From our files:

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER 13 1991 Exchange success

THE SECOND leg of the highly successful cultural exchange between the villages of Southend and Geste in France took place this summer when Southend’s Teens and Twenties Club visited there, accompanied by Pat McGlynn, Paul Kelly and Paul McQuillan.

The group flew to Paris and, after two days sightseeing, they travelled to Nantes by high speed TGV Atlantique where they were met by a welcoming party.

At Geste they had a civic welcome from the mayor before meeting their hosts.

In the following 11 days they enjoyed excellent hospitality and were taken to visit many of the local places of interest, including Saumur Castle, the main castle on the Loire, mushroom caves, wine caves, a troglodyte village dug out of the ground, an oys- ter farm and slate mine. Mrs McGlynn said that the visit had been very worthwhile.

FIFTY YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER 8 1966 Assembly of second purse seine net at Campbeltown factory

THE SECOND purse seine net to be used on a British fishing vessel was completed last week at the Campbeltown net factory of Bridport-Gundry Ltd.

The first of these giant nets was manufactured by the same firm earlier this year.

The net was taken by lorry to Aberdeen to be picked up later by the Princess Anne, of the Boston deep sea group, Lowestoft.

As with the first net, the panels of netting had been woven at the firm’s Bridport headquarters and then transported to Campbeltown, where the net assembly and rigging was carried out.

Manager Mr C Flaws said: ‘Last time the work was supervised by an Icelander, but our people here have had sole responsibility on this occasion.

‘This is a 50-fathom net, slightly shallower than its predecessor, which was 70 fathoms, and will probably be used for East Anglian herring fishing in October and November.’

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER 9 1916 An unwelcome guest

AT THE Burgh Police Court on Thursday – Bailie Campbell on the bench – a labourer named Sam Buntan pleaded not guilty to a charge of having assaulted a man named John Foster in the latter’s house in Princes Street.

From the evidence it appeared that the man Foster had arrived home and found the accused in his house drinking tea. He ordered Buntan out, and the result was that the accused turned on Foster and assaulted him, striking him about the face.

The charge was proved, and Buntan was fined five shillings or five days’ imprisonment. He went to prison.