A POIGNANT reunion had taken place between Bromsgrove Spitfire pilot Ted Meredith and his Royal Air Force colleague Len Thorne – who was convinced that Ted was dead.

Len had witnessed Ted being shot down in flames over occupied France during a wartime fighter mission, but the pilot had miraculously survived and, 40 years later, the pair had now been reunited thanks to a mutual friend. Len said he didn’t believe it until he saw Ted and spoke to him.

à THE battle to keep 24- hour casualty cover at Bromsgrove’s Cottage Hospital had begunafter theAdvertiser/ Messenger revealed plans to reduce opening times from 9am-5pm. A public meeting had been called to co-ordinate a formal protest and a variety oftownorganisations, including clubs, pubs and nursing staff, were drawing up protest petitions to let the health authority know their feelings on the proposal.

à DROITWICH’S Civic Society was to launch a cash appeal for a statue of the Spa’s famous son John Corbett.

Droitwich Town Council was backing the scheme, which would see the statue stand in Victoria Square. It had also been revealed that the statue was likely to cost less than the £25,000 statue of AE Housman in Bromsgrove’s High Street.