100 YEARS AGO

From the files of 'The Forres Gazette' of Wednesday, January 3, 1912.

A female squabble - In Forres Police Court on Wednesday - Bailie Stewart on the Bench - Catherine Maclean or Fraser, wife of William Fraser, dairyman, Bogton, was charged with assaulting Mrs Elizabeth Craven or Murdoch, Broxburn Cottage, Bogton, on Thursday 14th ult., by throwing a quantity of water and potato skins on her. The accused, who was defended by John Burn, solicitor, pleaded not guilty. The magistrate found the charge proven and imposed a fine of 5s, with an alternative of three days in prison.

Honour to a worthy Forresian - Many Forres people will hear with pleasure that our good friend Mr Alexander Grant, a highly-esteemed native of Forres, who is known to fame as the chairman and managing director of the firm of McVitie and Price, of Edinburgh and London, has been appointed a Justice of the Peace of the city of Edinburgh. It is a recognition of good honest worth. We congratulate Mr Grant on the honour so well bestowed, and we wish him continued success in an eventful career that has been distinguished more by deeds than by words.

50 YEARS AGO

From the files of 'The Forres Gazette' of Wednesday, January 3, 1962.

Forres and district in the deep freeze - The heaviest snowfall for 40 years - 18 inches - has been recorded in Forres in the past week, also the lowest temperature ever known in the memory of the majority of townspeople, which made the end of 1961 something to remember. It was certainly a year with a sharp sting in its tail that moved into the past on Sunday.

The thermometer fell on the night of Friday-Saturday to 5.7F and on Saturday-Sunday night to 2.5F - which is about 30 degrees of frost.

These are the figures from the screen thermometer at Forres Meteorological Station. There was no grand recording because of the deep snow. It is likely that the ground thermometer would have shown 32-33 degrees of frost - a severity rarely known in Forres.

Forres soldier takes to the sea - Twenty-two-year-old Forres soldier, Lance Corporal David Finlayson, little thought when he travelled to Singapore with the 1st Battalion Queen's Own Highlanders that he would spend eight weeks living as a sailor on board a Royal Navy cruiser.

L

Cpl. Finlayson, whose parents live at 1 Wallace Cottages, Forres, was recently one of a party of 12 Highlanders chosen to go on a Navy goodwill trip to Australia aboard HMS Belfast.

During the eight weeks they were at sea, the soldiers performed duties just as if they were sailors. During the tour, the ship spent five days in Melbourne and 10 in Sydney.

"It was a wonderful experience and I loved every minute of it," he said. "The Navy life is good, but I think I still prefer the Army."

25 YEARS AGO

From the files of 'The Forres Gazette' of Wednesday, December 31, 1986.

Business was slow - Elgin's bumper Christmas shopping success and pedestrianisation plan over the festive period has triggered calls for similar action at Forres next year.

Following some disappointing pre-Christmas trade on the Sunday before Christmas in Forres, some traders have turned their attention to Elgin, where shoppers flocked to the traffic-free town centre to browse and buy.

"It was a great success," said one Elgin shop manager. "I've rarely seen such activity. The atmosphere was great and there didn't seem to be much shortage of cash."

At Forres, a different tune was being played. Sunday shoppers could be counted in scores rather than hundreds and some of the 15 or so businesses which opened said the effort just wasn't worth the trouble.

"That's a pity after all the work that's gone into the town centre Christmas lights," said one. "We'll have to push harder next year."

Electrical store partner Mr Harry Younie described his pre-Christmas business as "hardly spectacular".

Michael bounces in for Christmas - Proud parents Carl and Beryl Ripper were blessed with a surprise present on Christmas day with the birth of their third baby boy.

Michael Neil, weighing in at 7lb 14oz, was the first Christmas baby to be delivered at Leanchoil Hospital for six years.

And, by a stroke of coincidence, the staff midwife who brought little Michael into the world, Sheila Grant, delivered the previous Christmas arrival.

"Everything went very well," Staff Grant explained. "Everyone was very excited."