100 years ago

The “Telegraaf” had learned from Sluis that the thunder of guns had been heard in the town all of the previous day, indicating that the battle was continuing along the whole front.

The presence of British troops at Passchendaele and Becelaere had been confirmed - a factor which pointed to some slight progress by the Allies. The Germans had had great difficulty in removing their guns owing to the floods.

On Saturday evening trains had arrived at Bruges carrying an enormous number of wounded. There was no truth in the rumour that the Germans had evacuated Ostend.

A correspondent of the “Nieuws van den Dag,” who had returned from a three days' pedestrian tour round Bruges, Thorout, Ichteghem, and Ghistelles, said that the battle line on the coast now ran from the upper part of Dixmude to Ostend. The Germans had been driven back to the north of the Yser.


50 years ago

Due largely to a widespread publicity campaign by the British Fireworks Manufacturers' Association, there had been a substantial cut in the number of firework accidents the previous year.

Even so, 2461 children, half of them under the age of 13, had had to have hospital treatment and probably ten times as many received minor, but still painful, injuries which could be treated at home. The most common causes of injuries were holding fireworks in the hand and deliberate misuse, and the main harm was to eyes and hands.

“This figure seems to be an extremely high price to pay for pleasure,” said the British Safety Council which once again had the support of the firework manufacturers in its campaign to cut the number of firework accidents further this year.

The Council had drawn up a nine-point safety code, but stressed that the most important rule of all was to read the instructions on each firework and follow them carefully.


25 years ago

The former Yorkshire Evening Press headquarters in Coney Street, it was suggested, might be transformed into a multi-million pound shopping and office complex.

Outline plans lodged by York & County Press included proposals for 18 small shop units, a two-storey fashion store and offices on the prime city centre site.

The ambitious proposals followed the Evening Press's move to new £10.5 million premises in Walmgate earlier in the year.

Under the plans, the frontage of the Grade Two listed buildings of 13, 15 and 17 Coney Street, together with Ebor Hall and part of the former works, would be retained.

The rest of the sprawling building would be demolished and rebuilt to provide a four-storey shopping and offices development with a riverside walk along the Ouse.