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

25 years ago...

NEW millionaires had a frantic search to find the winning ticket, reported the East Lothian Courier on February 13, 1998.

Haddington’s £2.4 million lottery jackpot winners have outrageous fortune to thank for their outrageous fortune, after a frantic search through rubbish unearthed their lost ticket.

Architect Colin Stewart and his wife Agnes bought the ticket for the Christmas Eve draw but forgot to check the numbers and did not claim their lottery loot until Monday, some six weeks later.

It followed a desperate hunt through a refuse bag by Mrs Stewart, who threw away the ticket on Friday only to discover to her horror three days later that it bore the winning numbers.

Crucially, she put the bag out just hours after the binmen had been.

“I went out in my dressing gown into the garage and when I opened the bucket the ticket was looking at me.

“I came running back in saying ‘I’ve got it’,” recalled Mrs Stewart, 56.

50 years ago...

IN THE East Lothian Courier on February 16, 1973, it was reported that ‘rent dodgers’ were to be publicly named under a new policy.

People with rent arrears in Prestonpans will have their names displayed on the public notice board at West Loan and the amount of their rent debts will also be shown.

The Town Council has authorised this action to combat the growing number of people dodging rent in the burgh.

The Council was informed at a meeting on Wednesday last that the bill for unpaid rents had soared to £900.

The highest individual debt was more than £40.

Councillor J. Grandison had urged the Council to “stamp hard” on the rent dodgers and suggested forming a special sub-committee to visit the “hardy annuals” who were always on the list.

Provost Robert Henderson said: “It’s not just a question of rent. It’s a social problem as well.”

100 years ago...

A CANADIAN resident wrote to The Haddingtonshire Courier to tell them that she regularly received the paper at her home in Ontario, the publication reported on February 16, 1923.

A Haddington lady, now resident in Ontario, in writing to renew her subscription to the Courier, says she receives it “regularly every week”, and “it is better than a letter”.

The snow in the district where she resides, on the date when she wrote (30th January), was deep and heavily drifted.

The Courier prepaid subscription rates to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc., are : - Year, 13s ; halfyear, 6s 6d ; quarter, 3s 3d.