Way we were (From York Press)

Way we were

Thursday, June 29, 2006

100 years ago

The Corporation of the City of York had received a notification from the Inland Revenue that the warehouse in Skeldergate, York, adjoining the wet goods bonding warehouse, had been finally approved as a building for the storage of duty-free goods, including tobacco.

This would be a great convenience to the traders of the City of York and district as it elevated York to the status of a port.

50 years ago

There was no knowing yet whether well dressed men would in time come to wear nothing but suits created from man-made fibres, but there was no doubt of the growing importance in the textile industry of these fascinating products of the chemists' art.

Discovered during the war by J R Whinfield and J C Dickson, working at the research laboratories of the Calico Printers' Association, the all-British fully synthetic polymer fibre, Terylene, was developed by ICI in this country, following the earlier success of nylon.

Early in 1955, commercial production began at a big plant at Wilton, North Yorkshire. Possibly the most important existing use of Terylene was in the production of highly-successful men's suitings being increasingly advertised in leading stores throughout Britain.

Early history of the man-made fibres industry dated back to the 1880's, when Sir Joseph Swan, the famous electrical engineer, produced nitro-cellulose textile filaments in his search for an alternative to carbon for electric lamp filaments.

25 years ago

A cannon and muskets were fired at Marston Moor the previous evening to mark the 337th anniversary of the Civil War battle.

The Northern Army of the Sealed Knot, which re-enacted such battles, gathered at the obelisk that commemorated the rout of the Royalists and triumph for the Roundheads. Nearly 200, in Royalist and Roundhead costume, had marched from Tockwith with standards and drums.

Mr Arthur Starkie, of Leeds, General of the Northern Army, said that the march took place each year as near as possible to the anniversary of July 2, 1644, and was timed to arrive at 7pm when fighting began.

The obelisk, close to where Cromwell was said to have directed his troops, was erected in 1939 and restored in 1973, it had been refurbished for the anniversary with £650 from the Sealed Knot and £150 from Long Marston Parish Council.

A brief remembrance service was conducted by the Sealed Knot chaplain. Wreaths were laid, a two-minutes silence was observed and then muskets and a George I cannon fired a salute. The Sealed Knot, which had raised more than £1m for charity in 13 years, marched on to Long Marston.