THIS week’s look into our archives takes us back 20 years – when calls were made today for a ban on the sale of airguns.
The move came after two young boys were shot and injured in separate attacks in the Larkfield area of Greenock.
Councillor Maxie Hill, chairman of Inverclyde Community Safety Partnership, told the Telegraph at the time he wanted to see a ban on the sale of the weapons.
He said he would raise the airgun issue at an upcoming meeting of the partnership.
He added: “I am very concerned that air rifles and ammunition can be used irresponsibly, and this should be taken up with the Scottish Executive and our Westminster MP.”
Pat McCormick, councillor for Larkfield, who is also a member of the partnership, said he would speak to police about his concerns and added: “I would hope the person responsible is caught before someone is killed.”
Meanwhile, a demolition team had moved in to knock down a block of flats at Wren Road after vandals set fire to the building twice in the space of a few hours.
The derelict property at number 57 had already been earmarked for destruction before a second fire destroyed its roof.
Electricity and gas supplies were cut off while workers from Burnfield Demolition in Glasgow prepared to move in with an excavator.
Elsewhere, artist Jim Wood was calling for a rare Charles Rennie Mackintosh cottage in Kilmacolm to be preserved for the nation.
The Auchenbothie Lodge was one of only four Mackintosh houses of its kind in Scotland.
Its owners, Morag and John Forester, said they were sorry to be leaving their home of 14 years, but had decided it is time to move on and put the house on the market at offers over £145,000.
The pyramid-shaped, whitewashed lodge was built to Mackintosh’s design in 190.
The four rooms of the lodge were all built around an original central fireplace, and the cottage also features Mackintosh’s signature design of leaded window frames.
In other news, two sisters had graduated in law at the same time — on different sides of the world.
Saira Kapasi picked up a Masters in Law with distinction at the University of Sydney in Australia, while her sister Sophie Kapasi Maudsely graduated with an LLB with honours from the University of Glasgow.
Saira said she decided to do part of her legal training in Australia because she met so many friendly Australians while she was doing a previous year’s study in Sweden.
The two Skelmorlie sisters were daughters of Greenock GP Dr Mustafa Kapasi.
In sport, Newark Angling Club were back in business after their summer break with an outing to Loch Ba on Rannoch Moor for the first leg of the Millennium Trophy.
When the anglers left Port Glasgow it was a fine still morning, but by the time the bus was approaching Crianlarich the rain started.
Most found the conditions difficult, if not impossible, and although lots of fish were caught many did not meet the minimum size of nine inches.
Of those fishing the bigger loch, only three reached double figure catches including George Gemmell and Billy Matthews, coming first and second respectively.
However, Port Glasgow angler Davie McAllister, travelling as a guest, had the heaviest catch with 10 fish for three pounds and 15 and a quarter ounces.
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