FROM OUR ARCHIVES

5 YEARS AGO

Almost 150 jobs have been lost after a long-established printing and book binding firm went into administration. Montgomery Litho Limited was forced to make 79 people redundant at its Haddington offices in East Lothian – which shut immediately – and 69 at its Glasgow premises, which will remain open.

10 YEARS AGO

Civil servants at the Ministry of Defence are to share more than £41.3m in “appraisal-related annual bonus payments” less than four months after they were criticised by a Commons watchdog committee for allowing procurement costs to overrun by £2.6bn. A group of 186 senior staff are to receive an average of more than £7,000 each on top of their salaries. By contrast, an infantry private fighting on Afghanistan’s front line is paid just £15,600 a year.

25 YEARS AGO

British Airways yesterday agreed to pay Richard Branson, pictured, and his airline Virgin Atlantic about

£3.7m in damages and costs in settlement of a libel action which has humiliated the self-styled “world’s favourite airline.” In addition to making an “unqualified” public apology, BA and its chairman Lord King will pay £500,000 to Mr Branson, £110,000 to Virgin Atlantic, and the two sides’ combined legal costs, estimated at about £3m.

50 YEARS AGO

The National Coal Board are expecting to close more pits this year than in any year since the industry was nationalised. Lord Robens, the board’s chairman, said in London yesterday that between 60 and 70 pits were in jeopardy and could be shut down. At present time there are more than 100 pits losing, in all, more than £100m. a year, he added. Seven pits in Scotland are on the danger list in addition to the six collieries given a temporary reprieve by the Government and are due to shut down before March 31.

100 YEARS AGO

The Italian communiqué states that artillery fire took place along the Asiago Plateau front. To the west of Cavazuccherin an effective concentration of the Italian trench mortars forced the enemy to evacuate some trench elements. The retreating troops were caught by machine gun and rifle fire, and suffered considerable losses. Three enemy aeroplanes were brought down.

150 YEARS AGO

Captain Andrew Small, Nautical Examiner in Glasgow, has, during the past year, collected the large sum of £476, the greater proportion of which are annual subscriptions, in aid of the support of the lifeboats in connection with the National Lifeboat Institution. For many years past Captain Small has rendered to the lifeboat cause the most valuable and zealous service. At present there are 21 lifeboats on the Scotch coast.