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July 2010 Looking Back articles

Delve into the past with a look through the columns of the East Lothian News and Musselburgh News

From our files of July 16, 2010

100 years ago

MR Landale submitted to Musselburgh Town Council the cost of putting up a double railing in front of the Grand Stand on the racecourse, extending for a distance of 468 yards, to ensure the public safety on race days. The cost was estimated at about 175. It was explained that the railing could be removed after the races each year and would last for many years. The Provost commented upon the danger existing at present through the low and open railing and the terrible responsibilities of the council were an accident to occur. Meanwhile, the public health committee had under consideration the question of the housing of the working classes. It was reported that the surveyor had been instructed by way of arriving at the probable cost of erecting workmen's houses, to prepare plans for four houses consisting of one room and a kitchen on ground belonging to the council opposite Goose Green. Treasurer Niven said the committee had exceeded the remit, which was merely to ascertain the cost of such erections in other towns.

The annual outing of North Esk Golf Club was held to Gorebridge on Saturday last, when there was a good turnout of members present. The weather was good and the outing was greatly enjoyed.

50 years ago

WHEN Musselburgh exiles gather together to meet the Honest Lad and Lass and leading personalities in the town, they will have a further treat at this informal function. Miss Mary McFadyen, who was principal soloist in last year's Musselburgh musical production, will sing Musselburgh's new song, "Hail Musselburgh," the words of which were written by Miss Helen McGraw. The chorus is as follows:

Let Gala sing of her Braw, Braw Lads, and Selkirk her Souters a'.

The Hawick Teries would rather die than see their auld toun fa',

There's Lauder and Jedhart and Langholm and Duns.

Their lads are blythe and free,

But the lasses and lads o' the Honest Toun

Are the best that Scotland has ever seen

A PARTY of Canadian Girl Guides from Toronto have just paid a visit to Musselburgh. The Guides landed at Liverpool last week and spent their first few days as guests of the 3rd Company Girl Guides at their camp at Duns. Despite the weather, they enjoyed every minute, thoroughly entering into the life of the camp. As guests in the homes of Musselburgh Guides, they have seen something of the capital and travelled as far as Pitlochry.

strong>25 years ago

REGIONAL Councillor George McNeill has called for a general clean up in Tranent. With the new Loch Centre completed and associated housing almost ready, Councillor McNeill feels it is time to brighten up the rest of the town. He wants the High Street to be brought up to the same standard which now exists in the Loch Road/Well Wynd area as a result of the south side improvements.

DUNBAR fisherman Robert Marr Davies was hoping for a large catch when he took his boat into the Forth last week. But he landed more than he bargained for when he hauled in an unexploded bomb. Robert was fishing six miles north east of Dunbar in the 36-foot Leith registered Spitfire with his two man crew, 18-year-old Robert junior and Peter Brunton. The men were pulling in nets when they realised they had netted a British Mark 1 magnetic mine. The bomb disposal squad prepared a controlled explosion off Belhaven Sands.

strong>10 years ago

THE new Hallhill Healthy Living Centre in Dunbar will be the venue for an extra-special community sports event next weekend. Football, rugby and hockey will be on offer as part of a two-day sports festival linked to the ITV Year of Promise — a nationwide millennium appeal encouraging individuals and organisations to make and keep a special promise. This weekend's sports event is also the first opportunity for locals to use the new 2.7m centre, the first phase of which is nearing completion. With the opening of the new clubhouse in March next year, the finished centre will boast a wide range of health and fitness facilities.

VOLUNTEERS who organise the Women's Royal Voluntary Service tea bar at Roodlands Hospital in Haddington settled into new surroundings this week — with a continental flavour. They are now operating out of a brand new cafe situated in the new-look outpatients department which has been created as part of redevelopment plans at the hospital. Free samples of cappuccino and espresso were handed out to visitors, staff and patients.

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. Also try Lothian Lives.

