THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

A Prague telegram to this morning’s Lokalanzeiger says that, in spite of the prohibition, demonstrations again occurred in Wenzel Square on Monday, and that they reached such a pitch towards eight o’clock in the evening that the police had to intervene. The Czech crowd sang the “Hej Slove Ne,” with its additional anti-German verses, and raised cheers for President Wilson and Professor Masaryk. Despite a cordon of police, the demonstrations were repeated towards 10 o’clock.

50 years ago

The largest thatching operation of this century took place this week at the Perthshire village of Fortingall. The picturesque cottages are to be reroofed from the banks of the River Tay at Carpow, where Mr Tom Johnston, Newburgh, cut 3,000 bundles and had them taken to the site. Tom was taught the art by his father, who used to cut one hundred tons a year from Mugdrum Island for the paper mills at Inverkeithing. The estimated weight of reeds needed for the Fortingall job is 20 tons.

25 years ago

Jim Courier begins the defence of his French Open tennis crown in front of a packed Centre Court today – while Britain’s pair are exiled to the outer regions of the Stade Roland Garros in Paris. It is a depressingly familiar reflection of the state of British tennis that Jeremy Bates and Clare Wood are the only Britons present – and Wood only scraped in thanks to the likes of Monica Seles and British number one Jo Durie pulling out. Bates opens against Ctislav Dosedel, from the Czech Republic, at 10am.

One year ago

A historic Fife vessel will return to public duty this weekend, nine months after she was damaged in a Mearns storm. Reaper, which featured in hit TV series Outlander and the film Tommy’s Honour to be released next month, will be a star attraction of Anstruther Harbour Festival from Friday to Sunday. In August last year the 114-year-old Fifie herring drifter was swept over by a gust of wind at Johnshaven Harbour Festival. The Sandhaven-built vessel sustained significant damage in the incident.