From our archives
5 years ago
A record-breaking 75,000 passengers are expected to fly into Edinburgh Airport ahead of the capital’s world-famous Hogmanay celebrations. The figure trumps last year when 70,966 passengers flew in between Christmas Day and Hogmanay. Gordon Dewar, pictured, airport chief executive, said: “Last year’s passenger figures in the run-up to New Year smashed all records of Scottish airports, so to go one better this year is a great achievement. “
10 years ago
Teachers have warned that education in one of the largest rural areas in Scotland is facing a bleak future as the full extent of funding cuts are revealed. The Educational Institute of Scotland said funding reductions will lead to the closing of schools, fewer teachers and support staff and a drop in the number of courses on offer. The warning comes after Argyll and Bute Council was told by the Scottish Government that it faces a 4.9% cut in its funding.
25 years ago
Eight years after Alistair Maclean’s death, three new short stories and a missing screenplay have been discovered in his mansion by Lake Geneva. Villa Murat is still the home of the writer’s first wife – they divorced in 1972 – and the manuscripts are thought to have been lying in the cellar since then. David Bishop, the author’s friend and executor, knew of the screenplay when he began the search, but the three stories were a complete surprise.
50 years ago
Alan Paton, the South African author who wrote Cry, the Beloved Country, is to have an honorary degree of Doctor and Divinity conferred on him during 1971 by Edinburgh University, where a controversy has arisen over the university’s alleged investments in companies operating in South Africa. Before the vacation, the University Court refused student demands to liquidate these investments by February 1.
100 years ago
The newly formed Port-glasgow Fire Brigade had their first call to active duty yesterday afternoon. Mears Steele and Johnstone, Queen Street, Port-glasgow, have contracted to run the new fire engine and keep it in repair for a year. Yesterday a fire occurred at Ashgrove House. Within five minutes they were on the scene of the fire, which fortunately was not of a serious nature. The brigade were able to prevent the flames spreading.
1170: Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered in his own cathedral by four knights, believing they were acting on Henry II’S orders. 1809: William Ewart Gladstone was born in Liverpool. Four times British prime minister, he is remembered not only for politics but for the Gladstone bag and the Gladstone collar.
1860: The world’s first iron-clad warship, Warrior, was launched at Blackwall on the Thames. 1890: The Battle of Wounded Knee in South Dakota took place, the last major conflict between Native American Indians – Sioux – and US troops. 1940: German bombers dropped 10,000 bombs on London on one of the worst nights of the Blitz. Eight Wren churches and Guildhall were destroyed.
1972: Life Magazine ended publication after 36 years as the leading weekly pictorial magazine. It restarted quarterly issues in 1974.
2006: UK settles its AngloAmerican loan of post-world War Two debt. 2014: A suicide bomb at Russia’s Volgograd train station killed at least 18 people.
Birthdays
Bernard Cribbins, comedy actor, 92; Jon Voight, actor, 82; Marianne Faithfull, singer/ actress, 74; Ted Danson, actor, 73; Yvonne Elliman, singer, 69; Jude Law, pictured, actor, 48.
Quotes of the day
“I haven’t spoken to Imelda and I wouldn’t dare offer any advice about playing the Queen. Imelda is extraordinary and she’s going to do it all much better than me. I can’t wait to watch what she does” – Olivia Colman on handing over the role of the Queen in the Netflix series The Crown to successor Imelda Staunton.
“Will movie theatres still exist? Absolutely they will” – Tom Hanks tells movie website Collider that cinemas will survive the coronavirus pandemic.