THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The Germans only recently added to their long list of outrages on the sea by sinking an oil steamer in circumstances that involved the death of the whole of the officers and crew, 50 in all. The night was very dark and the tank steamer laden with benzine was one of a convoy. Suddenly the noise of an explosion was heard and a great flame leapt through the darkness. The force of the explosion was terrific and rent the ship almost from stem to stern. In an instant, the ship was in a sea of flames.

50 years ago

A woman who tried to enter a man’s world yesterday was told that women were being catered for elsewhere. The occasion was the Men of the Year lunch at the Savoy Hotel, London. A Fleet Street woman reporter who turned up at the gathering was allowed into the reception, but when she tried to take her place at the lunch she was told her newspaper should have sent a man. Professor Christian Barnard, the heart transplant surgeon, was one of those present at the event.

25 years ago

For the first time in the 44 years of the All Scotland Accordion Festival, one of the highlights in Perth’s musical year, female competitors took the top three places in the final of the Scottish senior traditional open contest. Presenter Bill Wilkie said that the result represented a dramatic improvement in the quality of playing achieved by the ladies in an event formerly dominated by men. The three were Lynne Christie of Huntly, Mhairi Coutts of Kirkcaldy and Alison Gilfillan of Perth.