THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

A resumé of the week’s aerial operations on the battlefront shows that, despite the handicap of bad weather, British bombing formations have attacked repeatedly at Zeebrugge, Ostend and Bruges Docks. The latter have been heavily bombed and a fire started at Brugeoise Works burned for several hours. At Ostend and Zeebrugge a large number of bombs have been dropped upon the mole, the lockgates and upon shipping. On successive days attacks were made upon dredging parties.

50 years ago

Soft lights and sweet music is the latest service for National Provincial Bank customers at its Orchard House, Oxford Street, London and Margate (Kent) branches, the bank said yesterday. For six months the two branches will be supplied with background music. The aim of the scheme is to make banks more friendly places. “One criticism often levelled against the High Street branch is that it is too forbidding, so that customers feel selfconscious about going into banks,” said a spokesman.

25 years ago

Masked men threatened staff with a gun before stealing a substantial sum of money from a Perth hotel yesterday. Two members of staff at the hotel were threatened and forced to hand over the money to two robbers, one of whom was armed. The men are believed to have stolen the weekend’s takings from the County Hotel, County Place, between 6.30 and 7am. A woman, thought to be a member of the cleaning staff, was accosted by the men as she entered the hotel to start work.

One year ago

Hundreds of Carse of Gowrie residents are leading a backlash against a threat to silence the bells of Errol Parish Church. Environmental Health officers are understood to have launched an investigation following a single noise nuisance complaint. An anonymous Errol resident claims the bells cause “a disturbance” during summer months. The complaint prompted the Rev John Macgregor to appeal for support in an effort to save the bells. The response has been swift.