100 YEARS AGO

From the files of 'The Forres Gazette' of Wednesday, January 17, 1912.

The Dollar Princess - No sooner have we emerged from the festive season than we find ourselves in the swirl of entertainment. The first attraction that claims attention in the domain of comic opera is one of the latest and best of the topsy-turvy creations of story and music, namely "The Dollar Princess," which Mr D.G. Munro takes to the Institute here on Monday next, by arrangement with Mr Robert Macdonald. The cast and dressing are enhanced by a full chorus. The play needs no recommendation, and those who are looking forward to it had better secure places in time with Mr D.G. Munro.

Forres Young Scots: Scottish Home Rule - On Monday evening at the Institute here, Mr Alex. T. Morrison, Secretary of the Aberdeen Y.S.S., gave an address on Scottish Home Rule to a goodly gathering of ladies and gentlemen, under the auspices of the Forres Young Scots. Business in the Imperial Parliament was so congested and the English and Irish members were in so great a preponderance in the House of Commons that progressive Scottish legislation was practically out of the question under present conditions. They based their claim for Scottish Home Rule on the nationality of Scotland, which had always been a nation distinct from England.

50 YEARS AGO

From the files of 'The Forres Gazette' of Wednesday, January 17, 1962.

Forres sells 'Royal' red carpet - Four offers were received for the purchase of the red carpet that covered the pavilion flooring in Grant Park, and led up to its entrance, during the visit by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to Forres in August.

At a meeting of the Town Council's Finance Committee on Thursday evening, it was decided to accept the highest offer - £62 10s by Mr W. Johnston, 91 High Street, Forres.

The carpet was purchased by the Town for £68 11s, so in actual fact it has cost the rates only about £6.

Forres was glad to be black spot - Local people in Forres were astonished to see cars entering the town from all directions, heavily plastered with snow. In the town itself there was nothing but rain (with occasional sleet).

Conditions were quite different outwith the town and along the narrow coastal strip extending to Nairn. There was white ground at Altyre and Rafford district, and a snow covering of several inches at Dunphail, where it had been snowing most of the day.

The Grantown-Forres road was blocked with three to four-feet drifts.

25 YEARS AGO

From the files of 'The Forres Gazette' of Wednesday, January 14, 1987.

Housing shortage - There is a "desperate shortage" of new private housing in Forres, according to local district councillor Mr Albert Slorach.

He told the town's community council that evidence of substantial new building in the gardens of existing Forres homes proved the point.

The councillor was responding to information from community councillor Mrs Brenda Vidler that suggested a proposed private housing site at Balnaferry was about to be expanded to four acres. She explained that the development, on a former sawmill site, is being enlarged towards the Grantown road to provide additional building space and enable a better entrance to be constructed.

Anniversary year for your paper - The 'Forres and Nairn Gazette' celebrates its 150th birthday this year.

And to commemorate a century and a half of local reporting, later this year the "Gazette" will publish a special souvenir issue looking back at some of the more prominent events of the West Moray market town's chequered history.

The first edition rolled off the press on Tuesday, July 4, 1837, proclaiming Victoria Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth.

Two local men and a woman with long associations with the 'Gazette' still live in the town - Mr Ian Urquhart, who ran the editorial department until he retired in 1981 after 48 years service; Mr Willie Hall, who started his printing career on the title before moving to "The Northern Scot", and Miss Irene Mackenzie, who was chief clerkess for many years.