THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

A report was circulated on Saturday that the Rev RJ Martin, assistant, St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh, who was lately elected minister of Mains and Strathmartine Parish Church, had decided to retire. There is reason to believe that the announcement is correct, and if it is verified, it will be a great disappointment to his supporters. So far no communication has reached the Rev Dr Cameron, clerk to Dundee presbytery, or Mr William Hoy, session clerk of Mains, from Mr Martin.

50 years ago

Part of the Clyde is to be closed to navigation for several hours next Wednesday afternoon, when the Q4 is launched at John Brown’s Shipyard in Clydebank. The Clyde Port Authority said yesterday that at 1pm the oil rig Gulftide, at present being fitted out, will leave Brown’s basin and will be held in mid-stream until the Q4 has been launched and berthed. The launching is to take place at 2.30pm and berthing is expected to take about an hour. Seven tugs will manoeuvre the Q4 into her berth.

25 years ago

The Prime Minister yesterday cancelled a visit to Spain as the pound plunged in a new crisis, hitting rock bottom in the European exchange rate mechanism. One economist called the situation a “nightmare”, with a danger of higher UK interest rates or even devaluation. If sterling falls below 2.778, Britain will be forced under ERM rules to use its reserves of foreign currency to buy the pound. If that fails, Chancellor Norman Lamont could be forced to lift interest rates, a politically damaging move.

One year ago

Once they were an integral part of every community, a vital cog in the communications network. In recent years, however, the iconic red phone box has been disappearing from streets all over Scotland. And yet for some neighbourhoods they retain their crucial role. Thefife village of Blebo Craigs, a few miles outside St Andrews, is one such community. Mobile phone reception is poor in the area but BT Payphones has confirmed it intends to remove the phone kiosk, at the entrance to the village.