From our edition of October 2, 2009

100 years ago

ON Wednesday afternoon, by invitation of the Town Council, a representative gathering of the citizens of Musselburgh gathered in the Council Chambers, the occasion being the formal handing over to the Town Council of the handsome new public clock which has been erected on the Hayweights, presented to the town by Mr A D M Black, WS. Provost Simpson said they were there to take part in a very interesting ceremony, viz the formal handing over of the clock that had been erected over the weigh-house at Fisherrow. The presentation was to be made by Mr Colin Black, on behalf of his father. In a letter from Mr A D Black, he said: "I am sorry my good friend Dr Thomson will not allow me to be with you today. My son will be encouraged by the kindly reception I know he will receive. It is 71 years since, within the same Town Hall where you are meeting, his great grandfather, the Rev Alexander Black, commemorated the close of the 50th year of his ministry, among, as it is put on his tombstone, friends of all denominations."

50 years ago

REALISTIC — that is the attitude which the Earl of Dalkeith recommended the constituents of East Edinburgh to take regarding old age pensions when he addressed a meeting where it was "standing room only" in Musselburgh Town Hall. "I personally believe that pensions should be higher," said the Unionist candidate, "but we have got to be realistic about this." During the questions later in the evening, an old age pensioner asked the Earl: "Is it likely I am going to vote away a 10s increase?" Lord Dalkeith smiled: "I leave it entirely to your own discretion." When another OAP, Mrs Elkington, rose and asked about "starving old age pensioners," Mr Walter Scott, chairman, remarked that there was very little sign of starvation as far as Mrs Elkington was concerned. Indignantly, she answered: "You have no right to pass that remark." One heckler asked: "Could the countess run the Buccleuch household on £2 10s a week?" The answer was inaudible, and when the questioner complained, he was told by the chairman: "You should have been listening."

25 years ago

AN estimated 400 people took part in a march and rally in Prestonpans on Saturday morning in support of the striking miners. The turnout delighted the organisers who had feared numbers might be depleted by the threat of heavy rain. The march was led by two former Labour Party chairmen, Mr Sam McCluskie and Mr Alex Kitson. They were joined by the NUM's Mr Eric Clarke, local MP John Home Robertson, students' president Mr Alan Smart, and district and regional councillors. There was a rousing ovation for SCEBTA delegate Mr David Costello who has been sacked by the National Coal Board.

BRITISH Rail have been ordered to reinstate the part of Drem railway station which they demolished in breach of listed building procedure. The demolition work was only discovered about a week ago. Director of Physical Planning Graham Duncan said the station was listed because of its Victorian railway architecture. BR had agreed to restore the demolished building and to replace a cast iron drinking fountain which was removed.

10 years ago

A MAJOR plan to build 141 new houses at Tranent Mains Farm was given the go-ahead by councillors this week. Members heard the developer had agreed to fund traffic calming measures costing £80,000 in the Coalgate area, allaying residents' road safety fears. The proposal attracted a petition signed by just over 100 residents who primarily objected to it on highway safety grounds.

A TRUST has been set up to try and save dilapidated historic buildings in Amisfield Park, Haddington, a former family seat of the Earl of Wemyss. The Amisfield Preservation Trust became a registered company on September 9 and is now poised to progress its plan to transform the area outside the local golf course into an amenity which can be enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike, possibly including an adventure playground for children and garden centre. The trust is hoping to obtain leases of the Amisfield buildings which include a walled garden, a summer house known as the 'Temple', and lodges which date from the 18th century.

Interested in local history? Find out more by contacting East Lothian Local History Centre and Scran, both of which hold fascinating records of life in East Lothian

From our edition of October 9, 2009

100 years ago

LATE on Saturday night, a subsidence, in all probability due to the settling down of old pit workings, occurred immediately to the south of Prestonpans High Street, a short distance from the Town Hall. It had the effect of wrecking the front and side of a substantially semi-detached villa of two storeys, causing the sinking of the front garden, and the overthrow of a considerable stretch of garden wall. The dwelling, which presents a very wrecked appearance, has been rendered quite uninhabitable. The walls, which are off the plumb, are shored-up with heavy timbering. The tenants, two ladies, have removed their furniture. In the course of Friday the ladies heard strange noises, and were so alarmed by their continuance on Saturday that in the evening they left the house some two hours before the settlement occurred. The pithead of the Northfield Colliery, which belongs to the Edinburgh Collieries Co. Ltd, is about 200 yards from the house. The winning of coal at Northfield ceased some time ago.

50 years ago

THE highest honour that a Scout can win, the Queen's Badge, was presented to 17-year-old James McWhirr, of the 8th (Musselburgh) Troop, in their newly decorated clubrooms in the High Street. James, a pupil of Musselburgh Grammar School, started his Scouting career as a young Cub and became a First Class Scout before he won the Queen's award. Mr J Millar, County Secretary, had a great pleasure in handing over the Queen's Badge to Jimmy.

