Sayings and doings of 25 years ago...

A FORMER provost had some strong words about a town’s High Street, the East Lothian Courier reported on October 17, 1997.

North Berwick’s chaotic main street is “one of the worst High Streets in Scotland,” the town’s former provost claimed.

In a discussion about the condition of roads, community councillor John Macnair, one of the Royal Burgh’s last provosts, condemned the state of the town centre.

Singling out potholes on Westgate for particular criticism, he hit out at the “stupid” officials who had failed to repair them.

“Our High Street is the worst in East Lothian, and must be one of the worst in the whole country. The potholes are terrible and nothing is done about them,” he said.

..and 50 years ago

A 4,000-year-old grave was discovered, said the East Lothian Courier of October, 20, 1972.

A bit of East Lothian’s history was uncovered when a 4,000 years old grave was found near Dunbar.

The short cist grave came to light while a firm of contractors were laying pipework on Tuesday at Dryburn, four miles south of Dunbar, where road improvements are being carried out. 

During the digging of a six feet deep trench, the edge of a stone tomb was spotted.
Workmen informed police who got in touch with the National Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh. 

A team of three experts arrived at the site on Wednesday morning and began careful excavation work.

The tomb was roughly three feet by two feet with four stone slabs as walls and a large coverstone on top. 

Inside was a complete pot and the remains of a skeleton which had been put into the grave in a crouch position. 

The skeleton was badly decayed because of the dampness of the tomb. Everything was removed to the museum for study.
An anatomist will try to determine the sex of the skeleton and the age when the person died.

Dr Joanna Close-Brooks, assistant keeper of the museum, said: “The date of the the grave is between 2,000 B.C and 1,800 B.C.”

...and 100 years ago

CHEAPER railway fares were to be introduced, the Haddingtonshire Courier on October 20, 1922 told.

The railway companies of Great Britain have decided that on, and from the 1st January next, the general basis for third-class ordinary fares shall be reduced to 1½d per mile, and for first-class shall be reduced to 2½d per mile. 

Broadly speaking, this represents a reduction of one-seventh on the present fares, being equivalent to a reduction from 75 to 50 per cent, above the pre-war basis.