheet with six colours on. The chairman of of the bench fined them 20s (£1) and 4s (20p) costs each and said: "You are not the kind of gentlemen we want in Bromsgrove." more...
BROMSGROVE firm JK Bradshaw was responsible for the first major building to be finished of the re-planned Coventry city centre, which was destroyed during the war. It was a contemporary designed hairdressing salon. The firm carried out the work in less than eight weeks. As there was only one window in the building, false windows were installed and modern tungsten lighting. more...
FORGINGS manufacturers Garringtons, employers of 1,600 workers, were to be affected by a national strike. The work force was to answer a call for strike action from 18 engineering unions supporting a claim for better pay and shorter hours. But Garringtons workers had an individual agreement with the firm, which guaranteed them wage packets over £80, more than requested by the strike action. Branch secretary of the technical and supervisory arm of the AUEW (Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers), Trevor Porter, said there was nothing he would like better than for the dispute to be called off. He said: "We have nothing to gain by staying at home, only a day's pay to lose." Garringtons management said they knew the position the workers were in so there were no hard feelings. more...
TRADE in Droitwich was getting worse, a situation that prompted the town council to ask the Salt Unionth largest employer if it could take on more staff. The Spa's baths industry and spin offs from it like the hotel trade were flourishing, but what what was needed, the coucil said, was jobs for working men. The Messenger compared the Spa's present plight with that of Bromsgrove 20 years ago when the handmade nail trade began its rapid decline. more...
BROMSGROVE Trades Council called for butchers to label their goods with the price per pound now that rationing had ended. This was to save embarrassing young housewives who had not been used to ordering meat during and the after the war. One young woman, who innocently asked her butcher for a leg of lamb, was stunned when told the price was way beyond her purse at 19/6 (95.5p). When she said "it's a bit big," the butcher retorted "lambs have big legs!" more...
THE cold spring which had stopped many people venturing away from their firesides was thought to be one of the reasons why Avoncroft museum at Stoke Heath, Bromsgrove had for the first time in the ten years since it opened suffered a dramatic fall off in visitors. Last year 60,000 people paid at the turnstiles. more...
SOME paupers at Droitwich workhouse took the opportunity to complain about the plague of flies that was making life miserable, when one of the ruling guardians, Mr Holyoake Wight, paid a visit. They said bald inmates were particularly affected. The master was instructed to take steps to catch the insects, but he had already done so by ordering a quantity of flypapers. more...
THE new open air rifle range built in the quarry in Marlbrook Lane was officially opened in a deluge. Drainage ditches had to be hastily dug to channel the flood water away. Work on the project, which could accommodate 36 marksmen, had been carried out by the Bromsgrove branch of the Worcestershire Regiment's Association. more...
COMEDIAN Ernie Wise was to officially open Bromsgrove's new Fine Fare supermarket in Market Street. And the well-known actor Gordon Jackson had promised to come to make the draw for a raffle for a holiday of a lifetime, courtesy of the store. more...
MORE women are setting up their own business in Worcestershire, according to new figures. more...
BROMSGROVE was to have comedies and tragedies to look forward to as a theatrical licence was granted for Viola Jennings to stage plays in a temporary building in Crown Close for two months from October 1. Chairman of the magistrates' bench, Mr Hobson, said Miss Jenning's theatre had been coming to Bromsgrove for 50 years and its conduct had always been of the highest character. more...
TWO of the oldest firms in the legal profession in Pershore and Tewkesbury are to change names. more...
Bromsgrove High School students were celebrating their exam results. Most pupils took one or two advanced levels, but some of the brighter ones excelled and passed three. Three or four `O', or ordinary, levels were generally taken. The Messenger carried a full list of the candidates who passed. more...
A NEW hair salon is offering free trims to celebrate its launch today. more...
SHOPPERS were reminded the new Fine Fare superstore would be opening on September 4, based on Market Street, where the ASDA store is now. The store manager promised bargain hunters to refund twice the difference if they could do their weekly shop anywhere else cheaper. more...
Outdoor clothing retailer Blacks Leisure today unveiled a healthy rise in Christmas sales but said margins had fallen. more...
A BROMSGROVE man appeared at Bow Street Court, London, charged on remand with committing wilful and corrupt perjury. William Robert Reece, a commission agent, was charged with perjury when giving evidence in support of a claim he brought against London and North Western Railway Company for £5,000 because of personal injury. He protested he was totally deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other and couldn't fully hear the questions asked of him at the claims hearing. He was found to be shamming after being tested by a doctor. He was accused and remanded. more...
A WORCESTER-based computer systems company has increased its annual turnover by £2m by merging with another business. more...
IMPROVEMENTS were made in Rubery to homes on New Inns Lane after residents experienced difficulties because of low water pressure. The problem arose because the top water level of the Chandwich service reservoir, which controlled the water pressure, was slightly higher that the houses in question. A solution was found when the Corporation of Birmingham carried out developments on the Birmingham side of Callowbrook Lane and organised with Worcestershire water company for them to take a small bulk supply at the lower end of New Street lane. more...
MRS Gill Hadgetts was presented with a cheque for £1,000 after being the last winner of the old-style Bromsgrove District Council lottery. It was the last draw before a new bingo style was introduced. more...
