THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Pte James Rourke, Royal Fusiliers, Brook Street, Dundee, is at present at home enjoying a short leave after an exciting time. Pte Rourke was on board the White Star liner Vedic when she went ashore on the island of North Ronaldsay, Orkney. He has been a soldier since 1889 and wears the King and Queen’s Medal for the Boer War, while in the recent war he was captured in the retreat from Mons and was, for four and a half years, a prisoner of war. When he returned home he re-enlisted in the Russian Relief Force.

50 years ago

Lord Doune announced in Glasgow yesterday that he is to open his rare collection of historic sports and racing cars to the public next spring. The project, which will cost £10,000, entails the conversion of existing buildings at the foot of the hill climb in the grounds of his Perthshire estate. New administration offices and a tearoom and shop are also planned. Twenty-seven cars will be on view. Lord Doune has for many years been interested in cars and bought the first shown in the collection in 1953.

25 years ago

A mother of five boys who used her entire savings of £2,000 in the hope of having a daughter has given birth – to another son. Cheryl Berryman (31) spent the cash on months of private treatment at Britain’s controversial Gender Clinic to try to ensure her sixth baby was a girl. But she gave birth to a 7lb 12 oz boy in Southampton. “I was upset, but then they handed him to me and I saw how beautiful he was and I felt a little bit better after that,” said Cheryl. Her husband Ken went home to tell the boys about their brother Grant.

One year ago

A massive infrastructure scheme proposed for Perth could generate around £500 million for the Tayside economy. The Perth West project would see more than 3,000 houses built along with an ecoinnovation park on land located off the A9 Perth to Stirling road. It has been labelled a potential “game changer” by its developers, the John Dewar Lamberkin Trust, but its funding is dependent on the success of the Tay Cities Deal. The Trust says Perth could become a leader in the renewable and communications industries.