100 years ago

IN view of the scepticism displayed towards the ancient art of “water divining” it was interesting to hear of a successful experiment carried to a conclusion near Malton.

The district around Marishes being badly watered, Mr E Hill, of Thornton Dale, had engaged the services of Mr E B Wilson, of Hooton Pagnell, to locate water on Summerton Farm. Mr Wilson soon indicated a spot, and Mr J T Hymas, well engineer of Burton Leonard, after boring 155-feet struck a spring which rose currently 13 feet above the level by its own natural force and yielded approximately 100,000 gallons daily.

 

50 years ago

THE topless bathing costume was illegal in France, being an offence against public decency, said M Roger Frey, Minister of the Interior.

He had sent notes to the prefects of all French departments instructing them to inform local mayors that it was not up to them to decide whether women could wear the topless costume in public. They had to call in the police to arrest offenders and prosecute. The Mayor of the French Channel resort of Cabourg had said he would welcome the topless costume there.

 

25 years ago

MOVES to stem the number of suicides from Scarborough’s notorious Valley Bridge would go before councillors this week.

Forty-three people had plunged to their deaths from the 80ft bridge which linked the town centre with the South Cliff across Valley Road, since 1970. But it was evidence of how two women earlier in the year were able to climb over its four foot high parapets with ease that prompted the resort’s Coroner, Malton solicitor Michael Oakley, to write to the borough council asking for action.

Council engineers were putting two alternative schemes to the forthcoming meeting of the environmental health and control committee to heighten the parapets. Mr Oakley, in a letter to the council said: “It has always been my policy in the past to make as little comment as possible about the Valley Bridge, since knowing that it is already a ‘cause celebre’ I have no wish to draw more attention to it. However I am concerned as a result of two recent inquests, at the ease with which a person who may be slightly mentally disturbed can very easily take their own life by climbing over the railings.”

Mr Oakley said one of the two women was actually seen to climb over, and the other “merely put her foot on one of the railings and literally rolled over.” He added: “Clearly if there were higher railings or some spikes erected on the top of them, this would have a deterrent effect.”