NOSTALGIA: Looking back 10, 25, 50 years ago (published Gazette, Thursday, March 10)

Take a look at some stories of yesteryear from the Gazette archives. We reported on a family of otters which had set up home in Amble, the failure of plans to re-open Amble's Royal British Legion club and the General Election of 1966.
Delving into the Gazette archivesDelving into the Gazette archives
Delving into the Gazette archives

10 YEARS AGO: Thursday, March 16, 2006

A family of otters have set up home at Amble, to the delight of wildlife experts. Sightings of the creatures, believed to be a bitch and two pups, have been reported since last Thursday by Rodney Burge, a worker at the Amble RNLI lifeboat station on the harbour. He said: “They can be seen several times daily at areas from the marina entrance right out to the south pier where they have been spotting running back and forth along the pier base at low water. “Some sightings have been reported on the mud flats around the old hulks and also among the piles of the west jetty. One seems to be at home in the lifeboat pen, often bringing fish and crabs out of the water onto the pontoon to feed. His droppings can be seen there. I have often seen two playing in the harbour.”

25 YEARS AGO: Friday, March 15, 1991

War veterans in Amble are still without a place to meet for a drink after the latest bid to revive the town’s Royal British Legion club was dashed. The club, forced to close last November after calling in the official receiver, had hoped to start again in new premises in Coquet Street. However, a planning application to convert a house into a venue for the club was thrown out by Alnwick District Council’s planning committee last week. The decision has left Royal British Legion officials fuming and they have vowed to take the matter to an appeal. “Whether anything comes out of it, I don’t know, but it’s worth a try,” said club secretary James Giles. Recommending refusal, planning officer Bill Sansum said the club would be out of keeping with the area.

50 YEARS AGO: Friday, March 18, 1966

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Adoption meetings are over, nomination papers have been handed in and, with the completion of formalities, the candidates contesting the Berwick and Morpeth political constituencies are busy wooing the electorate for the second time in 17 months. In both constituencies, the battle will be much the same as that fought in 1964, the only difference being the names of some of the candidates. The Berwick division, once regarded as a Liberal stronghold, has long been in the grip of the Tories, and Lord Lambton, who has represented it for 13 years, is confident of again carrying it for his party. Fighting him will be two newcomers, Burradon miner Jim Conway, who has taken over from Chris Jellery, who twice contested the division for the Labour Party, and Aubrey Herbert.