THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

Arbroath fishermen are to protest against the fixing of the price of fish by the Food Controller. A meeting was held last night in the Coast Mission Hall at which Mr George Elliot, fish salesman, who presided, pointed out that although there was a difference between the quality of trawled fish and line fish the Food Controller had made no distinction in the prices. The line fishermen of Arbroath felt that a great injustice was being done to them and that they were entitled to separate consideration.

50 years ago

A Soviet Foreign Ministry official saved Mr Harold Wilson from possible frostbite at the airport in Russia. The Prime Minister left his beige fur hut on the seat in his plane and was about to inspect the guard of honour bareheaded in a temperature of minus 22C when an official stepped forward. The official’s hat, which he lent to the Prime Minister, was of black karakul and slightly too big for Mr Wilson, but he wore it while inspecting the guard. A member of his party collected his own hat.

25 years ago

Scotland was picking up the pieces last night after violent storms killed three men and left a trail of havoc. The worst weather was in the central belt, but one 81-year-old Dunfermline widow had to sit alone in the darkness for over six hours after the wind ripped off her roof. Mrs Elizabeth Harvey put on her overcoat, hat and scarf to keep warm as she was terrified of starting a fire by turning on the gas fire in her living room. The storm was considered the worst storm for 25 years.

One year ago

More than a third of Fife households are facing council tax hikes, with increases of up to £545 a year. Even if the local authority decides to freeze the levy, 41,593 homes will be hit by rises from April under SNP reforms. More than half of households in St Andrews will be affected by the changes, which will see those in band E-H properties paying more. Fife Council has indicated it could impose an additional 3% rise across all bands to help plug an estimated £33m funding gap.