Down Memory Lane

TEN YEARS AGO

* fun loving children from Crawforddyke Primary School donated board games to the children’s ward in Wishaw General Hospital. The donation meant that sick children could have fun even when they were stuck in bed.

* BIGGAR Youth Project officially opened its doors and was described by local councillor Tom McAlpine as “exquisite”. The original Biggar Auction Market had been transformed into the youth centre, which was officially opened by Tom, Lady Clydesmuir and MSP Karen Gillon.

* LIBBERTON Primary School pupils received a certificate after their movie The Evacuees was shown in theatres all over the USA as part of the annual Chicago Children’s International Film Festival.

* Fears over the Scottish Coal proposal to import sewage sludge into Clydesdale’s Dalquandy opencast site rose after a bulk tipper overturned on the A70 at Millbank roundabout near Uddingston, spilling its load of coal.

* FORTH Wanderers discovered that, if they came through a replay against Dunipace, they would secure a home tie against holders Tayport in the fifth round of the Scottish Junior Cup.

* carluke rovers manager Whitey Moffat called on the people of Carluke to come out in their droves for the crunch game against Clydebank that Saturday. The top-of-the-table clash would go a long way towards deciding which team won promotion that season.

* ON a slush-covered pitch at Hartreemill, Biggar Rugby Club slid their way to a morale-boosting 12-5 home victory over Dundee HSFP in Premier 2. A Fife newspaper had reportedly called Biggar’s ground “one of the coldest in Scotland”.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

* it was reported that a rents rise of more than 10 per cent would be borne by Clydesdale’s tenants in the coming year. The news had prompted fears of an increase in the already alarming level of rent arrears in the district.

* the first-ever Poll Tax bill for Clydesdale residents would amount to just over £300, it was confirmed. The figure was finalised at a special meeting when Clydesdale’s councillors set a district community charge of £82 per adult. This district charge had to be added to a Strathclyde figure of £200 and the annual water charge of £19, bringing the overall community charge level to £301.

* law residents were frustrated that the district council had failed to start work on a major environmental improvement package in the village. The £42,000 which was to have been spent in Law before 1989 had been transferred to another project, meaning that the planned village improvements would have to wait until the next financial year.

* Clydesdale’s largest egg producer Andrew Steel reported that egg sales had almost returned to normal following the salmonella scare. But he added: “There are still some people obviously afraid to eat eggs yet and it is these people whom we really need to try to reassure.”

* some doctors in Clydesdale were refusing to fill in official certificates and forms for their patients, because local authorities refused to pay them for the work. As a result a backlog of dissatisfied patients was beginning to build up, with complaints being lodged with both Strathclyde Regional Council and Clydesdale District Council. People affected were seeking disabled person orange badges for their cars and applicants for council houses, including transfers on medical grounds.

* forth wanderers crashed out of the Scottish Junior Cup in the cruellest fashion imaginable when they lost their third round second replay against Bellshill Athletic on penalties. The game finished 2-2 after extra time, before Wanderers were defeated 4-3 in a nail-biting shoot-out.

* FORTH’s defeat meant that Lesmahagow Juniors were Clydesdale’s sole remaining representatives in the Scottish Junior Cup. ’Gow were due to play a fourth round tie in the tournament the following day at Whitburn Juniors. Whitburn, semi-finalists the previous season, were the bookies’ favourites to get past ’Gow and book a place in the last 16 of the competition.