THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The Austrian Army has been observed recently to be making defensive preparations in the rear of the lines on the Asiago Plateau, also Monte Grappa and along the Piave, and even as far as the Livenza and the Tagliamento in Italy. A curious fact also observed is that some Austrian positions opposite the French lines have been deserted, enemy troops leaving their helmets projecting above the trenches to make the French believe the positions were still held.

50 years ago

The Fife Police Joint Committee yesterday approved the purchase of 18 Ford Escort cars for use as Panda vehicles. They will extend the county’s unit beat policing system in the Levenmouth, Cowdenbeath and Glenrothes areas with a strengthening of the scheme already in operation in Dunfermline. The committee accepted a tender of £10,431 for the provision of 11 additional vehicles and seven replacements. The Panda car system will now cover almost the whole area.

25 years ago

Paddy Ashdown called for fundamental modernisation of the monarchy as he demanded the disestablishment of the Church of England. During a TV interview Mr Ashdown said: “I don’t think we’ll ever get a sort of bicycling monarchy but, my goodness, we could strip away some of the pomp and circumstance of the monarchy, bring it closer to the reality of life in Britain. This country is just out of date.” He said he had long believed the Church of England should be disestablished.

One year ago

The UK is heading towards a constitutional crisis after the country’s top judges ruled Holyrood cannot block Brexit. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon vowed to give MSPs a vote on triggering the UK’s exit from the EU despite the outcome at the Supreme Court. Joanna Cherry, SNP justice spokeswoman at Westminster, said: “If the wishes of the Scottish people and Parliament are not respected there will be consequences for the British constitution.”