THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The White Star liner Laurentic, taken over by the Admiralty as an auxiliary ship left harbour. The weather was fine, but intensely cold. Within an hour and a half the liner struck a mine and sank in three-quarters of an hour. Of the crew of 475, around 125 have been saved. Many of the lost were killed by the explosion. Perfect order prevailed throughout, the crew responding to the officers’ orders with precision and loyalty. Lifeboats were able to accommodate all who survived the explosion.

50 years ago

Andrew Cruickshank, known to millions of television fans as Dr Cameron of Tannochbrae, found himself in the enviable position yesterday of opening a distillery with an annual output of 750,000 gallons. When in full production it will be yielding the equivalent of about five million bottles or 100 million large drams. The star of the Dr Finlay’s Casebook series was guest of honour at the Deanston Distillery in west Perthshire. It is sited in a former cotton mill which closed in 1965.

25 years ago

Estate agent Stephanie Slater was back in the arms of her family last night after her kidnapper ended an eight-day game of cat and mouse and slipped away with a £175,000 ransom. Stephanie (25), who disappeared after going to show a house to a bogus buyer, was dropped near her home in Birmingham in the early hours. Her branch manager had driven a circuitous route of almost 100 miles to drop off the ransom. Police were citicised for failing to apprehend her abductor.

One year ago

Leuchars is very much in it to win it as the race to host Europe’s first commercial spaceport heats up. It is T minus two days and counting until six sites still in the running to host the out-of-this-world facility go head-to-head at a conference in London. No decisions will be made at the event, but the gathering is expected to give some indication as to who the strongest contenders are likely to be. Work to establish the feasibility of a UK spaceport began in 2012 and just six UK locations remain on the shortlist.