BROMSGROVE Cricket Club had taken full advantage of an ideal cricketing summer to break all previous records. In 1894, 18 matches had been won, but this year the score stood at 23 wins with only five lost out of a total of 34 games played. 5,455 runs had been scored for the loss of 293 wickets. more...
THE proliferation of advertising signs on main road approaches to Bromsgrove was irritating the urban district council which had compiled a list of some 150 offenders. Many included national company slogans, others, mainly local firms, had their names emblazoned on the gable ends of properties. more...
THE standard of the Bromsgrove branch of the Burma Star Association was carried with pride by 73-year-old Stan Wright at the funeral of Earl Mountbatten. The town was one of a hundred or so represented from all over Britain at the funeral. Mr Wright was secretary of the local branch. more...
COMPLAINTS from nearby residents about organised ball games, particularly football, being played in Crown Close could lead to the town getting its first official recreation ground. Bromsgrove's town council was to explore the possibility of allowing building on land in Market Street in return for use of land at the rear as a public open space. The vicar, particularly, was upset at the damage caused to his garden and greenhouse by balls being kicked into his vicarage garden. more...
THERE was mounting concern in educational circles over the type of material school children in the district were reading. It followed the discovery that an American comic was doing the rounds in local schools. more...
BOURNHEATH cat breeder Marion Pearson, from Parish Hill, was doing her bit to foster better relationships with countries from behind the Iron Curtain. Two of her prize Persian pussies had been exported to a village near Budapest where their new owner planned to breed from them. more...
THE Congregational Church of Wychbold was prettily decorated with fruit, vegetables and flowers for the harvest thanksgiving celebration. While the song service in the afternoon was well attended and presided over by Mr Chivers, of Cambridge. He gave an address and then the congregation heard solo and duet performances from members of the choir. Mrs Drinkwater played the new organ. In the evening, a large congregation listened to a service and everyone congratulated the church on the success of the event and the acquisition of the splendid organ, which would serve for many services to come. Collections and donations on the day were particularly good, amounting to £4. The gifts of fruit and vegetables were divided between the Bromsgrove Cottage Hospital, the Almhouses and other institutions. more...
A WEEK of Battle of Britain activities were concluded with the customary parade and service to commend `the devotion and heroism of those members of the Royal Air Force who gave their lives for our sakes', according to the speaker Rev C Hand. A procession from Market Street through the town centre to St John's Church included members of Bromsgrove and Stourbridge branches of the Royal Air Force Association, the Bromsgrove and Lickey End British Legion and other groups from the district. Rev Hand, a former priest-in-charge at Fairfield gave an address. He said the younger generation easily forgets the great sacrifices that were made in the war. "Our memories are very, very short," said Rev Hand, "That's why it is important that this service should be held annually to remind people of the sacrifices that were made." The church collection amounted to £11 6s 6d (£11.32½) more...
SEVENTEEN-hundred workers at Bromsgrove's GKN Garringtons factory were sent home as the forge closed down indefinitely. The shock move came after the town's biggest employers failed to curb damaging industrial action over a national union pay claim. Workers had only been told about the decision two days before. A spokesman for the firm said the closure was a direct result of the overtime ban and three-day week imposed by the unions. Feelings were mixed as the workers clocked off. Some blamed the unions for their plight while others blamed the management. Most were annoyed at the short notice they had been given. One skilled fitter said: "Some of us expected it to happen sooner or later anyway. There have been rumours since the end of August." more...
THE daily newspaper The Morning Leader carried a picture of a lad from Wychbold, one Master Sproaten, whom it described as a "giant." The boy, aged five weighed a massive 9stones 4lbs. more...
THE first phase of a £2,500 scheme to restore All Saint's Church in Bromsgrove began after the initial £500 had been raised. However, problems had been encountered early on when it was found laths in the roof were above the main beams not below, as was more usual. more...
WOMEN patients in the surgical ward at Bromsgrove General Hospital would have the hardworking members of the WRVS to thank for enabling them to maintain their modesty in future. Their trolley service made a profit of £2,000 with which they planned to buy curtains to screen off the beds. The present curtain tracks were inadequate and left chinks between the curtains. more...
THE revolting condition of the latrines at Stourbridge Road School occupied the minds of North Bromsgrove School managers when they held their monthly meeting. It was said there was clear evidence they had not been emptied for some time and it was resolved to send a post card to the urban district council, which was responsible for them, urging that they be attended to swiftly. more...
JOHN Shrimpton Cooke, the well known Bromsgrove printer, shopkeeper, sportsman and long time member of the Baptist church, died aged 68 in the room in his premises in Market Place in which he had been born. He had run a printing works there and his aunt Miss Shrimpton and his sister Margery managed the sub post office. more...
WORK began on repairing the 160-year-old canal tunnel at Tardebigge which had closed last year when it became unsafe. The delay had been caused because of difficulties in hiring a suitable contractor to carry out the specialised work. more...
WALKMILLS Farm at Wychbold, comprising a house, outbuildings and 57 acres of land came under the hammer at an auction conducted by Luce and Silvers the Bromsgrove auctioneers. After spirited bidding it was sold for £4,000. more...
COUNCIL house tenants in Bromsgrove were upset at new rules which limited them to keeping one dog, six hens and an outright ban on cockerels. Frank Taylor an enterprising tenant from Sidemoor who bred Alsations had got round the new ruling limiting the size of dog pens. He had cleverly sunk part of his pen into his garden thereby maintaining the strict four-foot height above ground level restriction. more...
