KEITH HAMILTON looks through past editions of the Echo and reviews the issues which made the headlines

50 Years Ago Hampshire police began an exhibition tour of the county aimed at helping to cut the crime rate.

"The police will shortly have the added aid of a county-wide radio communication system with patrol cars, to be demons-trated in the exhibition,'' said the Daily Echo.

40 Years Ago Southampton Art Gallery staged a series of free lunchtime concerts inclu-ding madrigals and Ger-man folk music.

Jockeys and horses gathered for a moonlight steep-lechase meeting at Burley Manor Hotel in the New Forest, with spectator tickets costing 2s 6d (12p) each.

30 Years Ago Crane drivers at South-ampton docks were back at work after a 36-hour lightning strike over a pay claim.

In a mystery attack an Isle of Wight photographer's camera was snatched shortly after snapping some of the Royal Family at a party in Cowes.

20 Years Ago Prince Charles dived beneath the waters of the Solent to see the wreck of the Tudor warship Mary Rose.

A Gosport inventor came up with what he claimed was a design for a revolutionary supermarket trolley to end the curse of wonky, wobbly wheels.

10 Years Ago Two Eastleigh men appeared in court char-ged with breaking into a shop and stealing a mannequin dressed as pop singer Michael Jackson.

A yacht's mast was snapped into two after it was hit by the wing of a flying boat manoeuvring on Southampton Water.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.