The idea of creating a separate Local History Society for Bridgtown has moved on apace with a couple of successful meetings.  We now have over 100 Bridgtown people who have registered their interest and we have been inundated with local photographs which suggest that a Bridgtown book of old photographs could even be launched at the end of this year.
The Pinfold School reunion was an outstanding success with well over 150 old pupils attending.  It was indeed a joyous occasion for ‘very old school friends’ to meet up again and recount the happenings over the last fifty years and was expertly hosted by Alan Brown in the absence of David Paradine.  This was the only disappointment of the evening as David was unexpectedly taken into hospital and missed out on the occasion that he and Edna Brown had spent so much time in planning.  The other School’s Exhibition we had volunteered to support, however, has been postponed.  The fortieth anniversary of Glenthorne School will not now take place in the near future due to their recently discovered asbestos problems.
We have received, as usual, a selection of books, artefacts and memorabilia over the last three months including three different biographies of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his involvement with the Edalji case but we have also had a CD, recorded ten years ago, of the memories of Elijah Whitehouse aged 90 recalling his life down the local pits.  These can all be borrowed by our members.
A photograph of Horace Moore of the Walsall Road was lent to us by his family with an unusual story.  He was in the Navy and was killed when his ship HMS Hussar was bombed in 1944.  Recent information revealed that the ship was sunk by the RAF in what is now known as ‘friendly fire’ and we managed to have a front page story in the Chase Post, which his brothers and sister greatly appreciated.

Another unusual request has been received by someone who is compiling a book on street names.  Sandra and Sian Alcott have been helping him out but we are still stumped with the origins of Anstree Close, Berwyn Grove, Bramwell Drive and Frensham Close.  Can anyone help?
An update from Sue Challenger of our photographic archives shows that up to the end of February Sue has now archived 3652 photographs which include an amazing 5416 individual names.
Sadly I have to report yet another loss to the Cheslyn Hay community – Joe Cadman, a man who devoted his life to the village and was, deservedly, respected by everyone.
Trevor McFarlane

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