THERE'S an old box file gathering dust in a corner of The Press offices on Walmgate. 'Historic Photographs (except York)' says the label on the front.

Inside, we found an equally dusty brown envelope crammed to bursting with old black and white photographs. 'Malton: general (including streets + buildings)' said the writing on the outside.

No lover of old photographs could resist looking inside such an envelope. It contained some fine old photographs of Malton, most of them taken down the years by Press or Gazette & Herald photographers. We promise we'll return to this envelope of unexpected treasures again, but for now here are the six photographs we have chosen for this week...

1. A parade entering St Michael's Church, Malton, probably in about 1918. The caravans of a visiting fair can be seen on the right

2. The Girl Guides National Service Parade in Malton Market Place in 1939

3. St Michael's Church, Malton. There's no date on this photo, but judging by the cars we'd say it was taken some time in the 1940s or early 1950s

4. The caption to this photograph was damaged, but we think it shows Old Maltongate, Malton, in May 1956, as workmen were widening the road so it could cope with holiday traffic bound for Pickering and Whitby

5. Malton Cattle Market, July 26, 1973. The cattle market, the third largest in the country, 'should be sited on the outskirts of town, releasing the existing site in Horsemarket Road for much needed car parking', Malton Urban Council had just decided

6. Malton, April 9, 1981: PC Michael I'Anson preparing to leave Malton Police Station in his panda car to start his rural beat in Rillington. Those were the days...

Stephen Lewis