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

From our February 2, 2007, issue

100 years ago

A GOOD deal of alarm was caused when it became known that fire had broken out in a dwelling house in Newbigging, Musselburgh. It seems that in the lower flat of Braehouse, some clothes had been drying in front of the fire and, becoming ignited, the flames spread very rapidly through the house. It is supposed that the damage, about £30, is covered by insurance.

50 years ago

FOR the second time, 13-year-old Margaret Paterson, of 85 Windsor Park, Musselburgh, will dance on TV when she appears with Alec Finlay in a children's television show on Tuesday February 5. Once before this promising young star of the future appeared in a charity concert on TV as a "feed" for comedian Jimmy Logan. She stole the show, and critics everywhere lauded her performance.

25 years ago

CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a £5 million private hospital in East Lothian for the treatment of wealthy Saudi Arabians have been thrown out by the local planning committee. Members decided by six votes to three to refuse outline consent for the proposed hospital at Whittingehame House, the former Holt Boarding School. But an appeal may be lodged with the Secretary of State for Scotland, Mr George Younger, by the applicants, Thamoud (Scotland) Ltd, who wanted to convert the 19th century house into a private hospital for the administration of "specialised treatment for Saudi Arabic nationals."

A DREAM comes true today for the people of Prestonpans. At 2.15pm, John Home Robertson opens the community centre and ends the saga of political controversy which seemed to threaten the centre's existence. Only four months ago the rumour that the centre could become another casualty in the local carnage of cuts became so strong that a public meeting was called.

ANGRY East Lothian councillors this week threw out plans by the SSEB to build a £2.73 million extension to Thurston work camp because the Board had not shown there was a need for the 500-bed extension.

10 years ago

DISCARDED cotton buds put one of East Lothian's most popular beaches at the top of a national litter league. Astounded East Lothian council officials could not believe their eyes when they saw the results of a Beachwatch survey which listed Gullane Bents as one of the most polluted in Britain. The shock statistics showed that during a beach clean-up last September, 5,505 sewage items had been collected at the Gullane beach. But when concerned council chiefs delved into the matter they discovered that cotton buds were to blame — 5,500 of them in fact!

MUSSELBURGH plumber Edward Catling (65) retired recently after 48 working years with just two companies. Edward, of 12a Links Street, who was guest of honour at a party in the Store Club last month, retired after 23 years with Plumbing and Heating Services of Tranent. He had just one other job, previously working for the Crudens group for 25 years before being made redundant.

ST Joseph's, a special school between Tranent and Prestonpans, looks set to close. Both East Lothian Council's social work and education committees have endorsed the plan.

From our February 9, 2007, issue

100 years ago

AT a meeting of the Western District Committee of Haddingtonshire County Council, the question of electrical tramway extension from Levenhall to Tranent was discussed. The Earl of Wemyss, commenting on the overhead system, remarked that what with telegraph poles, telephone poles and motor signal poles, the county would soon be like a drying green.(Laughter).

50 years ago

AFTER a mining career lasting 54 years, Mr David Livingstone, manager of Carberry Colliery, has retired. At a presentation ceremony in Whitecraig Miners' Institute, he was presented with a complete bag of golf clubs by the oldest employee of Carberry Colliery, Mr Robert Glen, who, though aged 78, still works in the pits. At the age of 14, David Livingstone, of 14 Craighall Terrace, Musselburgh, started to work in a mine at Macmerry, receiving 3/6 a day.

25 years ago

A POLISH exile is planning a series of missions of mercy to his strife-torn country in the hope of bringing relief to the areas where it is most needed. Mr Stanley Godek, former proprietor of the Maitlandfield House Hotel in Haddington, plans to take a four-ton load of food, blankets and medical supplies to all the major towns in Poland in the near future and repeat the trip as many times as it proves necessary during the current crisis. Mr Godek and his wife, Rita, decided they wanted to do something positive to help the people of his native land following reports about shortages of essential commodities and a 400 per cent increase in the price of food.

CASTLE Rock Housing Association have applied for outline planning permission to spend £750,000 on a sheltered housing scheme in Tranent. If the application goes through, 36 flats will be built at Muirpark Road.

A WELL-KNOWN Port Seton man and amateur film maker is to show a selection of his work to the Friends of the Brunton Theatre at a social event at the Brunton Hall, Musselburgh. Mr Jim Hickie, of 10 Gosford Road, has been actively involved in film making for years.

10 years ago

HOPES of establishing a lasting memorial to Musselburgh's heroes of the Second World War, and subsequent conflicts, have come a step closer with the formation of a memorial committee. Among suggestions so far have included a list of names, some 230 to date, being mounted on the fountain by the Hollies Day Centre.

HUNDREDS of new jobs could be created by the opening of a science centre to house small companies at the forefront of high technology research and development. The new £1.2 million centre, which will house 10 companies and initially create up to 50 jobs, is being built on the Elvingston Estate, near Haddington.

ANGELA Higginbotham, who spearheaded the formation of a local group to help drug users and their families following the death of her brother, has received a top local accolade in recognition of her services to the community. She is the 1997 recipient of the Haddington Young Person of the Year Award which was initiated by the town's Rotary Club. Angela (27), 81 Abbots View, was presented with the accolade on Tuesday, the anniversary of the death of her brother John Lockhart who died a victim of the drug culture.