From our files of July 23, 2010

100 years ago

AN open air meeting in connection with the Taxation of Land Values League was held at the Hayweights, Musselburgh, when the principal speaker was Mr F Skerrow, of Keightley. There was a large crowd in the vicinity and Mr John Brunton, a prominent member of the Musselburgh Liberal Association, presided. Mr Skerrow expounded the views of the Land Values Taxation Party, according to Henry George, showing the evils of land monopoly, and its crushing effect on both capital and labour, the restriction of employment by holding land out of use, which was the source of all wealth, although not wealth in itself, and the source of political power to the landed classes. Crime, vice, and misery was the result, and many of the best workers prefer to emigrate to escape want. Mr Skerrow said that competition was beneficial and necessary under proper conditions that gave men a living by easy access to the land. This was the crucial point. There was still a debate going on when the platform (or lorry) was withdrawn after ten o'clock.

BY scoring 52 on Tuesday afternoon against Mr Lumley's XI, GL Hunting, Loretto School, Musselburgh, has reached a total of 1009 runs for the season. This is far in excess of any total to the credit of his predecessors at Loretto. FE Dempster, one of the best all-round athletes - bowler, batsman, field, rugby half, hockeyist - Loretto has turned out within recent years, held the record until this season with 566, with RD Gillespie, last year's captain, not far behind.

50 years ago

HIBS and Motherwell reached the final of the HTA "fives" tournament in Musselburgh and the green and white slapped the Ancell "Babes" to the tune of 2 goals to 1 corner. It was a disappointing final because Hibs eased up in the second half and indulged in teasing criss-cross passing that demoralised Motherwell. Joe Baker did not turn out for the Hibs, but he was not missed in this type of football. Evergreen Willie Ormond was in sparkling and deadly form and during the evening he had several goals that brought roars of delight. Overall the Hibs produced the best football and deservedly won first prize. Third Lanark and Airdrie, both with a sprinkling of triers, were outclassed.

TWO Musselburgh-born players, Grant Malcolm, formerly with Newcastle United, and Douglas Wood, formerly with Sunderland, have signed for Raith Rovers. Four years ago, both players were in the Musselburgh Grammar School team. Malcolm is a right-winger and Wood plays as an inside right.

CROWDS cheered enthusiastically at the Old Bridge in Musselburgh on Monday night as the Honest Lad, Douglas Gifford, his Honest Lass, Margaret Hall, and the captain of the Crusaders' Riding Club, Mr N Whyte, led a cavalcade of 40 riders across the River Esk.

25 years ago

LUCKLESS James Jackson has a simple reason behind losing out on a spanking new Ford Fiesta car — he's not a betting man. Haddington pigeon fancier James missed out on the special prize despite winning the coveted Rennes National race, the blue riband of pigeon racing. James said: "I am not a betting man. The thing for me is to win the race and win the cup. The car means nothing." James lost the car prize by failing to enter a 5 pool to nominate your first bird home. Gorebridge man Jimmy Pryde won the Fiesta, which had been put up by a Leicester businessman. The bird that did it for James was "Howden Gold," a two-year-old blue cock, in a time of just under 13 hours for the 540 miles race from Rennes. A delighted James, who has spent more than 30 years breeding and racing pigeons, said the victory was the success he has been working for.

TANTALLON Press Ltd are seeking outline planning permission to build a workshop and offices at Heugh Road, North Berwick. The proposed site is unused land south of Robertsons' textile factory in the town's industrial estate.

10 years ago

A FISHERROW resident concerned about the state of the harbour beach has accused East Lothian Council of neglecting one of the area's greatest assets. Walter Livingstone, a member of the harbour users' committee, hit out at the "demarcation" policy which means that the West Sands were cleaned regularly while the harbour beach went largely ignored. Describing the beach as an "absolute disgrace," Mr Livingstone said it was not unusual to see the sand to the south of the harbour littered with chip papers, cups, glass bottles and discarded food.

THE Hayweights Club in Musselburgh saw lightning strike for a second time when one its regulars scooped the jackpot in the national bingo game at the weekend. The woman, a housewife from Haddington, who has asked not to be named, won more than 204,000 on Sunday night — exactly three months after winning 7,840 at the club on the same game. The woman completed a full house in 44 numbers, the fewest anywhere in the country, to win the national prize of 200,000, as well as the regional and local prizes.

