THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The appeal by the City of Dundee Prisoners of War Help Committee will not fall on deaf ears. In various establishments in the city where collection boxes are placed there has been a notable increase in the number of contributions during the past few days, and the experience certainly goes to show that an extension of this means of raising money would likely meet with much success. The suggestion is made that all shopkeepers should be asked to put collecting boxes on their counters.

50 years ago

The school population is expected to reach a million by 1973, says the report Scottish Educational Statistics 1967, published by the Scottish Education Department. Estimates had to be revised because of the decrease in live births and the postponement of the raising of the school leaving age until 1972-73. The average class sizes as taught in education authority primary and secondary schools were 32.9 and 19.0 respectively. In grant-aided schools the figures were 29.5 and 17.1.

25 years ago

The inaugural event of the 80th British Chess Championships took place yesterday at Discovery Point in Dundee. Despite strong winds, play took place outdoors. Around 60 players competed in a simultaneous event, with 30 players each playing international masters Andrew Muir from Scotland and Neil McDonald from England. Most of the competitiors were children, who were either competing in the fortnight’s championship event or were from local schools.

One year ago

A shipment of clothes and toiletries donated by Tayside residents has reached Syrian refugee camps. Around 25 tonnes of clothes, as well as 5,000 bars of soap collected by Dundee Refugee Support were transported by a haulage company to camps just north of Aleppo, as well as Serbia, where many refugees are stranded in poor sanitary conditions. Dundee Refugee Support chairman Mike Strachan said: “The items were donated to us over a two-week period.”