THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The late Lieutenant Warnerforde, whose aeroplane is now on exhibition in the Kinnaird Hall, studied for his nautical certificates at the Dundee Navigation School, Dock Street. The address in the school register against his name is Bedford. Since he lost his life, Capt Wood, head of the Navigation Department, wrote to his address there, and was informed by his aunt that Lieutenant Warnerforde and the student who had studied at the Dundee Navigation School were the same.

50 years ago

Dundee steeplejack 33-year-old Joe Hughes leaned out into space and pushed two hundredweight of coping stone on a 270-ft drop to the ground. As the crash died away, what seemed like the entire juvenile population of Invergowrie took up the chant which greeted every subsequent dropping brick – “Gowrie lum is fallin’ doon.” It is over two and a half years since the Bullionfield Paper Mill chimney last had a decent smoke, but the same structure didn’t take its execution lying down.

25 years ago

Minister Alison Norman is hoping to find her sea legs quickly. She is about to join the navy, becoming the first Church of Scotland woman minister to be appointed armed services chaplain. With no sailing experience, it is probably just as well much of her initial officer training will be spent “messing about on the river” at Dartmouth. Minister at Culross Abbey and Torrieburn Church in Fife since 1987, Alison takes up her post at HMS Daedalus at Lee-on-theSolent, on October 1

One year ago

The Frigate Unicorn in Dundee is undergoing a £45,000 refurbishment in preparation for becoming a community hub at the centre of the new waterfront development. The warship has become weatherbeaten and has suffered some damage as a result of her age – at nearly 200 years old, she is a “very old lady”. Some of the money will go towards upgrading the roof, repairing damage to the side of the ship and improving the facilities inside it. Thehull in particular is beginning to deteriorate.