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Reflections from our old files 100, 50 and 25 years ago





Primary Pupils Room 7, 2B and 3B. Late 1940s. Picture courtesy of Dingwall Museum.
Primary Pupils Room 7, 2B and 3B. Late 1940s. Picture courtesy of Dingwall Museum.

Friday, January 23, 1920

ON Monday morning a disastrous fire broke out at the Laundry, Invergordon, and in less than a hour the entire premises were a heap of debris. The building, which was a large one, was completely built on wood and felted, and contained a large amount of valuable machinery and motor cars, while the furniture and furnishings in the dwelling house, which was under the same roof, were very valuable. In addition, a lot of clothing was on the premises ready for washing during the week. Mr and Mrs MacKnight with their family had a narrow escape, as the fire had a firm hold before it was discovered. Occurring at the early hour of four o'clock in the morning nobody was about, and excepting one motor and few other articles, nothing could be saved. The loss, which is estimated at £2000 at least, is only partly covered by insurance.

A considerable number of young Dingwall soldiers – among them some who joined on reaching their 18th year – have been recently demobilised and returned home. Employment in the town and the district is not so plentiful as it was for this class of worker and the reduction in the strength of Invergordon dockyard has made the situation more difficult.

A number of young fellows are leaving the town for the large centres; some were contemplating going abroad.

Friday, January 23, 1970

AT a recent function in the Royal Hotel, Ullapool, the Wester Ross Tourist Organisation selected their “Miss Wester Ross 1970” - attractive Miss Esther Fraser, Inverinate, Kintail.

Esther is nearly 17 years old and works as a Nanny in S.W. Ross. She likes reading, sewing and going to dances. She says the dislikes arts and wars! Her plans for the future include going to college in Edinburgh to complete her training as a children's nurse. Runner-up in a tremendously close and difficult choice was Mrs Morag Amos, Plockton.

Ross County and Rothes met on the Victoria Park, Dingwall, on Saturday.

The surface of the Park, though greasy, was holding enough, and the frost had completely gone. There were no pools of water. Spectators marvelled at the transformation which had taken place over the seven days. So another word of praise is due to the County's indefatigable groundsman, Mr Sam Benzie.

John Buchanan scored a hat-trick, while Jim Lynas and Norrie MacArthur got the others in a 5-1 win.

Friday, January 20, 1995

JUBILATION swept through Alness yesterday following the dramatic withdrawal of the Caplich Quarry plans by developers Evergreen Land Management only days before a special planning meeting in town.

Pressure group AGAST (Alness Group Against the Super Tip) chairman Joan Ross, shortly after learning of the 11th hour development, called the outcome a “triumph” for the people of Alness.

She said, “The word will go round like a fiery cross. Everyone will be absolutely delighted. It's been such a worry to the whole community, and now that we have got a withdrawal everybody will be over the moon.”

A Black Isle woman caught up in the devastating Japanese earthquake is safe and well.

Anna Macmillan (22), who teaches English at a Japanese high school 30 miles from the epicentre, near Kobe, described waking up at 6am terrified, not knowing what was happening.

“My first reaction was fear,” she told the Ross-shire Journal "and I kind of realised very quickly it was an earthquake, despite the fact this area was meant to be earthquake free".


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