WE have chosen a selection of photographs from our archives to start things off today.

First up is an extraordinary image of St Martin’s Church in Coney Street taken in 1957. The church, which was severely damaged by bombs during the great air raid on York in 1942, was still little more than a gutted shell 15 years later, as our photograph reveals. Other buildings can clearly be seen framed through its empty, staring windows.

Things were about to start looking up for St Martin’s, however. “A plan for the reconstruction... has been approved by the Corporation Streets and Buildings Committee,” the caption to the photograph notes.

The surviving south aisle and tower were incorporated in a rebuilding of the church on a smaller scale in the 1960s, under the direction of the leading church architect George Pace. The new-look church was eventually ‘re-hallowed’ in April 1968.

It is back to 1955 for our second photo, which shows a youthful-looking Duke of Edinburgh unveiling a thanksgiving memorial in York Minster. The memorial, the caption informs us, was to commemorate “the 18,000 officers and airmen of the Nos 4, 6 (Canadian) and 7 Groups, Bomber Command, Nos 16 and 18 Groups, Coastal command and the squadrons of Fighter Command who were killed or reported missing while operating from north-eastern airfields during the World War II.” Quite right, too.

On to the 1960s, next, and another great photo which will make you wonder if you’re seeing straight: the old St George’s Cinema, next to Fairfax House, photographed in 1965 before its restoration. No sign of the new Coppergate shopping centre back then, of course...

Also taken in the 1960s - February 2, 1962 to be precise - was our wonderful photograph showing workmen repairing one of the old shops in Shambles. WH Norris, Ladies and Gents Tailors, says the legend above the shop window. Does anyone remember this shop?

And finally... we all like to complain about the state of our roads today. But how would you fancy navigating these potholes?

Our last photo shows The Avenue in Haxby in March 1972. The car looks like a Ford Anglia - remember those? No four wheel drive, sat nav or power steering then, but it seems to be doing an OK job of making its way through the puddles, mud and potholes...