THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Several awards of the Albert Medal decoration are announced in last night’s Gazette. The recipients include Mr James Campbell Hurry, master of the Glasgow steamship Earl of Forfar. On November 8 last year, while the vessel was lying at Archangel, she was involved in fire which broke out on a Russian steamship. Captain Hurry, who was ashore, being unable to return to his vessel, rendered assistance to other vessels which were in danger. He incurred considerable risk.

50 years ago

Church of Scotland history was made in Brechin last night with the inaugural meeting of the Brechin Young Wives’ Circle. Although there are two other burghs in Scotland where two congregations have formed such an association, this is the first where all the Church of Scotland charges in a town have established a YWC between them. The circle’s first president is Mrs B. Liddiard, wife of the minister of Gardner Memorial. A programme of monthly meetings has been drawn up.

25 years ago

Complaints flooded in to Radio 2 yesterday after Jonathan King described the Scots as a race of freckly people with peculiar eating habits and even odder accents. But strangely enough, the listeners objecting to his unflattering stereotype were almost all English – taking offence on behalf of their northern neighbours. The controversial presenter decided to read the weather forecast during a guest appearance on the Brian Hayes Show and predicted rain and gales in Scotland.

One year ago

A light railway on the Forth Road Bridge has been proposed as a way of easing the pressure on the replacement crossing. The possibility of building a rapid rail or tram system on the existing Fife to Edinburgh crossing was raised at an influential Holyrood committee yesterday. The suspension bridge over the Forth, which opened in 1964, will close to all traffic except public transport, cyclists and walkers when its replacement, the Queensferry Crossing, is completed next year.