25 years ago

IT WAS a day to remember for one couple, reported the East Lothian Courier of January 19, 1996.

The parents of 10 children and 23 grandchildren have celebrated making it to their 50th wedding anniversary... after the bride’s mother told them when they got married: “I’ll give it a year”.

Jozef Rybak, 74, and his wife Davina, 68, of Herdmanflatt, Haddington, proved her mother wrong when they were joined by their family and 60 friends to enjoy their golden wedding anniversary in the Labour Club, Haddington.

Although Davina’s mother had initial doubts over her daughter marrying a Polish soldier, her views mellowed and she developed a strong relationship with Jozef.

Jozef and Davina met at a dance in Haddington Town House in 1945, when he was stationed in the town.

Davina described how her first meeting with her future husband was not as romantic as she would have hoped for: “I wanted to run like hell because he couldn’t dance. He started jumping about and I had to teach him how to dance.”

50 years ago

A BID to attract more Swedish visitors to Dunbar was reported in The Haddingtonshire Courier on January 22, 1971.

The Americans are no longer the most attractive type of tourist – at least not in the eyes of certain Dunbar hoteliers.

At a meeting held on Monday to discuss the possibilities of package holidays to extend the season, it was apparent their sights were most definitely set on Scandinavia.

The Yank of today, it seems, is not so prone to spending as was his camera-festooned dollar-spreading predecessor of 20 years ago.

So local hoteliers are out to charm the Swedish student who at home has to pay 12s for his pint and 25s for his “dram”. At the meeting, a scheme aimed at attracting students from Sweden was outlined.

100 years ago

A HOTEL owner “foolishly yielded” to a request from a customer for a pint of whisky, told The Haddingtonshire Courier of January 21, 1921.

In Haddington Sheriff Court, on Monday, before Sheriff Macleod, Alexander D. Laing, hotel-keeper, Railway Hotel, Haddington, was charged with having, on Saturday, 8th instant, sold to John Patterson, draper, Hope Park, Haddington, whisky of less measure than a quart, and in a bottle which did not bear a label containing the name and situation of the licensed premises.

Mr Patterson, a most respectable citizen, entered the hotel, and represented that he was suffering from heart trouble. He asked if he could be supplied with a pint of whisky, and, as he was a gentleman who was well known, Mr Laing foolishly yielded to the request.