THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The German position in the Marne salient is daily becoming more critical, and it would not be too strong a term to describe it as precarious. Recent news is most encouraging. Oulchy le Chateau, the last German strongpoint before Fere-en-tardenois, some six miles due west, has fallen. French troops are at, or beyond, Coincy and Beauvardes, four miles south west and west of Fere and they are pressing forward from these places in a converging move on that centre.

50 years ago

The main Edinburgh-aberdeen line was blocked for three hours and 20 minutes by a derailment just outside Cupar Station yesterday. A large crane weighing more than 25 tons, which was being shunted to allow a passenger train through, slewed off the rails, blocking the down line just before 3pm. Two main services were disrupted – the 3.20 Dundee to Edinburgh and the 3.40 Edinburgh to Dundee. At the time of the accident the crane was travelling at a very slow speed.

25 years ago

A runaway bus freewheeled around 100 yards yesterday before crashing into a disused bank building in County Place, Perth. It was only luck that prevented anyone being injured in the busy city centre street. Only minutes before, the driver had stopped the coach 100 yards from the crossroads at New Row and County Place because he was having problems with the vehicle’s brakes. The passengers had got off and the driver went to call for help, when the coach began to move.

One year ago

Masked thieves stole a safe containing a substantial amount of money as they raided a Fife holiday park in the early hours. Four men with their faces covered broke into an office and leisure building at Pettycur Bay Holiday Park near Kinghorn and attempted to force entry to an ATM within the foyer. A four-figure sum of money was taken in the incident, with the safe itself later abandoned in the Millerhill area of Edinburgh. Police believe the break-in was meticulously planned.