Friday 2nd June 1967 – Coleshill Chronicle

Castle Bromwich Parish Council is to ask Lord Bradford to consider with-holding any future permission for the use of The Paddock, at Hall Road, as a site for a fair.

This site was recently used for a fair and had brought many protests from residents living nearby.

The Parish Council agreed that: the event had attracted a number of “undesirables” in addition to the excessive noise created. The fair had been mainly supported by people living outside the parish.

The Parish Council was told that there had also been a certain amount of desecration cause in the graveyard at the nearby parish church at the same time as the fair had been operating. Although no direct proof could be produced it was considered that one could assume that the two were connected.

Castle Bromwich Residents’ Association wrote to Lord Bradford’s solicitors and said that flowers and flower holders from memorials had been removed and thrown about, marble chippings had been used as missiles.

And at one grave, where there had been a committal only 24 hours before, wreaths were removed and festooned around the graveyard.

A Residents’ Association said one could no doubt imagine the feelings of relatives when they found that senseless damage.

The Association said that the acts had taken place during the visit  of the fair and, although not wishing to condemn without proof, it was a known fact that a fair of that kind attracted an undesirable element.

The Association also told Lord Bradford that they had received other complaints of noise and nuisance it was creating.

He told the Parish Council that although it had no direct jurisdiction over the letting of the site he considered that it was the council’s duty to look after its inhabitants. And with that in mind they should get in touch with Lord Bradford explaining the full position.

Councillor D. G. E. Wilkes, a Council member on the Road Safety Committee, said that many of those attending the fair had to cross the main Chester Road. From a road safety point of view that had caused a lot of worry, especially where children were concerned. With no recognised crossing near the site, it had been surprising that there had not been a serious accident.

Councillor P. Mitchel asked the meeting if an approach could be made to Lord Bradford asking him whether  he might donate The Paddock to the Parish Council to provide another open space for the children of the parish.