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

25 years ago

A CELEBRATED actor, due to appear at this year’s Fringe by the Sea festival, was in the county 25 years ago, explained the East Lothian Courier of July 23, 1999.

The popularity of East Lothian with major film makers continued this week when a scene from children’s adventure comedy The Little Vampire, starring Richard E Grant, was filmed over the Glen Golf Club’s East Links course at North Berwick on Wednesday.

Based on Angela Sommers’ international best-selling children’s novel of the same name, the film called for a golfing scene involving a father and son, and these central characters were filmed from the air playing the 15th hole.

The arrival of Mr Grant, star of blockbusters such as Withnail and I, Jack and Sarah and the TV version of The Scarlet Pimpernel, caused some excitement when the film crew set to work. Mark Mostyn, location manager of the film company ABK Productions, said: “In our search for a location for this scene we were able to consider many courses and came to The Glen for its unique dramatic scenic beauty.”

50 years ago

A SHORTAGE of sugar across Scotland made the front page of the East Lothian Courier on July 26, 1974.

Shopkeepers in East Lothian have been badly hit by the current nation-wide sugar shortage. Some are already without sugar and many are limiting sales to regular customers. Grocers have also warned that the situation could continue until September or October.

One county grocer put forward a number of reasons for the shortage, among them “bad government”. He claimed it had been short-sighted of the government to close the sugar beet factory at Cupar. The English sugar crop had failed and much of the Caribbean crop had been sold to the highest bidder – America.

Sugar could be bought from the continent at double the price paid in Britain but this, the grocer said, the government was unwilling to do.

100 years ago

A BATHING fatality cast a ‘gloom’ over North Berwick, The Haddingtonshire Courier reported on July 25, 1924.

The circumstances attending the drowning of a Glasgow gentleman, Mr Wm. Jas. Irvine Crowther, on Sunday evening, cast a gloom over the town.

Mr Crowther had gone into the sea at the west beach for a bathe, when he got into difficulties and sank. A boat quickly put out to the scene and succeeded in recovering the body, and for two hours efforts were made by means of artificial respiration to restore life, but without success.

The deceased, who arrived in the town on Friday, resided at Hyndland, Glasgow, and leaves a widow and several children.