MUSSELBURGH'S finance committee agreed by a majority of one to recommend that the Town Council should donate £100 to the Auchengeich Colliery Disaster Fund. Councillor Stuart Strachan said: " We are living in the centre of a mining area and the same thing could happen here."

THOMSON & Bonnar, 93 High Street, Musselburgh, beat all-comers with their Dundee cake at the 45th International Bakers' Exhibition at Olympia. M&F Co-op were third in the sultana slab cake class.

25 years ago

THE former British Legion premises in Elder Street, Tranent, have been sold. The deal is subject to Mr Sulakhan Singh receiving an entertainments licence at next week's meeting of East Lothian District Licensing Board. Mr Singh, of Lammermoor Gardens, Tranent, already has the VG Foodstore in the town's Bridge Street. If all goes well he hopes to open the former Legion premises before Christmas and run it in conjunction with his other business concerns.

A PUBLIC snub by NUM leaders at the official opening of the Lady Victoria and Prestongrange Mining Museums left event co-ordinators and local councillors with red faces. They had planned a presentation of the Victoria branch banner by the union to the museum. But that had to be postponed as officials refused to share a public platform with the NCB. More than 100 people were invited to the opening ceremony at Prestongrange. A buffet followed the morning's events.

10 years ago

THE Carberry Trust is ready to forge ahead with a £400,000 scheme to improve residential facilities at its conference centre near Musselburgh. With the help of sustained support from numerous organisations and individuals, the trust took full ownership of the facilities in May when it paid the balance of the purchase price of almost £750,000. Last week the board agreed to embark on the next stage of the Carberry development, which will involve the construction of Friends' House — a residential facility providing 14 additional en-suite rooms.

COMMUNITY councillors in Tranent sprung a surprise on their chairman, Peter Swain, and his wife Sue when they attended a special meeting on Tuesday. For the couple, who are moving away from the town at the end of the month, thought the purpose was to give them the chance to tender their resignations and wrap up any unfinished business. However, community councillors seized the opportunity to present the unsuspecting couple with farewell gifts for their new home in Innerwick.

Interested in local history? Find out more by contacting East Lothian Local History Centre and Scran, both of which hold fascinating records of life in East Lothian

From our edition of October 23, 2009

100 years ago

ON Tuesday evening a meeting was held in the Town Hall, Musselburgh, under the auspices of the local Labour Party, and in support of the candidature of Mr Wm Walker, the prospective Labour candidate for the Leith Burghs. There was a large attendance present, and the speakers included Mr J Keir Hardie MP. The chairman, James Young, in introducing Mr Keir Hardie, said that since Mr Hardie was last in Musselburgh the Labour Party had grown by leaps and bounds. The mission of the party was the abolition of poverty both in mind and body, and with that object in view to organise the workers of Great Britain and the other countries, so that they might emancipate themselves. Mr Hardie said it was getting on for quarter of a century since he first addressed a meeting in the neighbourhood of Musselburgh in the interest of Labour representation. At that time the idea of having a Labour Party was considered absurd. Consensus of opinion in those days were that those who joined the Labour Party were either cranks or visionaries or people who did not want work.

50 years ago

TWO boys, aged eight years and nine years, were admonished by Provost James Lannan at Musselburgh Juvenile Court on Saturday morning after pleading guilty to assaulting a six-year-old schoolgirl. The offence took place on September 7 when the two boys persuaded the girl to go over the wall and they would show her a trick. The boys removed her socks and shoes, and tied her feet together Indian fashion. They took off her dress and she was left crying, shivering in her vest. She could not climb back over the wall as she was not wearing any clothes and her feet were tied together with string. Clerk of the Court Mr David Taylor suggest that the two boys had not appreciated the seriousness of what they were doing. There had been no question of bruises found on the girl. One parent said that, had the play been allowed to continue, it would have finished as a perfectly healthy schoolboy prank. He did not think the boys had any intention of leaving the small girl without clothes, but they were interrupted in their game before they could return them.

25 years ago

THE conservation group Friends of the Earth (Scotland) have claimed an important victory to save Britain's fast disappearing woodland, with a new hope that their campaign has saved Butterdean Wood. In a dramatic turnaround, the Secretary of State for Scotland, Mr George Younger, has decided to take further evidence on the fate of the Gladsmuir wood. Three months ago about 2000 people signed the FoE petition in favour of retaining the 150 acres of mixed woodland which its owner, Mr Humphry, wished to fell for agricultural purposes.

