6O YEARS AGO
BLOUSES TO BE DISCONTINUED: Around 70 blouse department workers in Messrs Robt Pringle & Son's factory were informed last night by the management that the firm had decided to discontinue the production of "Pringle" blouses after prese
nt orders are completed.
The letter intimating this fact to the workers went on to state: "This decision has been arrived at by the Board with great reluctance indeed, but due to the continued shortage of skilled labour in Hawick, together with the great need for even further increased exports of our knitwear to hard currency markets, the above decision unfortunately has proved unavoidable.
"As you probably know, we have already had to curtail our supply of utiliy knitwear to the home market, and we felt it would be unjust to continue cutting down the knitwear allocation for the home market while so much female labour was being taken up by our blouse department."
The firm started the work about 1941 when wool yarns were so very short, and when there was simply not enough hosiery production to keep all the girls employed. None of these blouses were exported.
These blouses are made from woven materials – rayon, pure silk, or fine wool – and Messrs Pringle are the only firm in Hawick that have undertaken the work. The material is not manufactured by Pringle's, but bought in by them and "styled".
4O YEARS AGO
BOY KNOCKED DOWN: A nine-year-old schoolboy, Robert Palmer, 7 High Street, was fortunate to escape more serious injury when a van negotiating Sandbed veered to the side of the road and struck him outside Kennedy, chemist's shortly after 8.30am on Tuesday. The boys spectacles were broken and he sustained a cut forehead and bruises, but he was allowed home after treatment at the Cottage Hospital. Police are still looking for the driver.
MISSING BOY TRACED: Alexander McLeod (15), 10a Drumlanrig Place, who was reported to the police as "missing" at 11pm on Friday, turned up at his grandmother's home in Glasgow the following day.
FREE CRUISE: The Town Council are looking for a youngster between 16 and 21 years old who would like a two-week free working holiday on a Sail Training Association schooner. The Council will pay all expenses except pocket-money.
2O YEARS AGO
FAMILY'S FIRE DRAMA: The potential life-saving value of domestic smoke detectors was underlined in an incident early on Wednesday when a Burnfoot mother and her baby were alerted to a fire in their home.
Nichola Sharkey, 24 Wilson Drive, heard the alarm and, with 10-month old daughter Megan, were able to get to safety. They were taken to the Cottage Hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. The Fire Brigade dealt with the incident which is thought to have been caused by a stray match in a fireside bucket.
TOP OF THE CLASS: Simon Thomson, son of Mr and Mrs Rennie Thomson, Hill Court, Cavers, has been awarded £50 for best apprentice plumber on his training course at the Borders College further education classes.
MORE ARCHIVE NEWS IN FRIDAY'S PAPER
