SMARTPHONES and 24/7 rolling news channels being unknown at the time, this was one method of keeping up to date with the results of Britain’s first plebiscite.

It was June, 1975, and at stake was the issue of whether Britain would remain in the Common Market (as many people knew it at the time). Yes or No?, voters were asked.

The Glasgow Herald and the Evening Times kept shoppers informed of the count by creating a special window display at the Arnotts store in Glasgow’s Argyle Street. The changing totals were refreshed at regular intervals as counting proceeded, the information being supplied and updated from the Herald’s newsdesk in its then offices in Mitchell Street.

Among the Scots who voted was Mr Henry George Kempton, of Bearsden, just a couple of months away from his 100th birthday. His view was that Britain’s future would best be served by the country remaining in Europe.

As it turned out, most of the other voters agreed with him. By a majority of two to one, the UK voted to remain in the Common Market. The result, the Herald said, was a landslide of more than 17 million in favour to just under 8.5 million against: 67.2% yes, 32.8% no. (Scotland voted 58.4% Yes and 41.6% No).The Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, promptly declared that 14 years of national argument were now at an end. It was a good job Mr Wilson couldn’t foresee the result of the 2016 referendum.