EAST Lothian Co-operative Society Ltd has been granted an off-sales licence for their Gifford shop. But the application was strongly opposed by Mr T B Anderson, who runs a licensed grocer's shop in the village's Main Street. Mr Anderson argued that Gifford, with only 270 households, could not support two off-licence premises. If too many outlets chase too few customers, it was inevitable some would close. This had happened in Haddington.

10 years ago

ONE of two long-stay wards at Musselburgh's Edenhall Hospital is to close by January next year with the transfer of elderly patients to other NHS units. Meetings with patients and relatives were taking place this week to discuss plans to move occupants of the Carberry Ward to continuing care beds elsewhere in the Lothians. A Trust spokesman said the closure would complete the phased reduction from 57 to 25 continuing care beds, which was in line with Lothian Health's strategy for the care of older people agreed in 1995.

THE £3m Scottish Seabird Centre at North Berwick is halfway through its construction. Erection of the centre is being managed by the Scottish Construction Division of Gleeson and the roof is currently being added to the building which has been designed in the shape of a bird's head to highlight the ornithological nature of the project. The facility is being constructed on two levels and, due to its location, special materials and techniques are being used to ensure it withstands coastal weather conditions.

Interested in local history? Find out more by contacting East Lothian Local History Centre and Scran, both of which hold fascinating records of life in East Lothian

From our edition of October 30, 2009

100 years ago

INVERESK School Board have made arrangements whereby, from November till March inclusive, soup will be provided for the scholars at Crookston Public School should there be sufficient demand for it. The charges per week will be 3d, or a penny per single bowl. During the period mentioned, the Board, by a circular issued to parents, have asked them to discourage their children going home at lunchtime, because of the state of the weather and the short time allowed for lunch, viz, 35 minutes. Parents are also reminded that drying rooms are provided in the school, and it is suggested that on wet days scholars might bring in their bags a pair of dry stockings, which could be changed in these rooms.

WE would draw our readers' attention to the third annual temperance demonstration under the auspices of the Musselburgh and District Temperance Council. which is to take place tomorrow in the Town Hall. At the public lantern and cinematograph meeting in the evening, Mr J Watson Taylor will preside.

50 years ago

COUNCILLOR Mrs Burns suggested that with the present high cost of coal it would be wise to consider the installation of electric fires for houses in the new development in Newbigging (Inveresk Road) scheme in Musselburgh. She further suggested that the electric fires could be Musselburgh's contribution towards a smokeless fuel area. Treasurer Peter Hamilton pointed out that in several years time there would be only fireplaces which would conform with the Clean Air Act.

MUSSELBURGH housewives will be richer by over £54,000 next week — if they are members of Musselburgh & Fisherrow Co-operative Society Ltd. When members of the society met in Dalrymple Loan Hall, it was reported that the committee recommended a dividend of 1/6 in the £ on purchases for the past half year, and the pay-out will be £54,000. The big pay-out will begin at the Central Office on Monday, Whitecraig members will be paid on Wednesday, and the other districts following.

25 years ago

DUNBAR is an embarrassment to East Lothian and would be better off in Berwickshire, according to the local community council, who launched a series of complaints on East Lothian District Council. They first attacked the district for failing to provide toilets at Castlepark Barracks, the town's main car park. They heard that a similar area in Jedburgh at the old mill area had been converted into a car park with toilets which were easily accessible to the shopping centre. Mr Eddie Scoughall told fellow councillors: "Dunbar seems to be an embarrassment to East Lothian, but we would be a benefit to Berwickshire."

EAST Lothian planning committee are to make a site visit following an application for an entertainment liquor licence at a North Berwick billiards hall. Mr J Roccio has made an application for permission to sell drinks by waiter service at the Triangle Club. Councillor John Macnair said he was unsure how the club, which is part of the Dalrymple Hotel, would be operated.

10 years ago

THE final stage of an ambitious improvement scheme will get under way at Musselburgh racecourse next month. The success of recent developments, which have seen £1.7m spent since 1995, has enabled a further £1m to be invested in new facilities, which will include a new bar, restaurant and betting shop. Racecourse manager Bill Farnsworth believes the improved facilities are attracting more first-time visitors to Musselburgh — and bringing them back. From a regular base of around 1000 hard-core punters, the figures have shown a steady increase in the past few years, with 3,200 people attending the last race meeting.

IT will be 'Viva Espana' for Haddington publican Kenny Graham and his wife Bianca on Sunday when they jet off to start a new life in the sun. Kenny (61), who is originally from Glasgow, has retired after 20 years as mine host at the Tyneside Tavern and has decided to move to Benalmadena in Spain. "I will be playing a lot of golf," he said. "We'll settle down first and then see what's what."

Interested in local history? Find out more by contacting East Lothian Local History Centre and Scran, both of which hold fascinating records of life in East Lothian