100 years ago

After having two horses shot under him, Private Carter was wounded by a shrapnel shell which had struck his stirrup and a portion of it entered his foot. He was taken to a school which was being used as a hospital, and which already contained 20 wounded soldiers and an artillery officer.

Soon after entering he fell asleep as the result of the fatigue which he had endured, and, to his astonishment, when he awoke all the other inmates of the hospital had cleared out with the exception of the artillery officer.

The enemy was in the town. “The officer,” he said, “told me to keep cool and to get under a quantity of straw, which was used for beds. I did so, but had only been there a quarter of an hour when the Germans entered the school, took the officer away, and blew up part of the building. I escaped further injuries in the explosion, but I thought this was not a safe place to be, so I got through a back window, and fell on the body of a large St Bernard dog which had been killed in the fighting. Nearby there was the dog’s kennel, and taking off my jacket and trousers I crept into it, and stayed there for four hours before I made my escape.”

50 years ago

Once upon a time... something like 30 years before... there had been a toy shop in Micklegate, close to the corner of Priory Street.

It had been one of the best-known toy shops in the city at that time, with a reputation second to none.

The shop was crammed with toys, from top storey to basement. And so comprehensive was the stock that it was said: “If you can’t get it at Campbell’s, you can’t get it at all in York.”

Toys – and fishing tackle, for the shop also catered for fishermen with the same attention to detail and courtesy, as for the child customers.

The shop was run by two sisters – the Misses Campbell, who were known and loved by half the children of York.

25 years ago

The National Health Service should be “consumer-orientated” like Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer, said the Health Minister, Mr David Mellor.

White Paper proposals for a radical shake-up of the NHS should deliver better service to patients and consistent high quality of care, he told Woman’s Journal. “Nailed on the gravestones of Kenneth (Clarke) and me should be: ‘We’re doing it for the patient’,” he said.

“It is a total myth for anyone to see efficiency as contrary to the interests of the patient.”