100 years ago

The Prime Minister, having received a copy of the “Yorkshire Herald” of the 8th of September containing the portraits of Mr and Mrs Calpin with their ten soldier and sailor sons, had intimated through his private secretary that he had received with satisfaction the interesting reference in the “Yorkshire Herald” to “a patriotic York family.”

Mr and Mrs Calpin had been present at the Opera House and Empire the previous night, by invitation of the management. Mr Ernest Shand, after the recital of his lines on the Kaiser, introduced the couple to the audience, but there was no need to do this, for as soon as they appeared on the stage they were greeted with a storm of cheers which was repeated again and again.

A reproduction from the “Yorkshire Herald” of the portraits of the family, superimposed upon a Union Jack, was displayed during the performance, and was received with applause.

 

50 years ago

Since 1241 Bishopthorpe had been the official home of successive Archbishops of York. It was then more than 700 years since the village had got the name it currently carried with pride.

In 1241, Walter De Grey, who had been elected to the Archbishopric 25 years earlier gave the manor of Thorpe St Andrew to the York Chapter to be the residence for himself and his successors. “Bishopthorpe should make plans for welcoming the new people to the Bradley estate as they arrive!”

So said Canon Mark Green, Vicar of Bishopthorpe, in his September magazine. He wrote: “The bulldozers are at work. The new housing development in Acaster Lane, talked about for many months, has come visibly nearer. Many people view it with foreboding, for it seems to them to be a large step forward (or backward) in the destruction of the village as they have known it and loved it so long. Our pride in Bishopthorpe can lead us to put up the shutters against the new arrivals; or it can lead us to draw them in to something we value so highly.”

 

25 years ago

Thousands of East Germans had driven across Austria into West Germany before dawn after Hungary let them leave for a new life in the West.

Refugees with powerful Western cars were the first to roar into the village of Suben on the West German-Austrian border. Some flashed “V for Victory” signs, others whooped and popped open bottles of Hungarian sparkling wine as they reached their new homeland.

The East Germans, who had waited in Hungarian refugee camps for weeks while Budapest sought a diplomatic way to let them leave, streamed out of Hungary into neutral Austria just after midnight. About 6500 refugees were expected to arrive in West Germany in the next few days.