100 years ago

The president of The Yorkshire County Cricket Club wrote: “The Yorkshire County Cricket Club has been asked to do all in its power to help the formation of a cricketers' corps, which has now received the sanction of Lord Kitchener, provided that at least 1000 men are raised.

"Doubtless many cricketers have already joined other corps, but there must still be many who would like to serve in a battalion of this description. I most cordially invite the Council, the many leagues and clubs to support this movement.

"As a preliminary, I ask all eligible cricketers (19 to 35) to send their names and clubs to Mr FG Toone, 14, Park Square, Leeds, when a paper will be forwarded to each applicant asking for full details as to qualification, etc.”


50 years ago

York Railway Carriage Works was to be modernised and re-equipped at a cost of £976,000 as part of the £17m improvement schemes for the continuing main workshops of British Railways.

The 84 year old works would play an important part in British Railways workshops organisation by continuing to build new carriages and repair locomotive-hauled coaching stock and containers drawn from Eastern and North-Eastern England.

The plan for York, which would take two years to carry out, included re-siting certain workshops so as to improve vehicle flow lines, and the introduction of mechanical handling methods by which, it was calculated, the overall time taken to repair stock would be reduced by 20 per cent, and the shop floor area by six per cent.

York was one of the two remaining works on British Railways scheduled to build new coaching stock, the other being Derby Carriage and Wagon Works.

Steam repairs were being progressively eliminated, and the annual repair programme of 546 steam, 348 diesel-electric and 97 electric locomotives would be increased to 1512 diesel-electric and 210 electric locomotives.


25 years ago

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Habgood, had given his blessing to one of the controversial additions to the streets of his diocese.

His magnificent Bishopthorpe Palace, outside York, had just taken delivery of six of the much-maligned plastic wheelie bins. After His Grace had given one of them a test run under the expert guidance of a crew of local dustmen, he was happy to pronounce himself a convert.

“They do seem to have some great advantages over the old bins,” he said.

“They should make a dirty job much more attractive.”

Mr Neville Parkinson, the chief environmental health officer of Selby Council, completed the handing over ceremony by presenting the surprised prelate with four mini-wheelie bins to grace the palace mantelpiece.