Extracts from the files of the East Lothian News and the Musselburgh News

From our December 1, 2006, issue

100 years ago

INVERESK seems to need more light just as much as it needs more water, and this was painfully evidenced last Sunday evening. There was ample light up Newbigging to the foot of Inveresk Brae, but from there to the church it was a case of groping in darkness. There seems to be a sort of pre-arrangement between the moon and the lamplighters.

50 years ago

MUSSELBURGH Housing Committee supported on Tuesday evening a protest made by tenants of houses in Windsor Park Place, Pinkie Road and Linkfield Road against the rent charged for gas cookers. During the past three years no rent was charged for the cookers, so that the tenants find that they are now £3 in arrears, whereas the other tenants of post-war houses are not charged any rental for their gas cookers.

25 years ago

A FIRM in Prestonpans is to close in January with the loss of 60 jobs. The closure of engineering firm Archibald McMillan and Co, of Prestonpans Industrial Estate, has been blamed on the economic recession by plant manager Mr D Allan. "The bottom has fallen right out of the engineering industry throughout Britain," he said. "Multinational companies such as ICI and BP, as well as whisky firms who have dealt with us, have curtailed their orders for chemical process plants, distillation columns and heat exchangers. It is a sad day for the company."

PRESTONPANS Community Centre is to open early in the New Year following a decision by East Lothian District Council taken at a special meeting on Tuesday. The community centre, which had been scheduled for opening last month, was mothballed as part of the £700,000 cuts ordered by the Secretary of State in this year's budget.

A 25-year career in the police force, more than half of it spent in North Berwick, has come to an end for PC Duncan Brown. For ill-health has forced 48-year-old Duncan, of Craigleith Avenue, North Berwick, to retire early.

10 years ago

CLIFF Richard, loved by millions for taking a bus on his Summer Holiday, will be boarding another double decker today when he is bound for Carberry Tower Christian Centre near Musselburgh. The superstar, who is currently in Edinburgh with his show Heathcliffe, will board a Strathclyde Buses double decker at Carberry to unveil details of RTP - Release The Power - the biggest event for Christian young people to take place in Scotland.

THE fate of historic Newhailes House at Musselburgh will be sealed within the next few days, and it should soon be known whether the mansion and its contents will be held in trust for the country, or sold off to private enterprises. A massive £2.7m appeal launched by the National Trust to save Newhailes officially ends on November 30, and officials are hopeful that sufficient cash has been found to secure the future of the house.

FIFTY eventful years of history will be celebrated in Musselburgh tomorrow for the oldest Hearts Supporters Club still in existence. A Hearts annual from 1955 states that the person responsible for forming the Hearts Supporters Association in 1945 was George Robertson, the club's late secretary.

From our December 8, 2006, issue

100 years ago

SIR Alex Hope, Bart., Pinkie, has very kindly fenced and opened a footpath from the Public Recreation Ground at Deantown, leading to the road going to Smeaton. As this involves a portion of the field between the public road and the recreation ground to be given up for this purpose voluntarily, it shows that the Pinkie family have a kindly interest in the welfare of the inhabitants.

50 years ago

IN about nine months from now, many householders in Musselburgh will be using natural gas in their homes for lighting, heating and cooking. The natural gas will be "pumped" from Cousland, about four miles from Musselburgh as the crow flies. The presence of natural gas at Cousland had been proved by an exploration well drilled by the British Petroleum Exploration Company before the war, but the exact size of the reservoir was not established with accuracy.

25 years ago

TYNEPARK List D School for Girls in Haddington has been granted a reprieve by the Scottish Office. The school has been under the threat of closure since early this year when it was nominated as one of the establishments to go in Government cutbacks. Mr Alan Dunton, school headmaster, received notification from the Scottish Office that it had been decided not to close the school after all.

TWO Dunbar women have returned home after enjoying a month-long holiday trip of a lifetime, a trip that took them to the other side of the world. Miss Molly Keith, of 11 Bowmont, and her neighbour Mrs Elizabeth Taylor visited India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the United States. And while in America they exchanged greetings with the citizens of Martinez, Dunbar's twin town.

MR J Gardiner Wood, organist and choirmaster at Tranent Parish Church for the past 19 years, is to retire. His last official engagement will be at morning service on December 13. Mr Wood has made an outstanding contribution to the singing of the church where his skilful playing has brought high praises. The post will be taken by Mr Dickson, music teacher at Ross High.

