~Barr Beacon.~--A trial was made on January 10, 1856, as to how far a light could be seen by the ignition of a beacon on Malvern Hills. It was said to have been seen from Snowdon in Wales (105 miles), and at other parts of the country at lesser distances, though the gazers at Worcester saw it not. The look-out at Dudley Castle (26 miles) could have passed the signal on to Barr Beacon, but it was not needed, as the Malvern light was not only seen there, but still away on at Bardon Hill, Leicester.--Many persons imagine that Barr Beacon is the highest spot in the Midland Counties, but the idea is erroneous, Turners Hill, near Lye Cross, Rowley Regis, which is 893 ft. above mean sea level, being considerably higher, while the Clee Hills reach an altitude of 1,100 ft. ~Barber of Birmingham, The.~--The knights of the pole (or poll) have always been noted for getting into mischief, and it is not therefore so very surprising to find that in March, 1327, a royal pardon had to be granted to "Roger, the barber of Birmingham," for the part he had taken in the political disturbances of that time. Was he a Con., or a Lib., Tory or Rad.? ~Baron of Birmingham.~--One of the titles of Lord Ward. ~Barracks.~--Built in 1793, at a cost of £13,000, as a consequence of the riots of 1791. ~Barring Out~--On the 26th of Nov. 1667, the scholars of the Grammar School "barred out" the Master, and then left the school for a time. When they returned they found the worthy pedagogue had obtained admission and intended to keep his young rebels outside. Whereupon, says an old chronicler, they, being reinforced by certain of the townsmen "in vizards, and with pistolls and other armes," sought to re-enter by assault, threatening to kill the Master, and showering stones and bricks through the windows. When the fun was over the Governors passed a law that any boy taking part in future "barrings-out" should be expelled from the School, but the amusement seems to have been rather popular, as an entry in the School records some ten years later show that a certain Widow Spooner was paid one shilling "for cleansinge ye Schoole at penninge out."