1966
1200 children down with the flu.Muirheads
Pipe Band appear with Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress in the James Bond Movie
"Casino Royale".
United Steamship Company inaugurates new fast link to New
York.
Provost Helen Troop voted "Scotswoman of the
Year".
Clare Whittle, soprano wins 2 major trophies at Glasgow
Music festival and makes a BBC radio appearance.
Ronald McIntosh of Orchard Street wins degree for piano and
the Governor's prize for cello at the Royal Scottish Academy.
Dorothy Thomson of Almond Street joins the "Black and
White Minstrel Show".
Irene McKechnie, Highland Dancer on TV in White Heather
Club.
Muirhead's again World Champions and Champion of Champions.
Strike at Docks affects 10 ships and 70 seamen.
Containerisation inaugurated at Grangemouth Docks.
Dock Tonnage (in and out) 4,639,514 another record.
Demolition starts in Old Town, The Ship, Steamboat, Forth
Tavern and Old Masonic Hall all gone and they started to drain the Basins and the Canal.
Alas for Grangemouth!
1967
1st ever in Scotland "Around-The-Houses" mini marathon started.
Whitegates Knitwear Factory opened in South Lumley Street.
The 4,000nd Council house let in Myreton Road.
The new "Ship Inn" opened in Newhouse Road.
I.C.I. Rugby Club wins cup on the toss of a coin.
Stirling County Council requisition a record £1,836,430
from us.
Last Cruise of the "Dunera"; she was scrapped
afterwards.
60 new Athletics records reported from the Stadium.
First ever shipment of "Rolls Royce" cars from
Grangemouth, 6, valued at £42,000, sailed for Miami.
1968
B.R. withdraws Passenger Rail Service and the station closed.
Vandals destroy 38 young trees in the Park.
James Napier honoured for 50 years service with Kerse
Church B.B.'s.
Over 400 people from different churches took part in a
Christian Aid Sponsored Walk.
Y.M.C.A. celebrated it's Centenary.
Muirheads Pipe Band wins it's 4th consecutive World
Championship in Grangemouth Stadium.
Giant distillation column 122 ft long weighing over 70 tons
arrived by road at B.P.
County requisition's new record £1,922,012.
Grangemouth Rugby Club won a "Piano-smashing"
contest and start flitting to Dalgrain Farm.
The first section of the Motorway by-passing Grangemouth
opened.
2 Polar Bears were exported via the docks to Amsterdam Zoo.
Oxgang House Hotel opened.
Councillor Wm. Ure presented with M.B.E. at Buckingham
Palace.
Ellerman Wilson Line start new service to Norway.
2 babies were abandoned, 1 in Kingseat Avenue, landing and
2nd. in "The Ladies" at Charing Cross, the mothers were never found.
(Note: Alison, one of the babies mentioned, got in touch to say she was the
Kingseat baby and was actually abandoned in Feb 1967.)
3 Organists from one family, Moyra Ritchie at St. Mary's,
her brother Iain at Charing Cross and Uncle Peter Paterson, deputy, at Kerse Church led
the praise at morning services.
New Dock's record, 2656 ships imported 2,211,950 tons and
exported 2,487,372.
1969
Forth Ports Authority announced increased trade returns for 1968. Grangemouth
handled more than half of the trade of the 6 ports.
Dunn and Wilson's, Bookbinders, start on new factory on the
old Timber Basin on Earl's Road.
800 entrants take part in the Christian Aid Marathon and
£2950 raised by their efforts.
Muirheads Pipe Band wins it's 5th in a row World
Championship; they have now won the title 8 times.
The Scottish Athletics Championships went
"Metric" for the first time in the Stadium.
Fire-Master announces 38 fires for Central area, 22 caused
by chip-pans.
Revd. Douglas Blair ordained and inducted in Dundas Parish
Church.
I.C.I. opens Procion Plant built in 18 months, 3 months
ahead of schedule.
New Co-op, Post Office and "Jade" Chinese
Restaurant open in York Square.
2 week Bus Strike and 9 week Boilermakers Strike at
B.P.
Dock returns show loss after record breaking years. They
exported £46.5 million worth of alcohol, top for Britain.
1970
Opening of £1.5 million Central Area Development.
Jimmy Fiddes former Rangers and Falkirk "Star"
awarded M.B.E., he died shortly afterwards.
Sir Alec Rose "Lone round the world" sailor opens
Airlie Centre in Kerse Road, The British Sailors' Society Hostel.
2,000 B.P. Chemicals workers in "work-to-rule"
dispute.
Princess Margaret visited Municipal Chambers and Seamen's'
Hostel.
3 weeks bus strike.
New basic pay for dockers; £30 per week for 40 hours work.
First ever Highland Gathering in Stadium attracts 5,000
spectators and the wrath of the Lord's Day Observance Society for holding it on a Sunday.
Muirhead's Pipe Band lose World Title, but win European.
1970
6 Grangemouth runners help to carry the Queen's message across Scotland for the
opening of the Commonwealth Games.
New R.C.Parish, Christ The King, inaugurated under Fr
K.Kruger.
First consignment of crude oil from the North Sea arrived
by tanker at B.P.
Tam Dayell reveals to House of Commons a drug smuggling
problem with Swedish ships in Grangemouth Docks.
Docks' turnover reaches new heights 5,320,054 tons.
1971
First Self-service Petrol Station opens in B.P.'s garage in Bo'ness Road.
Dockyard launches it's biggest ever ship "Alk".
Dockyard launches it's last ship, No. 543
"Irvana" a fishing smack.
Golden Jubilee of local Girl Guides.
Grangemouth beats Alloa in national "It's a Knock
Out" at the Stadium but lose to Dunfermline in 2nd. round.
Excavations at Inveravon Waterworks reveals deposits of
thousands-year-old sea shells.
Opening of new Swimming Pool Complex in Abbots Road.
1972
The "Winter of Discontent", Power cuts meant that half of the town had no
electricity while the other half was O.K.; they swapped over for the next cut.
Dockers provided fuel for over 100 O.A.P. households, they
collected wood from various Mills and chopped and delivered it all over the town.
Shops did roaring trade in candles and paraffin lamps.
"Learn-to swim week" at new pool attracted 350
children and 300 adults.
Richard Afton, a T.V. Producer took charge of the Centenary
Celebrations which got underway in June.
Dr James Dyer was awarded the M.B.E. in the Queen's
Birthday Honours List, he died a couple of months later.
Artist, poet and jazz player Allan Davie was awarded the
O.B.E.
The Rannoch Burn was opened for flood relief; 54 years
after it was first proposed.
H.M.S. Abdiel, the destroyer adopted by Grangemouth during
the war was one of the attractions - 1400 people visited it.
12,000 fans turned up at the Stadium for Scotland's biggest
"Pop Concert". (30,000 had been expected). It lasted for 12 hours; the
unknown compere went on to become a big star - Billy Connolly.
Dock's turnover to end of November had broken all records -
6.2 million tons.
A spectacular Fireworks Display in the stadium brought the
celebrations to an end.
A budget of £80,000 had been set aside, now came the
reckoning.The Burgh of Grangemouth was 100 years old.
We'd like to thank Grangemouth
Heritage Trust for supplying the above information. |