JOHN Edney, aged 42, a bus driver from Lander Close, Rubery, got a shock when experts told him the misshapen object he had dug up after locating it with bis metal detector was a cannon ball from the Civil War. He returned to the undisclosed spot and dug up a further 37 per fectly shaped balls. He planned to donate some to the Norton Collection. more...
A WOODEN casket containing the ashes of the late Rev T C de la Hay, former vicar of St John's Church in Bromsgrove from 1921-44, was buried in the nave at the foot of the chancel arch. more...
TWO religious memorial murals given by Donald Gilbert of London in memory of his father Walter, one of the founders of the Bromsgrove Guild along with Lous Weingartner his loyal assistant for many years, were dedicated at a service at Hanbury church. The originals had been used for part of the reredos at Liverpool Cathedral. more...
MORE than 2,500 jobs at the Austin works at Longbridge were to be axed as part of British Leyland chairman Michael Edwardes' survival plan. Altogether a total of 25,000 jobs were to go from all the plants involved. more...
AN Aston Fields man knocked out two giant tiger tanks in France. Sergeant Frank H Barker, of Coronation Terrace, of Worcestershire Regiment, used his anti-tank gun to take out the German tanks by loading and firing together. He said: "They went by slowly, I opened up on the first tank at 450 yards, my first shot put it out of action." Crew from the second tan bailed out after he fired at it and its gears locked. more...
AT a meeting chaired by Mr W T Fox, Belbroughton Parish Council heard their persistent representations for the provision of a footpath along the Bell Heath Road had at long last borne fruit. The divisional surveyor wrote it was hoped that work would be carried out in the near future, and a suggested path, also asked for in Top Road, would be passed to the county surveyor for his observation. Gratitude was also passed to the county council for the efforts made to clear roadside gullies in Dordale Road, thus preventing further flooding. more...
BROMSGROVE and District Canine Society had a good quality entry for their final show of the year. Best in show was a whippet bitch named Savillepark Symphony, best opposite sex was golden retriever Andy Grey Token of Michant, with a standard poodle bitch named Silverstell of Whittens, taking the prize for best puppy. more...
A BROMSGROVE family had a lucky escape after an explosion in a river cruiser home. Mr and Mrs Stanley Ryland, who formerly lived at the Elms, Rock Hill, Bromsgrove, lived with their two children in the boat. A gas leak from cylinders used for cooking exploded ripping the cabin roof off and smashing glass panels on the side of the cruiser. Fortunately none of the family were injured. more...
SPEAKING at the annual dinner of Bromsgrove Town Band, Chairman of the Urban District Council, Mr Webley, gave the news that the long awaited bandstand will probably be erected in Sanders Park. The meeting was held at the Golden Cross, in Bromsgrove. Mr Fred Smith offered materials for the stand. more...
THE new Rubery residents association committed itself to fight for a better deal for members. Cockhill Residents Association, covering nearly 1,000 homes, was determined to change the image of the area when over 100 people attended a meeting chaired by resident Brian France. He said: "People are angered by the lack of interest shown by the council. Some of the problems maybe of our own making but the area has suffered years of neglect." more...
SIDNEY Giles, from Little Lane, Bromsgrove, would have ample time to reflect on his misdemeanours when he was sentenced to a month's jail at Worcester for twice having been found guilty of using foul language in his own home, but within earshot of the public at large. Deciding to give him a sharp lesson, Bromsgrove magistrates heard he had committed the offences last month but had 16 previous convictions for the same crime. He was also fined £2/0/3 (£2.1) including costs and given no time to pay. more...
DURING Droitwich's Remembrance Day service, Alderman Mrs J Adenbrooke unveiled a plate on the war memorial bearing the names of those who died during the two world wars. For an hour before the service began a guard of honour was mounted by two veterans from the first war and two who served in the second. more...
BROMSGROVE would know before Christmas whether its bid to form a twinning link with Gronau in West Germany would be successful. A delegation from Gronau had just completed a whistlestop tour of Bromsgrove to judge its suitability. Bromsgrove had already agreed to the plan. more...
DROITWICH West End Cricket Club held its annual ball in Salters' Hall with dancing from 8pm to 4am. Around 130 couples took to the floor many of the men in flannels and sporting the club's blue and old gold colours. They were watched by 130 spectators in the gallery who no doubt watched the grand proceedings with some envy. more...
BROMSGROVE Cricket Club was a solid bulwark against an encroaching Birmingham City and a rapidly ever-changing town Mr S Foster told the 64 guests at their annual dinner held at the Golden Cross Hotel. The club was also currently enjoying a new lease of life with members showing a renewed interest in its activities. more...
CAR-STARVED British Leyland dealers who could not get their hands on enough of the firm's best seller, the popular Mini range produced at Longbridge, were having to turn customers away. This was having a detrimental effect on sales and which resulted in Ford models occupying the top five places. But help was on the way. Minis were to be made in Belgium from kits despatched from Longbridge and then shipped back to the UK. more...
RUBERY Citizen's Association was celebrating its silver jubilee. It was founded in 1929 when there had been many grumbles regarding East Worcestershire Waterworks Company wanting to put up its prices. As a result the company backed down. more...
BROMSGROVE Motors in Worcester Road was advertising the new Hillman Minx car for £470 plus £196 purchase tax. more...
