THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The Secretary of the Ministry of National Service has issued a statement regarding the need of more doctors for civil practice. This states that for many weeks the Ministry has been reducing the number of National Service Medical Boards, thereby enabling an increasingly large number of medical practitioners to devote service exclusively to civil practices. During this period the number of Medical Board sessions has been reduced from 3,500 to 1,000 per week.

50 years ago

One thousand further education students missed evening classes last night when a series of explosions shook the powerhouse of the new Edinburgh College of Commerce – opened only nine weeks ago. Eight fire appliances raced to the college when the explosions occurred in the ground floor of the £1 million college in the Sighthill area. Minutes before classes were due to start, lights in the building began to flash on and off. The series of small explosions lasted about five minutes.

25 years ago

The Radio Tay Tandem-A-Thon, which has two of the staff pedalling round the perimeter of the station’s broadcasting region to raise cash for the Caring For Kids Appeal, started in style yesterday. Presenter Andy Fleming and advertising girl Alison Tawse will spend the next three days in the saddle, notching up between 180 and 200 miles by the end of the weekend. Staff at the station waved off the colourful duo from the station’s North Isla Street premises in Dundee.

One year ago

Mossmorran’s operators have been accused of treating communities with “contempt” after a complete shutdown of the site sparked a weekend of misery for many. Flaring at the plant started just before 5pm on Friday and continued through the weekend, prompting a flood of complaints about noise, vibration and the bright light. The flare and its resultant glow could be seen as far away as Angus, Stirling and the Borders. ExxonMobil Chemical, which runs the plant apologised.