THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

In the Commons last night Mr Dillon complained of the inaction of British troops at Salonika and said nothing was more calculated to break down the morale of the men employed on that front. If the men were not wanted there they should be withdrawn. Mr J.H. Thomas asked the leader of the House if he could make a statement of some sort that would allay the stong feeling which had been provoked throughout the country by the result of the German counter-attack at Cambrai.

50 years ago

There are only three dowry brides at St Cyrus this year and a fourth share which would have gone to the tallest bride has therefore been withheld. The custom dates back 120 years and the dowries are provided from the interest of a legacy of £1,000 left by Mr John Orr, Bridgeton, St Cyrus, a former paymaster-general of the forces in India. The bride must be resident in the parish and is measured in the church vestry afer the wedding. The dowry amount this year is about £8 5s.

25 years ago

Dundee shoppers appear to be pushing the recession blues to the backs of their minds, determined to enjoy Christmas whatever the cost. With many city centre shops open for business yesterday, Dundee was a hive of activity. Shops were happy to report they were doing a roaring trade with many of the opinion that sales seem to be up on last year. C&A in the Overgate reported a steady build-up towards the festive season with Sunday trading a particular success.

One year ago

Retail giant Amazon has been forced to defend itself as workers claim the target-driven workplace left no time to take water breaks. One employee said he had been told to collect 100 items per hour for dispatch from the Dunfermline warehouse. He said: “You need to stay hydrated but to do this you need to stop to go get water which they say you are allowed, yet if you stop you fall behind.” The company was labelled “draconian” by John Gillespie, chairman of Unite’s Fife area activist committee.