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

25 years ago

SINKING sheep had a narrow escape, reported the East Lothian Courier on January 2, 1998.

A shepherd washed his socks by night after firefighters and farmworkers plucked more than 30 sinking sheep from deadly quicksand.

The animals triggered the Christmas drama when they wandered from their field at Longyester farm, south-east of Gifford, into the nearby sand and gravel quarry.

The hastily-arranged rescue party battled against the clock to wade in and drag them to safety before the muddy creatures vanished beneath the surface.

Afterwards, Mrs Anne Hogg, wife of farmer Sandy, said: “It’s amazing the sheep all survived.”

The sheep hunt began when the shepherd discovered the flock had disappeared from its field at 3pm, two days before Christmas.

Searchers followed the cloven hoof prints up a dirt track to a rainswelled quagmire where the helpless sheep were trapped.

... 50 years ago

A RUSH for colour TVs was taking over the county, told the East Lothian Courier on January 5, 1973.

The number of people wanting colour televisions is on the “up and up”. But demand exceeds supply.

Yesterday the Courier made inquiries to find out the position in Haddington.

At each shop it was the same – “there’s a long waiting list.”

A spokesman for Co-operative Society said that more than 100 were on their list in the county.

Last week it was “a bonanza” when eight sets were delivered to the Haddington branch.

Mr Alan Pratt, of Bisset and Steedman, said the reason for the waiting lists was the shortage of components for the colour sets.

Some of the bigger companies were going to import tubes from Japan to cope with the demand.

“We are getting inquiries all the time from people wanting colour but we can’t guarantee when they will be delivered,” he said.

... 100 years ago

THE parents of a missing boy were offering a large reward for information on his whereabouts after he was seen in Dunbar, said The Haddingtonshire Courier on January 5, 1923.

The parents of Ian George Adams, a Merchiston Castle schoolboy, who has been missing for several weeks, have offered a reward of £50 to anyone who can give information which will lead to the boy’s recovery.

The Dunbar police communicated with the Edinburgh authorities to the effect that a boy resembling Adams was seen to enter a shop in Dunbar.

In the course of a conversation with the shopkeeper, the lad said that he had come from Glasgow, and was on the tramp.