10 years ago

SCHOOLGIRL Morag Thayne is swapping the winter chill of Port Seton for the Brazilian sunshine. Morag, of Viewforth, will be off to the land of Pele as a member of the Scottish Women's U-20 Women's Football Development Squad, to play three games against the Brazilians. Sixteen-year-old Morag, a fifth year pupil at Preston Lodge High School, was chosen for the trip after the original goalkeeper had to drop out.

PEOPLE living in Humbie bore the brunt of this week's wintry weather as snow and high winds left homes and the village school without electricity. Homes in many other rural parts of East Lothian were without power until Wednesday evening as ice and snow, coupled with strong winds, brought down electricity poles and conductors. The hillfoot villages of Garvald and Gifford were also badly affected by the squally weather.

PLANS to find a twin town for North Berwick have moved a step nearer following a meeting last week. North Berwick is exploring the possibility of forging links with the Danish seaside town of Kurtemunde and Saint Amand-Montrond in France, which is close to Haddington and Dunbar's twin towns.

From our December 15, 2006, issue

100 years ago

THE public health committee recommended that only the wood work of the hospital at Esk Grove, Musselburgh, be pained meantime, and that a telephone connection be introduced with the Medical Officer and Sanitary Inspector. Councillor Aitken: You surely intend to do a pretty good business there. (Laughter). The Provost: We must have it up to date.

50 years ago

COUNCILLOR Mrs Margaret Hyde is back in Musselburgh after her three-month visit to her brother in the United States. During her visit she travelled extensively and formed some vivid impressions of the country and the people. She travelled home by air. On Tuesday she began, once more, her duties as a councillor and at the Town Council meeting was welcomed "back into the fold" by Bailie James Hill, in the absence of the Provost.

25 years ago

EAST Lothian District Council have been successful in their campaign to attract the proposed expansion in the United Kingdom by Mitsubishi Electric Ltd to Haddington. The company announced plans at the weekend to double the size of their former Haddington factory at Gateside with the promise of more than 100 new jobs. Plans provide for a further 6,00 sq m of factory space to be constructed in two phases, the first of which will comprise 3,000 sq m.

COUNCILLORS and officials of East Lothian District Council visited the Duke of Hamilton at Archerfield, Dirleton, on Wednesday morning to see the second prototype of a utilitiy car, which he as produced, in operation. The vehicle looks like a small Land Rover and it is planned to build three further prototypes before making a decision on whether or not to got into production. It has a four-wheel drive which makes it suitable for use over all types of terrain.

TRANENT'S new post office opened on Monday. Praise came from the local MP John Home Robertson, who said the spacious new office should ensure customers a comfortable wait in queues. The new post office is at the back of the old one in the former Department of Health premises.

10 years ago

A PLAN to fell 370 trees in an ancient woodland at Pressmennan near Stenton was given the green light by councillors this week despite protests from conservation campaigners. Members of East Lothian Council decided to withdraw their formal objection to a woodland grant application submitted by landowner John Kinnaird after a compromise was reached. A total of 142 trees, including 124 oaks, are to be felled, and 227 specimens, of which 173 are oak, will be thinned.

TREES have been planted at Tranent's Ross High School in memory of the victims of the Dunblane Massacre and the school's former chemistry teacher. Staff pupils and local residents gathered in the grounds of the school for the poignant ceremony, in which a rowan tree was planted in memory of chemistry teacher William McNeill, who died in September. A silver birch was planted in memory of the 16 P1 children and their teacher, Gwen Mayor, who were shot dead at Dunblane Primary.

LOCAL church leaders are to urge sporting organisations to blow the whistle on Sunday morning matches in a bid to attract more youngsters to church. North Berwick minister Rev Milton Cashman called on Presbytery to support his motion.

From our December 22, 2006, issue

100 years ago

ANOTHER sad fatality occurred at the Wallyford Colliery of the Edinburgh Collieries Company last night. It seems that a heavy stone fell from the roof of the pit and struck a young miner, named John McCutcheon, residing in Kemp's Buildings, Musselburgh, inflicting such serious injuries that he expired almost instantaneously.

50 years ago

SATURDAY was an extremely busy day for Provost Mrs Elizabeth J Henderson of Tranent. Not only did she perform the opening ceremony of Musselburgh Labour Party's sale of work in the Labour Hall, High Street, but she attended the wedding of her son, Walter, who was married later that afternoon to a Tranent girl, Miss Jean Mackenzie, at the Parish Church, Tranent. Mrs Isa McNeill, president of the women's section, introduced Mrs Henderson.

