100 years ago

Some excitement had been caused in High Petergate about half-past eleven in the morning, by a horse rearing and putting its forefeet through the window of a boot shop.

It appeared that a horse and cart belonging to Messrs Bell and Co, gardeners, Haxby, was proceeding along High Petergate, in the direction of Bootham Bar, and when passing the boot shop of Mr JW Peckitt the animal was met by a motor belonging to Mr Bentley, of Fulford Grange.

The horse reared and put its forefeet through the shop window, smashing it, and, in addition to cutting itself, the shafts of the cart were broken. Before further damage was done the driver promptly seized the horse, which was taken to Mr Pollard, veterinary surgeon, for treatment.

 

50 years ago

Mrs Jerrie Mock had become the first woman to fly solo around the world when she landed at Columbus (Ohio). A 38-year-old housewife, she took off from Columbus on March 19 in her single-engined Cessna-180, named Spirit of Columbus.

She stepped out of the plane to hugs and kisses from her three children and husband Russell, and cheers from thousands of spectators. Miss Joan Merriam, also on a round-the-world flight, landed at tiny Horn Island, off Australia’s north-east tip.

She had left Darwin earlier in the day in her twin-engined Piper Apache and landed on a wartime airstrip on the island when she met bad weather on her way to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

 

25 years ago

The leader of North Yorkshire County Council had promised the county’s help for a £500,000 appeal to build a world-class athletics track outside York.

Councillor John Clout hailed Ryedale District Council’s scheme as “a great asset” to the area and added: “We would be willing to talk and help as much as we could.” He was responding to a plea from the chairman of Ryedale’s Policy and Resources Committee, Councillor Bill Chapman, for the county to provide the bulk of the funding for the track at the new stadium at Monks Cross, in Huntington.

Top British runners Steve Cram, Sebastian Coe, and Peter Elliott were being asked to spearhead the appeal, which would be launched at Ryedale House in Malton. Councillor Clout said the county had approached York City Council with a similar joint venture two years before, but it had been scrapped after the city could not help because of commitments to the Barbican.

“Ryedale has leased the ground to the Rugby League club, but it is owned by Ryedale. We have floodlights, grandstand, changing facilities, and everything else for the use of athletics clubs.” But he ruled out seeking any help from the city council, even though the Monks Cross stadium lay on the boundary of York.