BAYER, who had lately taken over the former Uniroyal site at Stoke and which had originally been the salt works, staged an open day to demonstrate the latex making process to villagers. more...
BROMSGROVE Rovers manager, Roy Martin, had acted swiftly to shore up his depleted side after seven first team members, including John Dyer, left. He had signed four players and was hard on the trail of a further six. Among the new men was goalie Mickey Lawrence who had league experience and who was said to be the best in the county. more...
AN inquest into the murder of Florrie Porter, a 33-year-old clerk at the Austin works, whose body was found at Lickey End School, returned a verdict of murder by "some person unknown." The victim, from nearby Little Heath Lane, had been stabbed seven times. more...
ALICE Potter, aged 17, from Bromsgrove, pleaded guilty at the Worcester Assizes to a charge of forgery. She had written a letter purporting to come from her family's landlord, Mr Ince, of High Street, to the bailiff, to the effect that no rent was owed him. She had also filled in the rent book herself. The judge showed no mercy and handed her a three-month jail sentence. more...
BROMSGROVE Council refused two proposals to develop in Rubery. One was from Messrs A and J Mucklow for an extension of their Callowbrook Farm enterprise on land shown on the County Development Plan as being outside the development area, and a plot was needed for a public open space for the adjoining residential area. The other applicant was Mr T H Wooldridge who wished to build on Waseley Hills Farm. In that case, the council said, the area was not specified for development and the plot was also required for public pen space. more...
A SINGLE engine De Haviland Moth Minor aircraft being flown from Buckinghamshire to Coventry to take part in the King's Cup Air Race was forced to land at Forest Farm, Hanbury, because of mist and a shortage of petrol. The two occupants stayed at a Droitwich hotel overnight while fuel was obtained from Birmingham. A fire engine from Bromsgrove was summoned to stand by as the plane took off. more...
BROMSGROVE town planners decided to play the waiting game before expressing an opinion on a suggestion to ban all through traffic from using Windsor Street. The county inspired suggestion to make the street a bus only route, except for those requiring access, was met with some concern by local councillors who deferred making a decision until the pattern of traffic emerged following the introduction of a traffic free High Street. Surveyor, John Sowden, told the meeting that the county surveyor held the view that with the traffic free High Street, there was the possibility of motorists using Windsor Street as a through route. This he felt would lead to unacceptable congestion. Councillor Guy Barker, contented the suggestion was premature and on the requirement of the chairman Cllr Margaret Taylor, it was agreed to wait and see the pattern of traffic which emerged. more...
RESOURCEFUL Ian Jennings, 16, of Old Station Road, Bromsgrove, was doing something practical to realise his dream of getting into showbusiness by arranging interviews with the stars. Already he had met John Inman, Trevor Bannister, Nicholas Parsons and Max Bygraves. Recently he had caught up with Dora Bryant while he was on holiday in Bournemouth. more...
IT was announced some 50 students from Bromsgrove County High School would be assisting with the mail deliveries to assure the Christmas post got through on time. University and college students were also assisting in mail sorting. People were being urged to get their seasonal mail posted as soon as possible to avoid backlogs. more...
WILLIAM Crampton, landlord of the Boat pub at Stoke Works, and George Patterson, of the White Hart in Hanover Street, appeared before Bromsgrove magistrates charged with adding water to their whisky and rum respectively. In both cases Lucy Perry, whose father was a police sergeant, had posed as a customer to buy a pint of the spirits in each pub for 2/4d (11.5p). She had then given her father samples to have analysed. Both landlords were fined £1 with 7/6d (37.5p) costs. more...
MEMBERS of Stoke Prior Parish Council decided at their meeting to give their active support to the appeal for help in meeting the cost of renovating Stoke Prior Village Hall. Treasurer Mr ES Passmore told colleagues that the provision of a new floor had cost about £400 of which there was at present a deficit of about £150. The committee had about that much in bonds but at least that much again was needed to renovate the exterior woodwork, which had been infested with woodworm. more...
FOOD rationing was finally set to end this weekend and the final meeting of the Bromsgrove control committee was held at the Council House. Tributes were paid to the 50 committee members who had carried out the government's orders during, what at times had been difficult periods, and to housewives in the district who had generally coped very well with the hardships rationing had placed on them. more...
GOVERNMENT cutbacks in education grants, amounting to £13m over the past four years, was starting to have serious effects on local schools. Text books were in short supply and teachers had taken on many of the duties normally carried out by ancillary staff, which had been cut by 40 per cent. Many headteachers were saying standards would inevitably fall as a result. more...
WITH the holiday season nearly upon us and mixed bathing now accepted in most popular watering holes, the advice in the Messenger's women's column was timely. It said now there was a need to be smart. Out had gone unfashionable old blue sack bathing gowns in favour of smart knee-length pleated skirts and "sailor" type blouses. However, a thin corset would still be worn beneath. more...
BROMSGROVE Rovers had been saved from financial ruin by the supporters' Victoria Club and its weekly football sweep, the club's annual meeting held at the Roebuck pub in High Street heard. They had given £1,000 towards the new floodlights £638 for general expenses and £250 to pay outstanding debts. The season had been bad financially due to poor gates and increased costs. Sadly for the club the police had now ordered the sweep to stop. more...
BROMSGROVE council was preparing to get tough on motorists who refused to pay the £5 excess "fine" when caught not having paid the 10p car park fee. The amount so far lost to the authority since last year was £3,000. more...
