THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

St John’s Cross Church, Dundee is in a bit of a quandary at the present time over the ministerial service available. The minister, the Rev. Marshall B. Lang, is an army chaplain and has been absent from Dundee on home service for fully a year and has attained the rank of colonel. An interim Moderator of Session has had to be appointed and the church services have for a considerable time been conducted by ministers whose fees are paid by Mr Lang. The elders are taking alarm at the falling membership.

50 years ago

Members of the Board of Management for the Dundee General Hospitals enjoyed a fashion parade of proposed new nursing uniforms, but had reservations about style, laundry costs and general suitability. Sheila Nicoll and Linda Sydie, both thirdyear student nurses at DRI paraded in the boardroom with the new uniform which has no apron and replaces the traditional cloak with a jacket. The board were asked for their comments by the national working party.

25 years ago

A form of meningitis which kills around 70 young children a year in this country is on the way to being eliminated as the result of a “dramatic” British vaccine breakthrough, Health Secretary Virginia Bottomley said. Mrs Bottomley said that there had been a 70% fall in cases of haemophilus influenze b (Hib) meningitis among babies for the first three months of this year following a new vaccination programme. “It is excellent news for all families with young children,” she commented.

One year ago

Nursery bosses in Perthshire have warned that jobs could be lost and vital childcare thrown into chaos by a massive increase in business rates. Hard-pressed parents are facing an unpalatable increase in bills as childcare providers fight to survive a huge 50% rise in costs. The Honeypot Nursery, which provides childcare in Almondbank, Scone, Luncarty and for energy giant SSE in Perth is worried about the future. Boss Kenneth Taylor said the increase would “impact on many families with children.”