The first 1990-91 Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, had begun less than a fortnight earlier, and the papers were full of events in Kuwait.
But at home, it was a sad day for Scotland and more particularly for the north-east with the announcement of the death of Corries’ singer Roy Williamson, aged 54 after a battle with cancer.
The Press and Journal described him as composer of Scotland’s unofficial anthem, ‘Flower of Scotland’ and wrote: “Half of the inimitable Corries duo for more than 30 years, the Hopeman-born former fisherman died at his home at Mayfield, Victoria Road, Forres.
“He once said of Flower of Scotland: ‘I had no idea what I was starting. In fact, I didn’t think it was even good enough to sing. But it was the people themselves who decided what was to happen. You can’t force a song on the public.’ ”
Roy was right. His anthem has stood the test of time, still much loved and sung over and over, 33 years on.
Bottle boat challenge update
SAS and Paras adventurer Tom McClean was in the news again with his latest whacky seafaring challenge.
Mallaig-based Tom had already made headlines many times since he left the Army in 1969, rowing the Atlantic-single handed four times by 1990.
This time, he was sailing from New York to Falmouth in an 11m (37ft) long boat shaped like a bottle.
Banff radio ham Sandy Duncan was monitoring Tom’s progress and was able to tell P&J readers that at that point he was 292 miles from Falmouth, with two sails up and a speed of between 3 and 4 knots.
Sandy was also able to reveal that Tom had been forced to take on two tons of water for ballast as his bizarre craft was riding too high in the water.
Tom had been sailing since July 9, flying the Royal Findhorn Yacht Club’s burgee on the neck of his 21 ton boat.
After the success of his bottleboat challenge, Tom would later aspire to an even more whacky challenge, crossing the Atlantic in a boat shaped like a whale.
His nickname in the army was Moby Dick, he explained.
He got as far as sailing Moby Dick around the British coastline, and was still hankering to sail it to New York two years ago, aged 78, when he put Moby on the market along with his Ardintigh Highland Outdoor Centre.
The EE went pun-tastic
The Evening Express was able to go pun-tastic with a missing pet story.
Little Jason Mutch’s six year old Yorkshire Terrier Sukie disappeared after his uncle took her for walkies to the pub while on holiday with the family at Seaview Caravan Park, Murcar.
“Uncle Stewart Murray couldn’t believe his eyes when he discovered that the faithful Yorkie had vanished, leaving an empty lead still fixed to the handrail outside the bar,” reported the Evening Express.
Hawk-eyed reader
Thankfully the day was saved when an alert reader, Pat Hawk, also on holiday at the site, spotted the dog after reading of Sukie’s disappearance.
‘Mutch rejoicing’ ensued, but alas Sukie was traumatised and ‘has turned a bit nasty with strangers’ said mum Alma.
Safely out of the doghouse, a relieved uncle Stewart returned home to the Borders. “He’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep at last,” said Alma.
When readers plied the papers for help
How did we find out things before the internet? We wrote to the papers of course.
The Evening Express ran a Counter Queries column on its consumer page.
That day, someone was looking for a doll’s hospital, someone else was wondering where to find cream of coconut, and one lady was trying to source an altar cloth for friends in Australia.
Another reader got short shrift when she asked the value of a 1931 sixpenny piece she’d dug up in her garden. ‘Am I sitting on a fortune?’ she wondered.
“Keep digging,” came the terse reply, “as your coin is only worth 10p!”