A SHOCKING suicide was the main talking point in Bromsgrove this week. On Sunday, William Morris, 56, a bootmaker from Worcester Street, was found in his shop with his throat cut just hours after attempting to take his own life by swallowing strychnine. Then a doctor had used a stomach pump to save him. This time however, the doctor had been just five minutes too late to help him. The inquest jury at the police station heard Morris had been depressed over a property deal at Rock Hill, which had led him to take to drink. more...
BOTH urban and rural councils in Bromsgrove were experiencing problems recruiting dustmen to carry out the fortnightly refuse collections from 8,000 homes in the district, At present, it was being done by 22 men using four carts but as more homes were being built they were finding it harder to cope. Council chiefs were to consider introducing an incentive scheme to encourage the men to work harder. more...
THE strawberry season got under way in Bromsgrove last week and was expected to be a fortnight shorter owing to the poor crop resulting from last winter's severe weather and the recent very hot spell. At Asborough's Fruit Farm, at Burcot, 2,000 pick-your-own visitors were expected on Sunday alone. more...
In the days before the introduction of the National Health Service, the Cottage Hospital held an annual fundraising Saturday in High Street. More money than ever had been donated over the course of the year and the funds were up by £16 15s 6d (£16.77½). The Messenger reported that the people of Bromsgrove could always be relied upon to respond to a hospital appeal. Already a number of workmen were contributing pennies each week but the Messenger was appealing for everybody to give a little bit more for the good of everyone. more...
Two cyclists summoned to court for lighting offences were said to have told the police officers who stopped them they had no excuses. PC Willetts presented the evidence against Harvey Jones of Dodford. PC Willetts said Jones was riding his bike without proper lighting after midnight and that, when he saw the policeman approaching, he got off the machine. Jones did not attend court and so was fined 15s (75p). Reginald Ashford, of Fox Lane, was fined 5s (25p) less for riding his bike without lights because he attended court in person. more...
Townsfolk were complaining of being disturbed by low-flying jets. Bromsgrove's MP, Hal Miller, had written to the Ministry of Defence asking why the aircraft were training over the district. The planes had spooked farmyard animals, set infants screaming and frightened residents. Landlord of the Country Girl pub, Mark Harman, said the jets had regularly been flying lower than the Droitwich radio masts. The RAF claimed it knew nothing of the training. more...
IN these days of supposedly near full employment, we frequently hear of employers bemoaning the difficulty of filling vacancies. more...
FEW will have heard of a tsunami before the horrific events in Asia over Christmas. more...
I SUPPOSE it was inevitable that the devastation in South East Asia should remind me of my wartime sojourn in Sri Lanka where many places currently in the news are well known to me. more...
THERE has been some correspondence in recent weeks concerning the move of three of Worcester's surgeries to new locations. more...
FIFTY years ago this week, huge celebrations swept the country as people marked the Queen's coronation at Westminster Abbey. more...
January 14, 1904 more...
January 15, 1954 more...
January 18, 1979 more...
January 23, 1904 more...
January 22, 1954 more...
January 19, 1979 more...
January 30, 1904 more...
January 29,1954 more...
January 26, 1979 more...
February 4, 1904 more...
February 5, 1954 more...
February 2, 1979 more...
HERE, in about 1943, are the Special Constables who policed Wythall and Alvechurch during the war years. more...
February 13, 1904 more...
February 12 1954 more...
February 9, 1979 more...
THE hunt is on for photographs of the effects of wartime bombing on Redditch - images which seem to be few and far between. more...
February 20, 1904 more...
February 19, 1954 more...
February 16, 1979 more...
February 27, 1904 more...
February 26, 1954 more...
February 23, 1979. more...
March 5, 1904 more...
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March 2, 1979 more...
March 12, 1904 more...
March 12, 1954 more...
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March 19, 1904 more...
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March 16, 1979 more...
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April 2 1904 more...
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April 9 1954 more...
April 6, 1979 more...
April 19, 1904 more...
April 16, 1954 more...
April 13, 1979 more...
THIS picture of the fire brigade printed in our Memory Lane column on March 31 prompted a bit of head scratching among readers. more...
April 23, 1904 more...
April 23, 1954 more...
April 20, 1979 more...
April 30, 1904 more...
April 30, 1954 more...
April 27, 1979 more...
Saturday, May 7, 1904 more...
Friday May 7, 1954. more...
RADIO One DJs JK and Joel (below) are the latest to pledge their support to the Evening News' Wishband Appeal for the victims of the Asian tsunami disaster. more...
Friday May 4, 1979 more...
May 12, 1904 more...
VETS have arrived in the tsunami-hit areas of Asia to care for the animal casualties of the disaster. more...
May 14, 1954 more...
IF dedication and commitment are what makes a good volunteer then two women who work for Kemp Hospice have had it in bucket loads. more...
ENTERTAINERS Scott Denton and Natalie Hill are planning to sleep out in the cold on Friday night as part of a bid to raise money for the tsunami disaster fund. more...
May 11, 1979 more...
COUNTRY and Western fans are organising a special dance for the Asia tsunami appeal. more...
THE highlight of the social and cultural calendar for many Kidderminster Scots - Burns Night - will bring a boost to the coffers of Kemp Hospice this year. more...
SINGERS are being invited to perform in a concert for the tsunami emergency appeal. more...
