Tribute to tragic teen Hibs fan
AN EMOTIONAL tribute will be paid today to a young Hibs fan who died after being struck by a train.
Daniel Johnston, 16, was killed on the railway line close to Kingskettle, in Fife, three weeks ago.
One minute’s applause has been arranged for the 16th minute of the Easter Road side’s home match against Patrick Thistle as a mark of respect.
A suicide awareness message will also be shown in the stadium.
Daniel’s mum Cathie said he was a “wonderful and loving son” and his death was “devastating”.
The teenager was a pupil at the High School of Dundee. Rector Dr John Halliday said: “Dan loved life and people. He was loyal and supportive, dependable, gregarious, popular and very funny.” MISSING airmen’s bones had been found in a desert and a woman sued her former fiance for breach of promise, and was awarded cash calculated by the number of kisses they’d shared.
These were two of the stories of the day in March 1925 on the front page of a yellowed copy of the Daily Record recently found in Glasgow’s Principal Grand Central Hotel.
As the hotel’s team made preparations to turn the iconic clock forward recently to mark the start of spring – they stepped back in time.
The Record dating back to 1925 and another copy from March 1924 were uncovered in the historic clock tower.
The papers offer a unique insight into a different era, with adverts for fashions and Ford cars from the roaring 20s.
They also give an indication of the lack of health concerns for cigarettes, where the selling point back then was that they came in sealed packets for those who valued cleanliness.
It’s thought the Records could have been left by someone making the same journey up the spiral staircase to change the time on the clock almost 100 years ago.
The newspapers managed to survive a fire that struck the tower around 70 years ago and were found tucked behind old water tanks.
The hotel was originally built in the late 19th century and has welcomed many famous guests over the years including Frank Sinatra and Winston Churchill.
It reopened seven years ago after undergoing a major £20million refurbishment.
But the clock stopped working some time ago and it took many years to ensure it was lovingly restored.
It began keeping the city’s time again in December 2017.
When hotel staff were clearing the area recently, preparing to change the time – they discovered the old Records.
The hotel’s general manager Paul Bray said: “The sixth and seventh floors currently lie vacant. There’s some machinery kept in that part of the building and the maintenance guys go there regularly to check.
“We made a decision towards the end of last year to get the clock working again so the people in Glasgow could use it to tell the time.
“We got that repaired and up and running.
“The tower also houses the old water tanks for the building. So there’s been a lot of general cleaning up and repairs and general maintenance clearing around there and we discovered these newspapers. It’s incredible.
“Instead of putting time forward, by making this discovery, we instead took a surprising step back in time.
“The newspapers are in good condition and give a real insight into life in Glasgow post-World War I.
“I often refer to the hotel as the ‘grande dame’ of the city and these historical insights are something to be treasured, and reaffirm the