WE TAKE a look at the stories making headlines in East Lothian 25, 50 and 100 years ago.

25 years ago

A SCHOOLBOY who vomited on a teacher made front page news in the East Lothian Courier of December 12, 1997.

A fourteen-year-old schoolboy vomited over a teacher and another was found unconscious in a wheelie bin when drunken teenagers caused mayhem at Knox Academy’s junior Christmas disco.

The boy in the wheelie bin was taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for observation and later released.

Four teenagers, believed to be friends, were given an “extremely severe talking to” by headteacher Janis Craig when they appeared at school the following morning.

Their alcohol-fuelled antics ruined the third years’ disco on Tuesday night and meant severe sanctions for the senior pupils’ disco on Wednesday.

Fourth, fifth and sixth year pupils were told their dance on Wednesday would be halted immediately if there was any major problem, and police would be told if pupils not going to the dance were found near the school.

50 years ago

A RETIREMENT was marked in the East Lothian Courier on December 15, 1972.

The Transport Department of the East Lothian Co-operative Society held an informal gathering on Friday evening to wish Mr Bob McKinlay a happy retirement and mark the occasion with a gift.

Bob, who had been on the staff of the society for about 30 years, was for the past 17 years in the coach-painting section and was in charge of the decorations on the vans.

Unfortunately, the farewell part had been postponed for months for, only a few weeks before his retiral in April, Bob had sustained injuries to both of his legs in a car accident.

Mr Tom Stangoe, on behalf of the department, wished Bob a long and happy retirement and gave him a sum of money.

100 years ago

A SEVEN-foot-long shark was caught off the coast of North Berwick, reported The Haddingtonshire Courier on December 15, 1922.

On Friday, the Firth of Forth trawler, “Forth Bank”, while operating east of the May Island, captured a shark, which measured 7 feet 4 inches, and weighed two cwts.

This is the fourth of these monsters which has recently been caught by Firth of Fourth boats.

WHILE a girl in Dunbar survived a fall down a flight of stairs.

A servant girl employed at an hotel in the town narrowly escaped losing her life on Tuesday.

She overbalanced herself on a pair of steps, and fell, head downwards, upon an iron railing, where her feet caught in one of the niches.

Fortunately, she was rescued, and escaped with slight injuries.