Down Memory Lane

TEN YEARS AGO

* REMAINING hopes that the 2004 Carluke Gala Day could go ahead were dashed when it was revealed that no-one was willing to take the reins. Carluke Community Council had agreed to consider taking custody of the assets from Carluke Gala Day but could not promise that the 2004 Gala Day would go ahead.

* LADIES from Kind Hearts visited Wishaw General Hospital to deliver £1500 and two leather reclining chairs to the new Maggie Centre. The women, who had raised £3800 during their festive bingo, had already donated £1500 to Lanarkshire Cancer Care but decided to kickstart the new year by giving cash to the new centre.

* A MEETING saw over 30 Carluke residents cram into Kirkton Chambers to oppose a proposed retail development for a 4000sqm store at Castlehill. Locals were worried about traffic congestion, an invasion of the greenbelt, pollution and the “death” of Carluke town centre.

* LANARK pub boss Graeme Matthew’s bid to gain permission to open Wellgate venue Images until 2am at weekends was knocked back by the Licensing Board.

* LANARK driving ace Colin McRae had ended the 18-day Dakar Rally with his second stage victory the previous Sunday. The 35-year-old and his Nissan negotiated almost 7000 miles of the harshest conditions tackled by man and machine, eventually finishing 20th overall.

* BIGGAR Rugby Club boosted their BT Premier 2 promotion push with a thumping 49-7 home victory over Murrayfield Wanderers.

* SEVERAL busloads of Forth Wanderers supporters travelled to Dunipace to see Forth earn a 1-1 draw in the OVD Scottish Junior Cup forth round thanks to Neil Rowatt’s goal.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

* CLYDESDALE’S 40,000 poll tax payers would each face a bill of just over £300 when the controversial new community charge came into force in April. The figure had still to be finalised but a string of cutbacks approved the previous week made it clear that Clydesdale District Council’s total would be between £80 and £85. Added to this would be the Strathclyde total of £219, making the overall figure considerably higher than the government’s earlier forecasts.

* CARLUKE Gala Day committee had just received a bill which could reportedly put them out of business. Strathclyde Regional Council’s roads department was charging the committee £618.03 to cover the cost of cones and signage showing the gala procession route to the A73.

* CARLUKE was to get a new wine bar in Kirkton Street. James Bryden planned to modify his book shop/coffee shop at 17 Kirkton Street and open a wine bar instead.

* Members of the public were invited to attend the official opening of Clydesdale District Council’s new indoor leisure facility the following day. The Leisure Dome – in Kirkmuirhill – would be opened by district convener Eileen Logan at 2pm.

* A LESMAHAGOW skier was taking on a challenge to raise money for a special club. Sandy Allan, of Bankhouse Road, would be joining three friends to ski all the ski runs in all four Scottish ski resorts. The four boys planned to carry out their feat on Saturday, February 4, to raise money for the Uphill Ski Club.

* IT was reported that Lanark’s Jimmy McRae would add to his vast array of motorsport trophies in March when he was presented with the coveted Jim Clark Trophy for the fourth time. The trophy, one of Scotland’s premier motorsport awards, was to be awarded to McRae in recognition of his 1998 Scottish Rally and British Open Championship success.

* lesmahagow Juniors’ top scorer Sandy Ross, whose exploits that season had attracted senior scouts to Craighead Park, did his chances of getting a move ‘upstairs’ no harm by scoring four goals in Lesmahagow’s thumping 6-1 West of Scotland Cup third round home victory over St Anthony’s.

* FORTH Wanderers and Bellshill Athletic would that weekend clash in a rescheduled Scottish Junior Cup third round tie at Kingshill Park, with the knowledge that the winners faced a daunting trip to face top Ayrshire side Kilbirnie Ladeside in the next round.