From our archives:

85 years ago

More than 5,000 people attended a choral and dancing festival arranged by the Yorkshire Federation of Women’s Institutes at Harewood Park.

The choral and dancing competitions were all closely contested, and at the close the adjudicator for the dancing specially mentioned the Norton and Beckwithshaw teams for the good work they had done.

“Dancing,” he said, “was merely an expression of music by sight.”

Lady Baden Powell, paid a visit to Beverley as the guest of honour at the Holderness Divisional Rally of Girl Guides, which had been held in the grounds of the High School.

Soon after her arrival her ladyship, accompanied by Mrs Strickland, County Commissioner, inspected the various companies of Guides and Brownies, totalling about 800, on the playing field.

50 years ago

Within a two-hour period several fires had broken out on five farms in the Selby area.

Most farmers had managed to save equipment, but tons of straw was destroyed.

The farmers concluded that it could be the work of fire-bugs. Tiffany’s York, was close in preparation for a new “face-lift” before re-opening in the following September.

Mecca Chief Mr Eric Morley told the Evening Press that the main reason for the temporary closure, was that the younger people of York tended to go out of the city for their entertainment and those who did go to Tiffany’s wanted to eat there.

Tiffany’s was therefore going to be changed into more of a theatre club, where cabaret and dinner would be served.

Copmanthorpe Women’s Institute took advantage of the fine weather to go on a mystery tour through Nidderdale to Knaresborough, where they stopped for supper.

20 years ago

Buses were to return into the troubled Chapelfields estate after evening services had been suspended due to a gang of hooligans who had attacked a bus, smashing the window with a pool ball.

The Pied Piper of Hamelin Michael Boyer worked his magic in York by whisking youngsters from Germany and St Dymphna’s nursery to the Nestle Rowntree factory.

The children returned with free sweets and chocolates for all those children who did not hear the haunting notes of the Hamelin piper.

And millions of letters passing through York would soon be carrying a special anti-drink drive message, thanks to a specially commissioned slogan by the Royal Mail.