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. Also try Lothian Lives.

From our files of July 30, 2010

100 years ago

THE mill lade at Mall Avenue, Musselburgh, was the scene of yet another narrow escape from drowning. A child of about three years had got underneath the chains, and fallen into the lade, and was taken out in a semi-conscious condition. It will be a blessing to the town when the municipality seriously consider the advisability of either filling up the lade or putting on a sufficient safeguard. Meanwhile, a scene was created in Bridge Street through a horse yoked to a cart of hay falling across the car lines. It was a very difficult matter to get the horse disentangled and put on its feet again, and about a score of men were actively engaged in this work for about twenty minutes. In the meantime, the tramway lines were blocked, and cars, no doubt, to the inconvenience of the passengers, were held up during that period.

AN open air meeting was held at the Musselburgh Town Cross on Monday night. The weather was showery but held up during the meeting. Mr Skerrow managed to make himself heard by a considerable audience, which increased gradually. Chairman Mr John Brunton made a few introductory remarks, referring to the rating question and the need for reform by separating the assessment of ground values from house values, and also doing away with the injustice of rating fixed machinery, which directly punishes those whose enterprise in Musselburgh give employment and prosperity.

50 years ago

AN exhausting, exciting and colourful festival week was brought to a proud conclusion in Musselburgh on Saturday morning when Douglas Gifford and Margaret Hall, supported by their attendants and a cavalcade of riders, including the principals of some of the Border gatherings, Honest Lads and Lasses of former years and members of the Crusaders' Riding Club, set off on the Honest Toun's ride from Pinkie grounds. Despite a late and exhausting evening at the Festival Ball in the Community Centre, Stoneyhill, the previous evening, riders were up bright and early, ready to control horses which tended to be frisky whenever crowds and traffic appears.

THE 3rd Musselburgh Girl Guide Company are back home after a wonderful time at Allantown, near Duns. The girls left in bright sunshine and there were only a few showers of rain during the week in camp. The company went to church at Chirnside on Sunday morning and, after lunch, parties set out on discovery walks. The water of the Whiteadder was so inviting that some of the girls donned their bathing suits and splashed about in the river. On Tuesday it was decided to visit the Duns cinema.

25 years ago

STAFF and customers at the Marine Hotel, North Berwick, have welcomed the new general manager, Mr Colin Fraser. A native of Ayrshire, Mr Fraser comes to North Berwick after 15 years with the Trust House Forte organisation. His plans for the future of the hotel include value for money to local people — he has already reduced some prices — and increasing the leisure facilties as well as redecorating some of the bedrooms. Mr Fraser comes to the Marine as a replacement for John O'Keefe, who was posted to Liverpool.

COUNCIL staff in East Lothian have voted to put further pressure on the district council in their campaign for a 35-hour working week. Members of the 380-strong Nalgo branch last week backed their executive committee in calling for a boycott of work relating to new techonology if talks should break down. Chairman Mr Bruce Lewis described the meeting as "very successful" and said a "large majority" of members present had supported the executive committee motion. Mr Lewis was "confident" of an agreement.

10 years ago

A TRANENT builder had a miraculous escape when he was trapped beneath a concrete pillar which toppled on him while he was working last Friday. James Graham (65) of Haddington Road, was pinned beneath masonry believed to weigh around 200lbs and it took around half an hour for firemen using hydraulic lifting gear to free him. Mr Graham, who was conscious throughout the ordeal, was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he underwent a thorough examination and scan before being allowed home.

The 3 million Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick is proving to be a soaring success with the announcement of its landmark 15,000th visitor, George Fischer from New Hampshire, USA. The centre, which is supported by a 1.27 million lottery grant from the Millennium Commission, and was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles less than two months ago, aims to attract 59,000 visitors in its first year. Centre director Tom Brock said: "We are delighted with the response."

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. Also try Lothian Lives.

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