100 years ago

A proposal was on foot to demolish the old houses abutting on the Abbey Wall in Bootham.

The Abbey Wall was older than the City Wall and dated back to about 1260.

Some of the houses abutting on the wall in Marygate had been removed and the wall left as it had been originally.

For many years there had been a desire amongst the citizens that this should be continued until the wall was opened up from the entrance round by St Mary’s Tower to Princess Margaret’s Arch.

The site currently occupied by the narrow houses had, in the old days, been a ditch, the cleaning of which was the source of constant wrangling and sometimes fighting until the dispute was settled in 1262.

In the course of time squatters settled in the ditch, gradually filled it up, built small hovels and remained in possession. The tenants currently in occupation of the houses along the line of the walls were successors of these squatters.

Many of the houses had only a depth of nine feet from front to back.


50 years ago

The biggest office block to be built in York this century, the eight-storey building in Rougier Street which would house the head office of the Yorkshire Insurance Company had been ‘topped-out’.

The ceremony was carried out by Lord Middleton, chairman of the company.

In a biting wind he laid the last concrete on the roof of the building, 100 feet above pavement level. The ceremony was watched by more than 100 people.

Later, everyone went down to the floor below where the traditional glass of ale was provided.

In a toast to the builders, Sir John said: “This building, like our company, rests on firm and deep foundations. It needs to be firm, for this building is going to house many people and a great deal of equipment.”

He added that in former days it had been much more of a hazard for builders to reach the roof in safety and there was perhaps deeper significance in the topping-out ceremony.


25 years ago

White-rose rule was likely to return to the old East Yorkshire - by request of the Government.

Environment Secretary Nicholas Ridley had told the Boundary Commission to consider dissolving unpopular Humberside.

Under his proposals, areas north of the Humber could be added to North Yorkshire and areas south of the river to Lincolnshire.

Mr Ridley said: “I am concerned that 15 years after Humberside was created it still faces widespread and sustained opposition from residents.”

He had acted on nearly 7000 representations made after a Boundary Commission report.

The prospects of divorce after the stormy marriage with its southern neighbour across the river followed a fierce campaign by local campaigners.