Saturday May 21 1904 more...
May 21, 1954 more...
STOURPORT Guides - who have been busy raising almost £1,000 for Kemp Hospice - are among the lucky ones, with other girls in the town queuing up to join the organisation. more...
May 18, 1979 more...
LAST Saturday the Harriers were superb - first on the ball time and time again - and John Williams's splendid goal was richly deserved by the whole team. more...
May 24, 1904 more...
A BIG HEARTED and energetic crowd of Hartlebury folk have raised £8,000 for Kemp Hospice. more...
May 28, 1954 more...
ALTHOUGH I was unable to get to the Harriers' match on Tuesday, I understand from reports that our players were not intimidated by the huge crowd and the circumstances and gave a very good account of themselves, coming very near to scoring on several occasions. more...
May 25, 1979 more...
KEMP Hospice's new fund-raising officer has wasted no time in getting into her new role with a book of poetry and a major spring event already in the pipeline. more...
June 4, 1904 more...
I WAS sorry to learn from a recent letter that some people still have difficulty in finding out how to contact me. more...
June 4, 1954 more...
June 1, 1979 more...
EVERYTHING is coming up sunflowers on the Kemp Hospice fund-raising front now it has joined forces with national supermarket chain Tesco. more...
THE excitement over the top-up fees vote waned throughout Tuesday as there were last-minute changes of mind among Labour rebels. more...
June 11, 1904 more...
THE fun-loving girls at Concepts hair salon plan to snip their way to raising a hefty sum for Kemp Hospice. more...
THE constraints of time are difficult this week. The Standing Committee scrutinising the Human Tissue Bill takes up five hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays not including the time for preparation wading through arcane and tortuous language to try to dig out the meaning of some clauses. more...
June 11, 1954 more...
June 8, 1979 more...
A WOLVERLEY farmworker's winter evening pastime has resulted in a boost to the coffers at Kemp Hospice. more...
June 18, 1904 more...
IT has been good to see that the flood defences on Severn Side North, Bewdley, really work. more...
June 18, 1954 more...
AN array of stunning hats created by children was the highlight of a Kidderminster nursery's Easter fun in aid of Kemp Hospice. more...
June 15, 1979 more...
SINCE the downgrading of our hospital in September 2000 any emergency patient going to the minor injuries unit, if a medical opinion is required, has to travel to the accident and emergency department at Worcester. more...
June 22, 1979 more...
KEMP Hospice took a further step towards moving into its new home after councillors approved the latest building plans. more...
June 25, 1954 more...
FOLLOWING inquiries made at the request of a constituent, I have learnt that prospective employers recruiting from the Jobcentre must be aware that because of the Data Protection Act the Jobcentre is unable carry out criminal record checks. more...
June 25, 1904 more...
Friday June 29, 1979 more...
KEMP Hospice is branching out with a new fund-raising event which will go ahead amid the beautiful specimen trees and woodland of Bodenham Arboretum. more...
St Mary's Church was packed on Sunday for the service of celebration and dedication of the new bells. more...
July 2, 1954 more...
KEMP Hospice has made a "change" for the better thanks to a new recruit - a coin sorting and weighing machine. more...
TODAY we welcome Stephen Ladyman MP, the junior Health Minister with responsibility for the West Midlands on his visit to the treatment centre at our hospital. more...
July 2, 1904 more...
July 9, 1904 more...
KEMP Hospice is asking people to think outside the box to help them with an urgent fund-raising problem. more...
July 9, 1954 more...
THE Health Minister's visit to the Kidderminster treatment centre last week was suitably low key and one encouraging outcome was the demonstration of commitment by local managers supported by the minister to develop services here for prostate, hip and knee operations in otherwise fit people. more...
RESIDENTS living in a Redditch road may have to fork out £50 a year to park outside their own homes. more...
STAFF at Kidderminster's Tesco store got on their bike to help raise £230 for Kemp Hospice. more...
July 16, 1904 more...
I RECEIVE many letters from pensioners about the problem of increasing Council Tax with static or falling incomes. more...
July 16, 1954 more...
A STOURPORT boy's winning way with words has won Kemp Hospice an award for being the best charity in the Midlands. more...
July 13, 1979 more...
THE Duke of Kent's visit last week was a celebration of the success of two local companies, Monitron International and Forte Cloth. more...
July 23, 1904 more...
July 23, 1954 more...
STAFF at Kemp Hospice are over the moon after a wealthy Tenbury Wells recluse left the charity the lion's share of his £1.4 million estate - thought to be the biggest legacy the organisation has ever received. more...
THE Easter Recess began on April 2, a week earlier than originally planned. The only reason that I could learn for this was the incredible theory that the House of Commons had run out of work. more...
July 20, 1979 more...
A PENSIONER is trying to build on the success of a previous raffle in a repeat bid to raise vital cash for Kemp Hospice. more...
I HAVE received many letters about difficulties obtaining dental care in Wyre Forest. more...
July 30, 1904 more...
July 30, 1954 more...
HELPFUL youngsters packed bags of shopping as part of a summer challenge to encourage children to be good citizens. more...
July 27, 1979 more...
I REFERRED to the first public meeting of the Wyre Forest Primary Care Trust Patient Forum in my Viewpoint last week. more...
August 6, 1904 more...
WYRE Forest people are being urged to put on stout walking shoes and take to the highways and byways around Bewdley in aid of Kemp Hospice. more...
