100 years ago

PRINCESS Mary, with the approval of her Majesty the Queen, had become patron of the League of Young Patriots.

Every member of the League was required to make and fulfil two simple promises: “To God and King and Country I will do my duty.”

“To those in difficulty or sorrow through the war I will give my best help.”

The Lord Mayor of York (Councillor Henry Rhodes Brown) had sent the following letter to the members of the league: “When our nation is at the greatest crisis that has ever confronted it, when hundreds of thousands of our brave men have gone forth to fight for our liberties, I would urge the sons and daughters of these valiant men to be dutiful to their mothers. Be brave and helpful in the household duties; be kind and cheerful one to another and to your mothers.

"Her task will be softened by your quiet kindness, and then if it pleased God that your father returned soon, with what joy and pleasure will he hear from mother’s lips what good helpers you have been in his absence. Your father is nobly doing his duty; this is the duty you can do, I ask you to do it.”


50 years ago

IF passenger train services were withdrawn between York and Hull and Selby and Driffield, no way of easing the hardship could be suggested by the Transport Users’ Consultative Committee for the Yorkshire area.

But in the case of the Selby-Driffield service the committee noted that the number of passengers who would suffer hardship was so small that any form of public transport for them would be difficult to justify.

The committee’s conclusions which had been included in a report to the Minister of Transport, were reached after consideration of the proposals by the NE Railway Board to close the services with objections made in writing and of those made at the public hearing on July 2. The committee also examined the alternative services which were expected to be available if the closures took place.


25 years ago

NORTH Yorkshire churches, whether restored or ruined, were proven to be the county’s biggest heritage crowd-pullers. York Minster was still one of the most popular tourist draws in England.

Only Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral had more visitors in 1988, according to the latest English Heritage Monitor, just published by the English Tourist Board. More than 2.1 million people were estimated to have visited the Minster, compared with 3.25 million for Westminster Abbey and 2.5 million for St Paul’s.