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

25 years ago

‘CALL for new £5m Sheriff Court’ was the headline in the East Lothian Courier on October 15, 1999.

A new £5 million sheriff court is to be pressed for by East Lothian Councillors, concerned over cash-cutting plans to revamp the justice system by transferring some cases from the Borders to Haddington – and taking those from Musselburgh and Wallyford to Edinburgh.

They agreed to fight Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson’s proposal for the transfer of cases and ask that the boundaries covered by the sheriff and district courts and East Lothian Council remain the same.

“Implementation of the proposals would result in a poorer justice system for the people of East Lothian,” the council’s senior principal solicitor, Keith Macconnachie, told councillors.

There were, he said, distinct advantages in the present exact match of the court and council boundaries in the county.

The public’s perception of identity, belonging and ownership were important cohesive qualities in a society in which the justice system played a vital part, he said.

50 years ago

A BARONET’S plane crashing on the way to East Fortune was reported in the East Lothian Courier on October 18, 1974.

Sir Philip Grant-Suttie, the 35-year-old Baronet who had a narrow escape when his light aircraft crashed on the Ayrshire moors early on Monday morning, is now back home at Sheriffhall, near North Berwick.

Sir Phillip was flying from Prestwick Airport to East Fortune, when his plane crashed in the Darvel area.

After staggering five miles across the moors, Sir Phillip rang the Police from a call box in the village of Priestland, shortly after 3am.

Police took him by car to Kilmarnock Royal Infirmary. He was later released and returned home. Ayrshire Police found his plane, after an hour’s search, about 20 miles east of Kilmarnock.

100 years ago

A HUGE gathering of vehicles for a Women’s Rural Institute rally was featured in The Haddingtonshire Courier on October 17, 1924.

The force which the Women’s Rural Institute movement has attained in East Lothian was demonstrated by a rally and pageant, held in the Corn Exchange, Haddington, on Saturday afternoon and evening, which won a success that surpassed the most optimistic hopes of the promoters.

For long the sister Institutes in the county had been working up to this wonderful climax, and the splendid feature which it disclosed was the co-operation that has been established among all home-loving women of every class in the county.

From mansion house and cottage, from country town and village, came the evidence of emulation and the spirit of neighbourly assistance and mutual help.

Probably never before have so many motor vehicles of all kinds been seen in front of the Corn Exchange.