From our February 16, 2007, issue

100 years ago

THE Public Health Committee recommended to Musselburgh Town Council that Nurse Sutherland be appointed matron of the infectious diseases' hospital at Eskgrove, at an annual salary of £50, with a proviso that there be a three months' notice on either side. Mr Barclay stated that she was 35 years of age, and had 11 years' experience.

50 years ago

MUSSELS are being lifted from the mussel beds at Fisherrow, not by the basketful, but by the lorry load, alleged Dean of Guild Thorburn at Musselburgh Town Council. He considers that it is all wrong. Long ago, he reminded the council, people used to talk of "picking" a few mussels, but now it was wholesale "lifting." The men engaged in the profitable mussel trade were taking loads of mussels to other parts of the country for the making of "seedbeds."

25 years ago

RATES paid by industries in East Lothian have risen by nearly 100 per cent over the past two years — well above the UK average. This was stated by Dr I P Sword, managing director of Inveresk Research International, in response to a letter from East Lothian District Council's chief executive Mr David Miller claiming the level of rates had increased by less than other major components of industry. Dr Sword had written to the council expressing concern about the damaging effect on productive industry and jobs by the increases in rates burden.

THE public inquiry into the proposed routing of the transmission lines from Torness nuclear power station is likely to last the major part of two weeks. Members of East Lothian planning and development committee heard the inquiry is to start on April 19 in the Town House, Haddington. The accommodation has been booked for two weeks.

AN open evening to view the upgrading work on Ward 16 at East Fortune Hospital will be held. In December 1980 the hospital's League of Friends launched an appeal for funds to improve patient facilities in the ward. Some £16,700 was raised.

10 years ago

THREE hard-working volunteers from East Lothian have been rewarded for their loyal service. Hilda Ralph from Gullane, Jack Cornwall of Tranent and Frank Holland, who lives in Athelstaneford, have all worked tirelessly for the Women's Royal Voluntary Service. Mrs Ralph was presented with a clasp to mark 27 years' service. Mr Cornwall received a long-service certificate in recognition of 13 years as a local organiser for meals-on-wheels. Mr Holland was presented with a community certificate to mark his nine years as treasurer of the canteen at Herdmanflat.

PLANS are afoot to create a major sports and leisure complex at Hallhill, Dunbar. Around 10 different clubs have been involved in negotiations including Dunbar United FC, which has its ground at Countess Park. East Lothian Council has been consulting local sports groups.

BABY Vikki Blair certainly knows how to make a dramatic entrance — for the Prestonpans tot was born in the front seat of dad Matthew's car en route to the maternity hospital. Mum Angela, of Inchview, went into labour and set off for the Eastern General but only got as far as Joppa when she realised the baby was about to arrive.

From our February 23, 2007, issue

100 years ago

THROUGH the kindness of Miss Milne, Linkfield Road, a large number of the poorer class of children in Musselburgh were entertained in the Town Hall on Wednesday afternoon. The hall was filled with both boys and girls, there being over 350 present. Bailie Bisset made a few appropriate remarks, and counselled the children to grow up so they would be useful men and women.

50 years ago

PERMISSION has been given to the Midlothian County Council to proceed with the building of a roundabout at Levenhall on the London-Edinburgh A1 road. The estimated cost is £25,000. For that money about 15 houses could be built. Would houses be of more value to the community? Records show that the part of the highway on which the roundabout will be built has not been classified as dangerous.

25 years ago

FORMER colleagues gathered in North Berwick police station for a presentation to PC David Brown, who retired on January 29 on the grounds of ill health. Superintendent Jack Cornwall presented 46-year-old David with a clock on behalf of his colleagues and wished him well in the future. He joined the police force in 1956 and was stationed at North Berwick for two years then spent some time at Haddington before moving to East Linton in 1960. David was the village bobby for 11 years and moved back to North Berwick in 1971 until his retirement last month.

HADDINGTON District Councillor David Thomson plans to help finance the tree planting scheme at Amisfield Golf Course to the tune of £400 — by donating a quarter of that sum from his council work allowance. Under a scheme run by the Countryside Commission, the club will be able to claim £3 for every £1 donated by Councillor Thomson.

INVERESK District Councillor Raymond McCabe, former convener of the general purposes and finance committee, has resigned after five years' service. Councillor McCabe gave his reason for resigning as promotion in his work with British Rail.

10 years ago

HADDINGTON playwright Mike Cullen is enjoying recent television success. The 38-year-old ex-miner wrote the recent storyline for the TV series McCallum which is about a pathologist played by John Hannah, also famous for his part in the popular movie Four Weddings and a Funeral. Mike, of St Martin's Place, has been writing full time for the past three years. The former Ross High School, Tranent, pupil's first major success was a play called The Cut which was about the miners' strike. The production went on tour and was staged in London.

A MULTI-MILLION pound development that will be the new "Gateway to Dunbar" this week got the go-ahead from East Lothian Council despite strenuous objections from a rival applicant which has its own plans in the pipeline. The project at Hallhill/Lochend, the first of its kind in East Lothian, will include 700 houses, a hotel, A1 service area, commercial complex, and golf course.

THE Labour MPs for East Lothian and Midlothian, John Home Robertson and Eric Clarke, visited Monktonhall Colliery on Monday to meet the management and workforce.