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

50 Years Ago Britain's newest destroyer HMS Dainty was launched at the Isle of Wight shipyard of JS White at East Cowes.

Organisers of Battle of Britain Week announced a "mammoth firework display'' at the County Ground, with the Dagenham Girl Pipers.

40 Years Ago With siren sounding, flags flying and cheering passengers lining her decks, Cunard transatlantic liner Queen Elizabeth left Southampton for New York, despite an unofficial seamen's strike.

The ship was carrying 1,308 passengers and almost all her 1,260 crew.

30 Years Ago British Rail announced that a second-class ticket from Southampton to Waterloo would increase by 2s (10p) to £2 12s (£2.60).

Southampton department store Edwin Jones opened a new food hall and took on 100 extra staff.

20 Years Ago According to Southampton record shops the most popular single was Abba's The Winner Takes It All.

Southampton prepared for the arrival of the new-style "pintie'' bottle for doorstep deliveries of milk, which local dairies said would soon be introduced in the city.

10 Years Ago Many shoppers feared they would lose thousands of pounds after receivers were called in by high street furniture store Queensway.

An inmate at Parkhurst Prison, Isle of Wight, was in line for a top national gardening award for his work in the grounds.

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