100 years ago

THERE had been a stirring scene in the main thoroughfare of Scarborough at noon, when about 300 Reservists of the 20th Hussars marched through the crowded street on their way to the railway station, where a special train was awaiting them, for Colchester.

They were headed from the Northern Cavalry Depot at the Burniston Road Barracks to the railway station by the Boy Scouts’ band, the playing of marches by the boys being distinctly creditable.

The Reservists were full of enthusiasm, and marched along with a swing and vigour quite surprising when one remembers that they had only arrived at Scarborough the day before and had only donned their uniforms today.

Outside the railway station many goodbyes were said by friends who had come to see them off. Altogether more than 1,500 Reservists had arrived the previous day at Scarborough and reported themselves at the Northern Cavalry Depot, where uniforms and equipment had been handed out to them and all arrangements made for active service.


50 years ago

A PARTY of youths who had gone to bathe from a holiday camp near Filey recently, when one of the party had drowned, had not seen a notice that it was dangerous to bathe, because it was facing out to sea. This had been stated at the inquest at Filey when a verdict of death by misadventure was recorded on the nineteen-year-old. The coroner said the deceased had gone to bathe at a place which was known to be dangerous.

“There are notices on the shore, due to previous accidents. This notice on the cliff path faces outwards, and I proposed to ask for warning notices to face each way,” he said.

A companion of the deceased who had been close by said: “One minute our feet were on the sand, and the next minute there was no bottom. He seemed to panic and I got hold of him and tried to swim inshore. He kept pulling me under. Someone came to help but we were being swept further out. I do not remember seeing the notice board.”


25 years ago

THE Government had offered the green lobby an olive branch by proposing to label environmentally friendly products in the shops. Environment Minister Virginia Bottomley agreed green consumers were “on the warpath” and promised to spearhead moves for goods to carry a special symbol.

Her boss Chris Patten, new Environment Secretary and MP for Bath, would push for a Europe-wide scheme to be adopted by the Council of Ministers. Products involved would be other than food and drink.

Lead free paints, cookers, low-noise lawnmowers, fridges which did not use CFCs as coolants and mercury-free batteries could be included.