August 8, 1954 more...
I ATTENDED the celebratory mass at the Polish Church in Kidderminster on Sunday and the service, although mostly in Polish, brought home to me forcibly what it really means to Poles to become part of the European Community. more...
August 3, 1979 more...
ZOIKS! It looks like this cuddly toy Scooby Doo has had one too many Scooby snacks judging by his size but that is good news for staff at Kemp Hospice who have put him to work raising money. more...
August 13, 1904 more...
THE crisis for us all in Iraq goes on. The Secretary of State for Defence was forced to come to the House to make a statement about the allegations of mistreatment of prisoners. more...
August 13, 1954 more...
August 10, 1979 more...
A STOURPORT woman has come to the rescue of patients with cold feet at Kemp Hospice by socking it to them - in the nicest possible way. more...
THE draft Identity Cards Bill Consult-ation Paper has been published recently. more...
August 20, 1904 more...
COMMUNITY-spirited Wyre Forest people will be using pedal power to raise money for charity on a special push bike. more...
I HAD a ringside seat for the exciting events in the chamber last Wednesday when the flour bomb glanced off the Prime Minister's back. more...
FUND-raising chiefs at Kidderminster's Kemp Hospice estimate that £5,000 could have been generated for its coffers through a sponsored ride on the world's biggest bike. more...
LACK of NHS dentists, trains to Birmingham New Street and buses have been concerns raised with me frequently recently. more...
EASY tiger! A district councillor is to ride alongside the Nile river in Egypt to raise charity cash - and hopes his cuddly friend will help boost proceeds. more...
I had the worst journey to London in my experience last Monday evening. Having missed the 18.15 from New Street to Euston due to delays between Kidderminster and Birmingham, the 18.45 Virgin train, due to arrive in London at 20.31, arrived at 00.02, three hours and 31 minutes late. more...
EVERY picture tells a story and a painting of a pretty, wintry sunrise in Bewdley tells a tale of a huge amount of money raised for Kemp Hospice. more...
ON our local election scene the triple convergence of mixing district council elections with multiple numbers of same-party candidates and the heavy overlay of the European election produced some surprising ward results which will take Wyre Forest District Council out of productive Health Concern minority control - a pity. more...
A RESPECTED former Kidd-erminster GP and chairman of Kemp Hospice board of trustees, Dr Michael Taylor, has died following a short illness. more...
DESPITE two drenchings I enjoyed Kidderminster Carnival last Saturday. more...
MORE than £25,000 worth of tools have been stolen from a Worcester business. more...
Mum sheds 109 lbs and is stepping out for hospice more...
Grammar... in Asum speak more...
THE debate on the report stage and third reading of the Human Tissue Bill took place on Monday. more...
August 20, 1954 more...
HOUSE-builder Neil Grinnall has put his mansion on the market for £1.5m - even though more...
August 17, 1979 more...
A BUDDING product designer from Worcestershire has his fingers crossed that his novel idea to save shoppers from aching hands will win him an award. more...
August 27, 1904 more...
FURIOUS residents in a Droitwich street say Wychavon planners have failed to act after building conditions were contravened. more...
ALTHOUGH we have suspected that the county council would decide on a move to a two-tier system for Wyre Forest schools, the announcement still came as a shock. more...
August 27, 1954 more...
HEREFORD and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service support staff are set to move out of the city centre this summer in a bid to improve efficiency and cut costs. more...
August 24, 1979 more...
PENSIONERS in Worcester have won their battle against the controversial £12 concessionary bus passes. more...
I HAVE received many letters recently about the shortage of NHS dentists. more...
September 3, 1904 more...
THE female driver of a red Ford Escort van needed treatment at Worcestershire Royal Hospital following a collision with a tipper lorry on the A449 just outside Worcester. more...
September 3, 1954 more...
A YOUNGSTER who is the only survivor of triplets, and is lucky to be alive after being born four months premature, is to star on television tonight. more...
TOMORROW the parliamentary recess begins. So much has occurred this week in the House of Commons that I will summarise some events in my column next week and concentrate on local affairs today. more...
August 31, 1979 more...
MP Peter Luff has kicked up a stink in the Commons about a children's BBC show based on toilet humour. more...
THE recent 90th anniversary of the start of the First World War prompted a reader to send in this picture of her uncle, Albert Blick. more...
September 10, 1904 more...
THE bad behaviour of rich football stars has been blamed for the abandonment of a Worcester under-14s' match - on the same weekend another match was scrapped for the same reason. more...
YET again the Prime Minister has escaped unscathed for his handling of the Iraq situation. more...
September 10, 1954 more...
September 7, 1979 more...
September 17, 1904 more...
I HAVE enjoyed a complete break during the last month, having had a fascinating trip to Taiwan to visit my son and his family. The safety and comfort of long haul air travel amazes me but I am always pleased to return to England with its climate and food! Noodles are fine occasionally but the humble potato remains my choice. more...
September 17, 1954 more...
September 14, 1979 more...
IT was very good to see a large number of elaborate floats at the Stourport Carnival but while being delighted by the enthusiasm and excitement of the many children on the various floats, I could not help remembering the truly awful events in Beslan as such a horrific contrast. more...
September 24, 1904 more...
September 24, 1954 more...
LAST week I took part in a working forum organised by the Severn and Avon Vale Wetlands Partnership to study how to take forward their ambitious plans for preserving and reclaiming areas of wetland along these two major rivers. more...
