100 years ago

There had been a sequel at the Westminster Police Court to the scenes which had followed a speech made recently by Mrs Pankhurst in Glebe Place, Chelsea, when one woman, charged with assaulting the police, had been fined 40s and costs, or 14 days and another woman for a similar offence was ordered to pay 40s, with the alternative of seven days’ imprisonment.

Two elderly women, one having several plaster patches on her face, were charged with insulting behaviour on the same occasion.

The police stated that the women emerged from a house flourishing Indian clubs and shouting “Charge, girls!”

The wound on the forehead of one of the accused had been caused by an accidental blow from her companion.

The magistrate ordered the defendants to be bound over for six months, or go to prison for three days.


50 years ago

Five branches of the Yorkshire Insurance Co Ltd, together with the headquarters staff from St Helen’s Square would shortly move into York’s tallest office block currently being built in Rougier Street.

Mr Don Fearnley, deputy secretary of the company, said: "We will be using the whole of the block. Five of our offices in the city, as well as the headquarters staff, will then be under one roof.

The St Helen’s Square office will still remain the principal branch for our customers. In all about 300 personnel will transfer to Rougier Street. The £1m block was expected to be completed at the end of October and in operation by early November.

A “topping out” ceremony had been arranged to mark completion of the roof of the block and Lord Middleton, the company's current chairman, and a number of directors would be present. The company currently operated departments at various offices spread throughout the city.


25 years ago

Scarborough’s South Bay sands had been given a clean bill of health by European watchdogs.

Their report showed that Yorkshire was winning its own battle against pollution on the beaches. But while only one beach on the Yorkshire Coast – at Flamborough South Landing – failed to meet standards, almost a third of the nation's other beaches were not up to scratch.

Checks had been made on 22 bathing beaches in the region, and Scarborough and Withernsea, which had failed in 1987, passed with flying colours.

Only the Flamborough Beach failed, even though it had passed two years before. Scarborough tourism chiefs were patting themselves on the back, and the Yorkshire Water Authority, the body responsible for Yorkshire’s coastal waters, was also delighted with the results.