FROM OUR ARCHIVES
5 YEARS AGO
Rock star David Bowie, pictured, sprinkled some Ziggy Stardust on the independence debate during last night’s Brit Awards by calling for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom. The Englishman’s surprise intervention came in front of a live television audience of millions at the awards, the biggest music event of the year, in London. His message was delivered by his friend, model Kate Moss, who wore one of Bowie’s 1970s Ziggy Stardust outfits. She had picked up the singer’s award for Best Male Solo Artist for the 67-yearold, who was in New York.
10 YEARS AGO
They were doyennes of the Scottish light entertainment scene and lit up the stage with their couthie banter, tartan mini-skirts and fishnet tights. And that was when they were still in their 70s. But yesterday a vast entry in the history of variety performance came to an end with the death of Anna Watt, the surviving sister of the Fran and Anna double act, who died peacefully at a hospice in Coatbridge, aged 85. Jim Watt, the cousin of the celebrity sisters, said: “She will be up there in heaven having a rerr terr with her family. That is what she was looking forward to.”
25 YEARS AGO
A staunch defence of climbers’ traditional rights to roam was launched yesterday after four people died and seven were injured as a record number of call-outs stretched Scottish rescue services to the limit. The message from mountain rescue teams, police, and others – that freedom on the hills is sacrosanct and cannot be measured in lives, injuries or resources – is expected to be underlined this week following a Scottish Natural Heritage summary of responses to the largest survey yet undertaken on outdoors recreational access.
50 YEARS AGO
Mr Tam Dalyell, Labour MP for West Lothian, said yesterday that the fact Edinburgh’s sewage was poured unfiltered into the river Forth was a “bloody scandal”. Mr Dalyell, who was attending the Oceanology International ’69 conference and exhibition at Brighton, said he had seen equipment at the exhibition which at no great expense could be used in Edinburgh. He added: - “I would like to know what the city chamberlain has been doing about this – and I shall be asking a question in the House of Commons about this early next month.”
100 YEARS AGO
An attempt was made to assassinate M. Clemenceau, the French Premier, in Paris yesterday. M. Clemenceau’s automobile had proceeded barely 100 yards from the house when shots rang out. At the corner is a grocery, and a queue of people. Cottin, the Premier’s assailant, seems to have joined the queue in order to be able to wait without attracting notice. Cottin fired from the pavement at least seven shots at the Premier, of which one struck him in the shoulder. Cottin was at once seized, and the police had difficulty protecting him from the crowd.