THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The third demonstration of agricultural motor tractors and ploughs, held under the auspices of the Highland and Agricultural Society, took place at Spoutwells, Scone, on fields kindly placed at the disposal of the society by Mr Wm Robertson, tenant. The weather was not very favourable, showers of snow falling throughout the day. The fields operated on were a two-year-old lea and wheat stubble, the soil of the former being mainly easy clay. Twenty-nine tractors were on the ground.

50 years ago

A statement issued by Captain Michael Wemyss: “Buckhaven Town Council and Wemyss Estate have been in the press and the reason is that at the mouth of the River Leven are two burghs – Leven on the north side and Buckhaven-Methil on the south. For years there have been factories north of the river, but only one of importance on the south side, because the ground falls steeply to the river. There is a large vacant space in the middle on which we hope a factory can be built.”

25 years ago

An all-Scotland campaign was launched yesterday in a bid to save the Rosyth naval dockyard from closure with the loss of up to 12,000 local jobs. The move was announced by Labour’s shadow chancellor Gordon Brown, MP for Dunfermline East, because of growing alarm over a possible switch in Government policy which could threaten the yard’s future. At a press conference he accused ministers of betraying past promises over Rosyth. A petition is to be presented to Parliament.

One year ago

A campaign has been launched to restore a 19th Century harp bought by a prominent Angus figure as a gift for his musically-talented wife. The Hospitalfield harp has fallen into disrepair since its tone drifted through the rooms of the Arbroath house of Patrick Allan Fraser and his wife, Elisabeth, in the 1840s. It was made by Sebastian Erard, a pioneer in the technology surrounding musical instruments of the age. Erard’s expertise made the Grecian harp the benchmark in Gothic-style harps.