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

25 years ago

THE felling of trees in Musselburgh made headlines in the East Lothian Courier on October 23, 1998.

Residents near Musselburgh’s new Tesco’s store have hit out at what they call ‘underhand’ methods of having mature trees removed.

Residents and business owners received letters last Wednesday informing them that tree fellers would be cutting down trees – the next day.

Archie Buchanan, local resident and owner of The Riverside pub in Mall Avenue, was furious.

“It’s a disgrace. East Lothian Council handed us a letter at 1pm telling us the tree fellers would be starting at 8am next day, giving us no time at all to appeal. There was no chance to object against it.”

A spokeswoman for the council confirmed that three trees were cut down last Thursday: “Although the Mall is a protected area in terms of tree preservation, these trees were actually dead or dying.”

50 years ago

TRANENT boys who were “barking up the wrong tree” were in the news on October 26, 1973, in the East Lothian Courier.

A group of Tranent boys, who chased other boys thinking they were from Prestonpans, appeared at Haddington Sheriff Court on Monday accused of breach of the peace.

One of the boys aged 16 was put on probation for a year and also fined £20 on another charge of discharging an air rifle. One of the 15-year-old boys was fined £10 and the other had his sentence deferred. A 14-year-old boy was admonished.

Mr Morrison, the Procurator Fiscal, said the boys had chased a group of other boys whom they suspected as being from Prestonpans but it turned out they were English boys camping near the Tranmare Hotel. The Tranent boys helped them put up their tents again.

100 years ago

A FRAUDSTER was sentenced to prison time after taking money from Haddington residents, reported The Haddingtonshire Courier on October 26, 1923.

In the Burgh Court on Friday, James Kyle, miner, no fixed residence, was found guilty of having falsely represented to several persons in Market Street that he was acting as a collector for the Redding Colliery Disaster Fund, and by selling a leaflet, obtained sums of money from them.

The defence was that he received the leaflets from a man who had remitted money to the Fund and had been asked by him to dispose of the leaflets. The Fiscal said that no one was authorised to call and collect money for the Fund. Provost Ross said that the offence was a serious one, and as a warning to the accused and others, sentence of 40 days’ imprisonment would be imposed.