THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Mr Churchill, opening a conference of boy welfare supervisors at the Munitions Ministry, said the ministry was one of the largest employers of labour in the world and had over a quarter of a million boys working under its authority, playing a vital part in the production of munitions. It fully realised its responsibility. There must be some tribune for the boys in all the great establishments to give them a sense of corporate pride. The new generation must be properly cared for.

50 years ago

A little girl who did her good deed by climbing a tree to rescue a cat – had herself to be rescued by firemen. Eleven-year-old Marie Pauley of Glasgow was on her way to school when she saw the cat stranded 30 feet up in a tree. When Marie reached a branch about 20 feet above ground, but still not within reach of the cat, she became overcome by nerves and remained “glued” to the branch. Firemen brought the child to the ground by ladder and she was taken home. The cat was also rescued.

25 years ago

A huge comet is on course to collide with Earth on August 14 2116, and could kill off most forms of life with an explosion more powerful than a million nuclear bombs, an expert on asteroids told a space conference. The 3.1-mile wide ball of ice and rock is travelling so fast that, if it collides head-on, it could plunge the world into a dark age, said astronomer Duncan Steel, of the AngloAustralian Observatory. “It would create an impact force of 20 million megatonnes,” he said.

One year ago

Perthshire is to lose another retail institution with one of Crieff’s oldest businesses set to close. Established in 1902 and run by four generations of the same family, High Street hardware store Frank Thomson Ltd is to shut at the end of the month with the loss of two full-time and two part-time jobs. The news has been met with sadness locally as the shop, owners and staff were known to all in the town. The closure comes as Perth learned that it was losing the china shop Watsons of Perth.