January 10, 1850 The parish of Ardersier was thrown into a state of unusual excitement on the morning of Saturday week.
On the previous evening, a young and buxom damsel plighted her troth to be faithful and true until her de
ath to the devoted swain who led her to the altar.
Having concluded a substantial repast, the party adjourned to the ball room, where they showed they had light heels as well as light hearts and kept up the dance with unflagging spirit until three in the morning. For some time before this hour it was remarked that the bride did not grace the ball room with her presence.
The question 'Where is the bride?' was asked by a hundred tongues but nobody gave a satisfactory answer. Some observant persons whispered that they did not like the conduct of a young ploughman – a rustic Lochinvar – who was noticed to 'tread a measure' with the bride and to whisper a word in her ear, and it was further remarked that this youth had not been seen for some time.
The dancers stood motionless and the fiddlers dropped their bows. A general search was instituted but the lady was nowhere to be seen. Everyone pitied the bride-groom who, however, seemed to bear his disappointment by threatening to wed another wife before a month.
March 1, 1860 On Friday afternoon, a boy named Robert Riddoch, seven years of age, was at play on the public road near his father's residence at Parkfoot.
A horse and cart was passing, behind which another horse was led, and the boy playfully whipped the animal which kicked him on the forehead, severely fracturing the skull. The unfortunate youth lies in a very precarious state, and his life is despaired of.
June 25, 1870 The funeral service in memory of Charles Dickens, which was celebrated at Westminster Abbey on Sunday afternoon, attracted as large a congregation as that which attended the obsequies of Mr Peabody. Several members of the Dickens family occupied seats in the triforium, and the notabilities who were included, I believe, Mr Tennyson and Mr Carlyle.
August 20, 1870 It is reported that the Emperor of the French is suffering severely from febrile monomania. In his fits he incessantly calls out that he has been betrayed.
January 8, 1880 THE TAY BRIDGE TRAGEDY – LATEST
Diving operations have been continuing at the Tay Bridge every day since our last, but without leading to any result beyond the discovery of a few more fragments of the shattered train. The finding of wreckage continues to be reported, some articles, it appears, having been carried as far as Arbroath Harbour.
May 20, 1880 ZETLAND SCHOOL BOARD
Mr Ballantine said there was nothing to report. All the repairs, with the exception of a triffle, had been executed.
June 28, 1890 On Wednesday, an accident of a somewhat serious nature marred the pleasure of the Good Templars' picnic at Alva Glen.
One of their number, a young lad named Lyon was descending a steep hill, when a large stone fell from the top, striking Lyon on the head and inflicting a deep wound. A doctor was summoned and found it necessary to put several stitches in the wound. The lad is now progressing favourably.
October 27, 1900 The half-yearly feeing fair for the eastern district of Stirlingshire was held in Falkirk on Thursday in favourable weather.
There was a considerable influx of farmers and farm servants into the town. The feeing was done in the High Street.
The fees were decided as follows. Married ploughman, 19s-21s per week with a free house. The best single ploughmen, £15-£19 per half year. Second class ploughmen, £12-£14. The best dairymaids, £8-£10 per year, and second class dairy maids, £6-£7.
January 5, 1910 THE FORTH AND CLYDE SHIP CANAL
The Royal Commission on canals and inland navigation state that the Scottish canal projects which have attracted the greatest amount of public notice are the alternative schemes for the construction of a canal between the rivers Forth and Clyde.
One route follows very nearly the line of the existing Forth and Clyde barge canal from Grangemouth to Yoker. A ship canal taking this direct line would be about 20 miles in length.
August 21, 1920 ABNORMAL RAINFALL - HEAVY FLOODS IN FALKIRK DISTRICT
Not for many years has the country experienced a rainstorm of such severity as that which occurred on Tuesday.
From one o'clock in the forenoon it rained heavily and as evening approached it increased in volume, until it reached a torrential downpour. In the 24 hours a rainfall of three inches was recorded in Falkirk District.
January 4, 1930With the closing of the places of amusement at 11 o'clock, the streets converging at the Steeple were choked with merrymakers and as the midnight hour approached, the scenes in the vicinity were even more festive and colourful than in recent years.
Everyone was gay and happy.
Some diversion was caused in Newmarket Street when, for some reason or other, the cinders from the watchman's fire ignited some adjacent metal.
The smoke and flames soon attracted a crowd.
One gallant youth, bottle in hand, did his best to extinguish the conflagration by pouring the valuable liquid into the flames to the accompaniment of groaned and cheers.
January 1940 MILITARY REGISTRATIONS
The registrations on Saturday last in Falkirk and district, which includes Grangemouth, Denny and Bonnybridge (covering also the areas of Maddiston, Stenhousemuir and Larbert), brought forward a total of 429 men.
April 22, 1950 LARBERT OLD CHURCH - BROADCAST OF SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE
A most auspicious occasion in the long honoured history of Larbert Old Parish Church was the broadcast on Sunday last of the morning service by the BBC.
An appeal by the minister, the Rev. Walter J. Gordon, for a good attendance so that listeners in Scotland and elsewhere would enjoy the singing elicited a generous response and the congregation filled the church to capacity.
The service, which was on simple and straight forward lines, opened with the singing of the joint choirs of Larbert and Dunipace.
January 1960 Plans for a comprehensive drainage scheme and purification works were considered and approved at a special meeting of Grangemouth Town Council on Wednesday evening in the Municipal Chambers.
The proposals are based on sewage purifaction works at Kinniel Kerse. BP Refinery who own the plant have agreed to make a 20-acre site available and negotiations for its purchase are on going.
February 7, 1970 Futuristic plans which envisage Scotland as becoming a new bridgehead between Europe and America were announced this week.
And with them came the news that Grangemouth could become one of the major ports in Europe.
In a 50,000 word report, the Scottish Council for Development and Industry stated their plans for a Europort, linking Greenock and Hunterston with Grangemouth and Leith.
This could possibly mean the creation of a huge Forth and Clyde shipping canal, with channels over half a mile wide.
February 1, 1980 The starting date for work on Falkirk's multi-million-pound Howgate Centre has been put back by six months.
Atholl Investments, who won the contract for the development, have told Falkirk District Council that they hope to start on site in October.
Atholl Investments are currently in discussion with major High Street firms in a bid to overcome possible access difficulties when work on the Howgate gets under way.
January 25, 1990 Future Falkirk Bairns could be born in Stirling.
Fears are growing for Falkirk Royal Infirmary's maternity unit after a government minister and Forth Valley Health Board refused to give a guarantee about its future.
But Scottish Health Minister Michael Forsyth and the health board have confirmed that the same facilities at Stirling are safe. They will not be closed or transferred.
Mr Forsyth officially opened the £8.7 million maternity and geriatric unit at Falkirk in October 1987, amid protests that the choice was 'akin to letting Count Dracula open a blood bank'.
October 19, 2000 A head teacher spoke this week of the loss her pupils will feel as the area's main employer prepares to close.
News of the impending shutdown of Premier Refractories in Whitecross with the loss of 240 jobs has stunned villagers.
Kay Keith, head of Whitecross Primary, is certain there will be an impact on the families of the 100 youngsters on her roll.
