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‘What a find’: Longforgan farmer unearths 103-year-old Evening Telegraphs in attic

Neil Walker reading one of the old Evening Telegraphs.
Neil Walker reading one of the old Evening Telegraphs.

A former Longforgan farmer has taken a step back in time after unearthing 103-year-old editions of the Evening Telegraph.

Neil Walker was surprised to find copies of the DC Thomson paper – dating back to 1919 – in good condition.

The 57-year-old discovered a box of items belonging to his grandfather, Colin Logie Walker, in his attic.

He also found diaries belonging to Colin, dating back to his time of running Rawes Farm.

The Evening Telegraph and Post, late extra edition, from May 5 1919.
A  Dundee FC football report from the paper.

Neil says he is “amazed” at how well the newspapers – which cost 1d, or 1p – have been preserved.

He said: “We are in the process of moving house and I was in the attic and discovered a box containing diaries belong to my grandfather.

“He owned Rawes Farm in Longforgan and there were diaries dating back to 1903.

‘I’m amazed at the condition’

“It contained details about stock and the cost of cattle.

“Within the box were these copies of the Evening Telegraph.

“I was amazed at the condition of them.

“Given the condition I thought they were maybe from the 60s but then I saw the date.

The copies of the paper are in good condition.

“I was surprised just how old they are.

“I’m not sure why my grandfather kept the papers, I’ve not had a proper chance to read them back properly.

“I thought there might have been some reference to the farm in the copies perhaps.

“There was also a pull-out of Tay Bridge pictures from the 60s but the papers from 1919 have been fascinating.”

“The ‘German attack on the Tay Bridge'” was a headline on May 5 1919.

A headline of “A ‘German attack on the Tay Bridge'” caught his eye.

The apparent German torpedo attack was believed to be the “biggest hoax” of the First World War, according to the report from the time.

Neil said: “The headline regarding the Germans attacking the Tay Bridge definitely caught my eye.

“I shared some of the pages online on the ‘Real Dundonian History’ page and people were delighted to see the contents.

“Folk were saying stuff like ‘what a find’.

Hopes to put newspapers on display

“What struck me and others was the volume of stories on the front page, particularly the amount of world news.

“I suppose in those days it was an era long before mobile phones and round-the-clock TV coverage.”

Neil says he hopes to possibly donate the editions of the paper to a museum for others to read and enjoy.

He added: “It would be my intention to hand them over to an organisation who could possibly put them on display.”

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