THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Miss Elder, Cupar, has sold her well-known business and property at 25 St Catherine Street to Mr Young, Lancaster. This transaction is of considerable interest in respect that Miss Elder and her father before her have carried on business as bakers and confectioners for more than four-score years. In the early days, before the commodious premises now occupied were entered, the bakehouse was on the opposite side of the street. Miss Elder carried on the business after her father died when she was 18 years of age.

50 years ago

When the gas men upset June Norris, she used her own high-speed remedy. She took her four children into the board’s showroom and told the staff: “You’ll have to look after them until my gas has been reconnected.” Trouble started when a gas conversion team called at her home near Portsmouth. They cut off the heating and said they would be back soon to finish the job. As the snow began to fall 24 hours later, they had still not arrived. Into the showroom went the children and out came the gas men to finish the job.

25 years ago

A St Andrews University student walked Dundee city centre wearing a sandwich board to promote a concert by the Cavern Beatles. Beatlemania will hit Dundee when the band, dubbed Britain’s most authentic lookalike band, play the Whitehall Theatre this month. Promoter Ian Penman said: “I’ve used sandwich board men before to advertise shows and they usually attract a lot of attention. I was unprepared for the interest in the Dundee job though.” Wearing the board was Cal Chisholm of Newport.

One year ago

A Fife man blasted a gull out of the sky in a long-running battle over stolen fish. After shooting the bird, John Deas picked it up and said: “You won’t be eating my fish again.” Dundee Sheriff Court heard the Anstruther man had been waging a losing battle against a herring gull which was taking fish stocks from his rural property. A neighbour who saw him with the bird asked if he had shot it and he said he had. His gun was found in a caravan in woods in Perthshire. He was fined £350 by Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown.