THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

A large gathering was addressed by Mr E. Scrymgeour in Dens Road School last night. Mr Scrymgeour said the workers of Dundee had a mighty opportunity of the greatest necessity of striking home upon the Government and there was only one way of doing it. That was by making one concentrated effort to take a seat. They were going in for the Labour ticket, and he (Mr Scrymgeour) was the Labour ticket. He used that term not because he spoke about labour, but because he fought for labour.

50 years ago

Mr Roy Jenkins, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, flew back yesterday from the Bonn talks on the international monetary crisis and dropped a bombshell Budget, banging up purchase tax and duties on drink, cigarettes and petrol, and clamping down on credit. He also introduced an import deposits scheme applying broadly to all goods other than basic food, feeding stuffs, fuel, raw materials and certain categories of goods imported mainly from developing countries.

25 years ago

Fire ravaged one of Dundee’s finest listed buildings from the heyday of jute in a spectacular lunchtime blaze which blanketed the city centre with the reek of burning. More than 60 firefighters surrounded the A&S Henry building in Victoria Road at the height of the blaze, pouring in millions of gallons of water as they struggled to control the flames. Severe structural damage to the building caused by the blaze could mean the closure of Victoria Road for weeks, perhaps even months.

One year ago

Fife’s leisure centres could hike prices and reduce opening hours as funding is cut. A dire warning has been issued by Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, which manages authority-owned facilities. The council has cut the management fee paid to the arm’s-length organisation from £5.6 million to £2.3m since 2008. Chief executive Ed Watson said: “Dialogue is currently taking place with Fife Council to ensure... sufficient financial support is realised to achieve a sustainable future.”