THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

A note of warning was sounded by Mr Churchill in his address to the Dundee Chamber of Commerce. The warning was uttered as of special import to all concerned with the staple industry of Dundee, but it is equally applicable in the case of industry in general throughout the country. The jute trade has withstood the depressing and disorganising effects of four years of worldwide war with, as Mr Churchill said, extraordinary strength. It is the same with British industry as a whole.

50 years ago

About 30 of the 1,150 teachers in Perthshire and Kinross face dismissal because they have not registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland. After hearing this at their meeting in Perth, members of Perth and Kinross Education Committee decided not to exercise their right to alter the salaries of certificated teachers who have not registered. But they agreed to hold a special meeting in January to consider a formal motion. The names of the teachers will be appended.

25 years ago

Britons Paul Ride and Michael Wainwright hugged their families last night after flying home from their ordeal in an Iraqi jail. Mr Wainwright, arrested in May 1992 while cycling across Iraq, smiled and laughed and described his release as the best possible Christmas present. Mr Ride, hugging his wife and son William (2), the child he has barely seen since birth, revealed that his release came out of the blue. “I was expecting to be in solitary confinement,” he said.

One year ago

The reopening of Perth Theatre following a £16.6 million regeneration has been hailed as a moment of “national importance”. The pantomime Aladdin returned life to the heart of the beloved old building, now encased in a new body, after a four-year hiatus. Magnus Linklater, chairman of Horsecross Arts, said the return of the theatre would be a major boon for not only the city but the entire country. “I think this theatre has a great contribution to make to Scotland as a whole,” he said.