September 21, 1979 more...
October 1, 1904 more...
I have just attended a Stakeholder Workshop organised by the Environment Agency to study the value of the River Severn as a unique resource for everyone living near it throughout its long course. more...
October 1, 1954 more...
LAST Friday Macmillan Cancer Relief held their annual World's Biggest Coffee Morning. more...
September 28, 1979 more...
October 8, 1904 more...
October 8, 1954 more...
AT this time of year educational visits to the House of Commons are arranged for senior students from schools and colleges. more...
October 5, 1979 more...
October 12, 1979 more...
ON Monday I took part in one of the best debates I have attended. more...
October 15, 1954 more...
October 15, 1904 more...
THIS week I am away on a Health Select Committee visit gathering evidence for our current inquiry into the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on the NHS and whether it is appropriate or excessive. more...
October 22, 1904 more...
I HAVE just returned from a week in Australia with the Health Select Committee as part of our current inquiry into the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on the NHS. more...
October 22, 1954 more...
TWO important reports with which I have been involved have been published this week. more...
October 19, 1979 more...
October 29, 1904 more...
October 29, 1954 more...
I suffered a moment of intense frustration last week. more...
November 2 , 1979 more...
November 5, 1904 more...
YET again affairs concerning us have been decided by a majority from other parts of the county. more...
November 5, 1954 more...
November 2, 1979 more...
ON Monday I joined Class Four at Cookley Sebright First School for their lesson in the visiting Life Education Centres' caravan. more...
November 10, 1904 more...
November 12, 1954 more...
AT a recent parliamentary briefing on digital hearing aids, I learnt that all NHS audiology departments will be routinely fitting digital hearing aids by April 2005. more...
November 9, 1979 more...
THE Hospital League of Friends had their Christmas party last Saturday when over 100 volunteers met for a buffet lunch and talks from the architect designing the new coffee shop, from myself and from David Wase, the chairman. more...
November 19, 1904 more...
November 17, 1954 more...
November 16, 1979 more...
November 26, 1904 more...
November 26, 1954 more...
November 23, 1979 more...
December 3, 1904 more...
December 3, 1954 more...
November 30, 1979 more...
December 10, 1904 more...
December 10, 1954 more...
December 7, 1979 more...
December 17, 1904 more...
LAST Thursday I attended the prize-giving at Baxter College. I wished for a glimpse of the school after all the changes that have occurred. more...
December 17, 1954 more...
December 14, 1979 more...
AT a recent meeting with the hospital chief executive, John Rostill, I heard that he has had no indication from local people that they wish the Wyre Forest Birth Centre to re-open! more...
December 31, 1904 more...
December 28, 1979 more...
December 31, 1954 more...
Football is rarely far from the headlines - and not always for the best of reasons. more...
.....coming soon more...
TREKKING the Great Wall of China or cycling across Cuba are just two of the ways Worcestershire residents could help terminally-ill cancer sufferers. more...
ARE you fearless enough for a frightful night of history and mystery uncovering the phantoms of the Faithful City? more...
TWO football fanatics from Worcestershire were unable to inspire Britain's worst team in their inaugural supporters' club trip. more...
A WORCESTERSHIRE campaigner is visiting Westminster today to urge politicians to commit themselves to Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. more...
RESIDENTS in Malvern will finally get to have their say on plans for a new hospital in the town at two meetings being held this month. more...
A PROPERTY company has helped boost the coffers of a Worcester hospice that provides care and support for people with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. more...
TALENTED musicians are invited to tune up and raise pots of cash for the tsunami appeal at a charity jamming session in Droitwich. more...
THE artist who painted a controversial portrait of Stanley Baldwin for Worcestershire County Council is now teaching others how to paint. more...
THE sudden death of a popular Worcester postman has brought the neighbourhood he served closer together, residents claim. more...
MORE than 25 years of service to people with learning difficulties were rewarded when Fred Middleton came runner-up in a nationwide competition. more...
WORCESTERSHIRE skipper Vik-ram Solanki has been named in an England `A' squad to tour United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka. more...
Monday, January 17, 2005 more...
NORTH Midlands are guaranteed a club in the semi-finals of this season's Powergen Junior Vase after Solihull and Worcester Wanderers were paired in the quarter-final draw. more...
CUP competitions dominated the Saturday programme with the Worcester League having just a couple of matches. more...
TITLE-chasing Archdales were in breathtaking form as they swept aside Chelmsley 5-0 with a scintillating first-half performance. more...
MALVERN Town boss Neil Hunt is intent on persuading experienced warhorse Darren Bullock to continue with football after another red card at the weekend. more...
HEREFORD United will be bidding for a home tie in the FA Trophy fourth round when they take on Accrington Stanley in a third round replay at Edgar Street tonight. more...
IT all started with a gentle stroll around Worcester racecourse. more...
NORTH Midlands are guaranteed a club in the semi-finals of this season's Powergen Junior Vase after Solihull and Worcester Wanderers were paired in the quarter-final draw. more...
WORCESTERSHIRE skipper Vik-ram Solanki has been named in an England `A' squad to tour United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka. more...
WORCESTER City's disappointing start to 2005 continued last night when promotion-chasing Nuneaton Borough easily beat them 2-0 in their Nationwide North encounter at St George's Lane. more...
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