THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Letter to the Editor– “I refer to the farmers who are keeping their grain up to get a still higher price. Oats today are 60s a quarter and oatmeal quoted 85s a sack of 280lbs, which means the consumer will have to pay 5s per stone. If anyone takes a turn round the farms, they will find their yards standing full and with prices ruling what they are today I consider the farmers the most unpatriotic men in the country just now, they are out for their pound of flesh from the public.”

50 years ago

One of the grand old veterans of the motoring world purred through the sunlit streets of Leven yesterday on a very important mission. The 40-year-old Swift, owned by Mr A. James Price, photographer, Dunirie, Kennoway, was making its way to a Leven garage for its MOT test. “It passed with flying colours,” Mr Price said afterwards. The piece of official paper he held in his hands was a tribute to the hours of dedicated work Jim and his son Owen spent in restoring the old lady.

25 years ago

Pupils at Eastern Primary in Broughty Ferry are seeing a lot less of their teachers these days after a sponsored diet at the Dundee school to raise funds for Romania’s hungry children. The staff reductions came about after teacher Sheena Devlin organised 11 colleagues, including head teacher Miss Joyce Wood, for the event. Miss Devlin was overseer at the weekly weigh-ins and, as a deterrent, anyone gaining weight was fined 50p. A weekly exercise class also cost 50p.

One year ago

Doubts about the wisdom of promoting the Tay from Perth for pleasure cruises have been swept aside by the council. Councillor Alan Livingstone said it would provide the “must see” attraction that Perth lacked while Councillor John Kellas reiterated the aim of seeing visitors travelling from Perth to Dundee by water taxi. “What could be better than sitting in one of our wonderful hotels and going by river taxi to the V&A and then coming back in the evening?” asked Mr Kellas at a meeting.