THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Indignation was expressed at a meeting of the Fife Naval and Military War Pensions Committee only yesterday at the manner in which the Ministry had treated the committee’s repeated calls for hospital accommodation for discharged men. Mr Robert Small told of a discharged man, suffering from neurasthenia and shell shock, who he had had on his hands for the greater part of a day until he could find him a bed. Bailie Blamey said the want of accommodation for these men was a scandal.

50 years ago

Audrey Bell, who is 15, opened her first boutique while still at school and moves to larger premises at 260 High Street, Kirkcaldy, next week. A year ago Audrey, then still a pupil at Balwearie Secondary School, opened her first shop at 133 Links Street. She called it Audrey’s Boutique. From the word “go” it was a success, even though she could only carry on business at weekends. Audrey carries a varied selection , but Lulu dresses are top of the chart. They come from London in a variety of colours.

25 years ago

It was a case of good news, bad news for Dunfermline’s job scene. Global electronics giant Solectron announced their takeover of Philips Circuit Assembly operations at Pitreavie, promising 300 new jobs over the next three years. However, the news was dampened by the announcement of 10 non-production job losses from GEC Marconi Avionics’ Hillend plant – only a fraction of 225 defence jobs to go across Scotland. The company employs over 4,000 people in Scotland.

One year ago

People power is taking on horsepower as a group of Glenrothes residents wage war on late-night boy racers. Scores of townsfolk have signed a petition calling for the speed limit on one of the area’s busiest roads to be slashed amid claims they are being kept awake at night by local speeders. Householders in Finglassie, Stenton and Pitteuchar are calling on town councillors to cut the speed limit on the B921 dual carriageway from 70mph to 50mph.