Sayings and doings of 25 years ago...

GREEN-FINGERED thieves stole “a dangerous cactus”, told the East Lothian Courier on May 15, 1998.

Police were left with a prickly problem when botanical brigands snatched a giant dangerous cactus from a greenhouse.

For the monster had sharp spikes which could penetrate heavy leather gloves and cause nasty injuries.

The cactus captors used a car to spirit the two-feet-high specimen from its owner’s home in Archerfield Estate, Dirleton, where keen plant grower Agnes Anderson had lovingly looked after it for 20 years.

Mrs Anderson pleaded for its safe return and admitted to being baffled by its sudden disappearance.

“The people who took it cannot have had an easy task because it’s a long time since I have been able to move it,” she said.

...and 50 years ago

The inclusion of Cockburnspath as part of the county was mooted by members of East Lothian County Council, reported the East Lothian Courier on May 18, 1973.

East Lothian County Council would not raise any objection to the Parish of Cockburnspath being included in the East Lothian District of the Forth Regional Authority if the Secretary of State considered this appropriate, members agreed on Monday.

Berwickshire County Council was opposed to any change in the boundary but Dunbar Town Council said it would welcome Cockburnspath if it was decided to include the village in the new Region.

In the same edition of the Courier, firemen were kept “on the hop” when they were called out twice. First they attended a fire in a war-time hut in the East Fortune area and later in the day they were again called out to deal with a car which had caught fire in Riverside Drive, Haddington.

...and 100 years ago

A HEFTY fine was paid after a miner assaulted another man underground, told the Haddingtonshire Courier on May 18, 1923.

At Haddington Sheriff Court, before Hon. Sheriff Substitute W.P. Wilson, Henry Wilson, underground fireman, 63 North High Street, Musselburgh, pleaded guilty to a charge of having, in the underground workings of No. 2 pit, Prestongrange Colliery, assaulted Alexander Steel, underground oversman, by striking him with his fist and knocking him to the ground, and while on the ground striking him repeatedly with his fist.

Mr W. Murray, solicitor, who appeared on his behalf, said he had been ill for six or eight weeks and was not at all strong.

The weak condition the accused was in had allowed his nerve to get the better of him.

A fine of £5 was paid at the bar.