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LORD Provost Mitchell announced his resignation reported the Brechin Advertiser of Tuesday, May 19, 1942.
"The news that health reasons had caused Lord Provost Mitchell to intimate his resignation from the Provostship was received with general concern in the community and further afield last week, for besides being a conscientious and hardworking civic head, Mr Mitchell is also one of the best known figures in the public life of Angus.
"The intimation of his resignation followed upon the successful conclusion of Warship Week in which as civic chief the Provost had played a busy role.
"When in November 1937 Hon. Treasurer Mitchell, as he then was, successed Mr J. M. Dunn in the Lord Provost's chair he had already a good record of public service behind him.
"After a successful business career with Messrs Balfour Williamson & Co., first in London and later in charge of their South American department in Liverpool, he retired in 1921 and settled in his native Brechin.
"He was not long in resuming his earlier active interest in the Y.M.C.A. and the Brechin Cricket Club. In 1928 he was persuaded to enter the Town Council and was returned second in a big poll.
"The following year he was appointed Hon. Treasurer, a position admirably suited to his talents. He held it until 1937 when by the unanimous consent of his colleagues he became Chief Magistrate.
"During the last four and a half years he has devoted himself heart and soul to the welfare of the community and has been an indefatigable Provost with a variety of public interests.
"Since the outbreak of war he has been particularly associated with the raising of local war funds and the healthy state of all these is a tribute to his seal.
"Mr Mitchells' entry into public life coincided with the coming of the Local Government Act, and tribute was paid at the time to the part he took as a member of the Committee which drew up the draft administrative schemes of the reconstituted County Council.
"As a member of that body, as on various other Committees, his sound business acumen and grasp of finance have proved of admitted value."
An unusually bright and dry april was experienced in the district.
"Meteorologically, 1942 is continuing its record-breaking way. If in the first quarter there was snow and snow and snow and snow on snow, to an almost unprecedented depth, the outstanding feature of April's weather was the abundance of sunshine which in many places, judging from information which the Weather Censor is now letting leak out, broke all previous records for the month
" The last week of the month was practically cloudless, and the sun, though a late riser these mornings, shone uninterruptedly through the long day.
"The unstinted brightness was welcome after the gloom of the black-out winter, but unfortunately, although there were a few pleasantly warm days, chilly east winds almost invariably kept the temperature down, and what with the cool breezes and keen white frosts most mornings there was little of the mildness one would expect of Spring in the atmosphere.
"Double summertime, of course, made the mornings seem even chillier, and people complained that it was tea-time before they could get the heat up."
A letter of thanks to Brechin folk who had shown kindness to Polish soldiers was received.
"A Polish officer who was billeted for some time in Brechin has penned a charming letter to his former hostess in the city. Writing from his new headquarters he sounds a little homesick for Brechin and the kindness he was shown here.
"We quote from his actual letter, which if not written in standard English is very understandable and has an appeal of its own:
"I am very interested about what are the Brechin's people speaking of our soldiers who are leave Brechin perhaps for ever. Have they good opinion about our soldiers or not?
"In our opinion Brechin people are very kindly for us what for we are very thankful for all Brechin people. Each of our soldiers thinks with heartfelt gratitude of Brechin. I am certain that the Scottish-Polish friendship is very deep and will never be extinguished. History will have much to say of it."
Local women attending an "Invasion" meeting made an appeal for arms training.
"Men have always liked to assume that it is the women who are the wordy sex, but they have to admit that once they get on a job they are pretty quick to get down to essentials. It certainly seemed like that at the "Invasion" meeting in the Temperance Hall.
"Both speakers noted in a general way that in the event of invasion there would be plenty of jobs, for woman, cooking, clerking, &c. This, however, did not satisfy the representatives of the sex in the audience.
"Picturing in their own minds the actual conditions of invasion, and what the Russian women have been doing during these terrible months, they decided that some knowledge of firearms would not come amiss; that they should be able, if not to use a rifle, at least to put it out of action, and that some day it might be helpful if they could throw a hand-grenade.
"An appeal was made to Major Duke. He readily agreed that any ladies interested could have some rifle practice, and a "date" was made for lessons to start.
"Hostile parachutists landing in some Brechin gardens will meet with an unexpectedly hot reception. The trouble is that in preparing against invasion there are not nearly enough arms to go round all these civilians (male and female) who would very cheerfully, and let us hope, accurately, use them."
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Weather for Brechin
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 3 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 3 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: South