25 years ago

THE big freeze brought chaos to East Lothian this week. There was a spate of minor road accidents, hundreds of burst and frozen water pipes were reported, power cuts affected many towns and villages and lack of heating forced some schools to close early. The onslaught of Arctic conditions and the first snowfalls of the winter led to a spate of car accidents although local police reported no serious incidents.

PLANS to dump another 4.4 million tonnes of pulverised ash from Cockenzie power station at the Musselburgh lagoons were said to be "completely unacceptable" at East Lothian planning and development committee. It was further claimed that the South of Scotland Electricity Board had misled the public over their proposals by producing deceptive artist impressions of what the area between Musselburgh and Prestonpans would look like once dumping was completed.

CELEBRATED violinist Yehudi Menuhin and his son Jeremy are to give a violin and piano recital in St Mary's Parish Church, Haddington, next summer to boost a major fund-raising drive being launched by the Lamp of Lothian Collegiate Trust in the New Year.

10 years ago

TRANENT woman Maureen Fyanes had an unexpected Christmas bonus this week in the shape of a lottery windfall. Maureen, warden at the Well Wynd sheltered housing complex, has won a share in the Daily Mirror's syndicate which scooped £1.3m from Saturday's jackpot. Some 350 readers were eligible for a share of the Mirror syndicate win and if each one came forward to win their prize they would receive £3,720.

THERE was some early Christmas cheer at Edenhall Hospital in Musselburgh this week when hi-tech equipment, stolen days earlier, was returned in time to allow staff to carry on vital work with young patients. In the guise of Santa Claus was East Lothian Procurator Fiscal's Office who released most of the £15,000 worth of items after two men appeared at Haddington Sheriff Court.

ONE of East Lothian's longest serving community council chairmen stunned his colleagues when he announced his resignation. Jim Ross (67), who has been chairman of Tranent and Elphinstone Community Council since its formation in 1976, said he was stepping down in order to devote more time to his family. He will, however, continue as an active member of the Gala and Day Centre Committees.

From our December 29, 2006, issue

100 years ago

THE disadvantages of a severe snowstorm were not long in making themselves painfully felt on the electric tramway in Musselburgh. So heavy was the fall that the rails soon became blocked, and the cars were brought to a standstill. For a time it was rather alarming to see the electric current that was being emitted both by the wires

50 years ago

MEMBERS of the parks committee were unanimous in their approval of plans for anew caravan site on Fisherrow Links. The new caravan site, occupying approximately five acres, will necessarily be forced to provide proper facilities for caravanners who make it their yearly venue. Parks convener Bailie A M Lowe stressed that if the new site was set up, permanent facilities costing approximately £1,800 would have to be installed.

25 years ago

THE Secretary of State for Scotland Mr George Younger has ordered a public inquiry into East Lothian District Council's handling of council house sales. The inquiry, to be held in Haddington on January 25, will determine whether or not the council have failed to carry out their statutory duties in processing applications from tenants to buy their council homes. The Secretary of State said the council had received 587 applications by October, with only 29 sales being completed.

A SMALL pre-Christmas get-together for leaders of the 2nd Haddington Scout Group turned out to be farm more than Jean Fairbairn, Cub leader for the past 25 years, had bargained for. For the get-together was only an excuse to get Jean to go along to the Scout Hall last Thursday evening where a special celebration had been orgainsed to mark quarter of a century of service to the Cubs in Haddington.

NINE jobs are under threat at the Animal Breeding Research Organisataion's field station at Skedsbush, Gifford, following cutbacks announced last week by the Agricultural Research Council. The field station at Skedsbush deals with research into pig disease.

10 years ago

WORK to develop a centuries old Haddington town centre building, which has been branded an eyesore by locals, could start in the spring. Owner Vincent Policella from Ormiston is hoping to get grant aid from Historic Scotland to transform the Market Street site into three shops and four flats.

SEA Cadets officer Jim Rylance and budding athlete Lauren Hamilton were given top awards by Dunbar Community Council. Jim (46), who has been commanding officer of Dunbar Sea Cadets for the past five years, was presented with the Community Award and 11-year-old Lauren, who set a new record for the 600 metres sprint in the East Lothian inter-school sports this summer, received the prestigious Bowe Cup.

HOME Office Minister Baroness Blatch visited East Lothian and spoke to local Conservatives at a coffee morning in Gifford. Lady Blatch referred to the fact that her son, James, had stood for the position of National Chairman of the Young Conservatives in 1991 but had been defeated by Murdo Fraser, who was now the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for East Lothian.