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

25 years ago

A PADDLING pensioner was getting ready to tackle the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe, reported the East Lothian Courier on November 19, 1999.

A daredevil granny from Elphinstone has set her sights on the wilds of Africa’s Zambezi River in her latest fund-raising adventure.

Seventy-year-old Margaret Wight of Duries Park has signed up for a nine day panoramic challenge, which will see her walk, kayak and fly through the heart of Zimbabwe’s breath-taking landscape.

Facing lions, elephants, rhinos and crocodiles, Margaret will cross from Zimbabwe to Zambia and back again to raise money for research into metabolic diseases.

And she is no stranger to danger as she proved two years ago when she donned a wet suit and took on the white water rapids of the River Tay, only to conclude afterwards that they were “a bit slow”.

She hopes that camping out under the stars alongside big cats, hippos and hyenas, and backpacking through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world will be enough to hold her attention on her latest trip.

50 years ago

THERE was a significant shortfall in funds to restore the county’s most famous church, told the East Lothian Courier on November 22, 1974.

The restoration fund for St Mary’s Parish Church, Haddington, now stands in the region of £82,000 – £23,000 short of the target.

This was reported by Mr Campbell, Hon Treasurer of the Lamp of Lothian Campaign, at the annual meeting of The Friends of St Mary’s which was held in the church on Sunday.

The campaign target is £175,000 – £105,000 for the church restoration and £70,000 for Lamp of Lothian purposes.

At the end of October, the Restoration Fund stood at £81,749 compared with £78,331 at the same time last year.

100 years ago

GUN shots were heard by county police officers, reported The Haddingtonshire Courier on November 21, 1924.

On Monday, in Haddington Sheriff Court, Wm. Currie Bell, miner, Newbiggin, pleaded guilty to having, on Sunday, 2nd November, on the public road near Coates Farm, Longniddry, been found in the unlawful possession of a pheasant, four hares, two rabbits, thirteen cartridges, and a gun.

Mr J. W. Williamson, solicitor, explained that accused had been out of work for weeks. He had not been well, and there was no food and no money in the house.

Bell had a wife and six of a family. In these circumstances, he asked his Lordship to deal leniently with the case.

The Fiscal said he thought a man with a bag, gun, and cartridges had not much reason to complain of being hard up.

Complaints of poaching had been coming in for months. Two constables were on the watch that morning.

They heard shots coming from one direction, followed by shots from an opposite direction. While they were investigating the shots they last heard, the accused passed them on his bicycle.