From the Evening News, October 8, 1971of=helveticao

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, October 9, 1946

SIR,- Those responsible for the purchase of the new petrol buses seem to lack a sense of the artistic appreciation. The buses are nothing more or less than "boxes on wheels" with crude straight lines and an appearance of monstrosity.

As for performance they cannot compare with the pre-war gearless buses for smooth running. Nowadays one's innards are jerked about in a manner of the pioneer days of mechanical transport. If we are to have petrol buses, then let us have 1946 models instead of Victorian cattle trucks. - Yours etc., Roy H, Brownlow, Gibraltar-st., Bolton.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, October 9, 1871

MR John McGregor, a farmer in Dumfriesshire, met with an extraordinary accident on Friday, on the North British Railway, near Carlisle. He was returning homewards in charge of some sheep, and had been allowed to travel in the guard's van of the cattle train. He should have left the train at Longtown; but, having fallen asleep, he was carried on towards Carlisle. As the train approached that city it was stopped upon a bridge which crossed the River Eden at Newton. The guard stepped out, and Mr McGregor, thinking no doubt that it was a station, did likewise, but instead of alighting upon the ground, stepped upon the parapet of the bridge. It was very dark at the time - being about three o'clock in the morning - and the unfortunate man fell over into the river, a distance of about 50 feet. He received such injuries that he died an hour afterwards in the Cumberland Infirmary.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.