100 years ago

The British army’s historic stand at Ypres was described in a brief but graphic message issued by the Press Bureau.

The character of the fighting had been one of frequent and vigorous infantry attacks from the Germans, accompanied by heavy shell fire, alternating with equally vigorous counter attacks, the general result being the maintenance of our line, not without considerable losses on our side, but with still heavier losses on the other side.

The German artillery fire had been practically a continuous bombardment intended to pulverise the defence preparatory to the advance of infantry. The centre of the struggle had been Ypres, the defence of which would certainly be reckoned in history as one of the most striking episodes in the annals of the British Army.

For more than three weeks that position, which projected like a bastion into the enemy’s lines, had been held under a rain of shells which had hardly ceased by day or night. During this time the enemy had poured successive waves of infantry against it, only to see them break to pieces one after the other.

 

50 years ago

Since London’s Regent Street and Oxford Street had set the fashion a few years before, major shopping streets in many English cities were producing spectacular pre-Christmas illuminations. Could York have a Coney Street version of the Regent Street displays?

Some of the members of the Coney Street Association thought it could. But others - the majority - were not ready to take the plunge. So, after failing for three successive years to persuade the Association to embark on a general street scheme, one Coney Street store was trying a big illumination scheme of its own. It was Leak and Thorp Ltd, one of whose directors Mr C A White, was secretary of the Coney Street Association.

“We are hoping,” he said, “that if one or two stores set a lead here, the others will see what can be done and get together in future years over a street scheme.”

 

25 years ago

Fish and chip lovers clamoured for shares in the £4 million stock market flotation of Yorkshire’s world-famous chippy, Harry Ramsden’s.

Ramsden’s, founded 61 years before at Guiseley, West Yorkshire, was floating half its shares on the Third Market, small-firms branch of the Stock Exchange. The firm’s sponsors, brokers Greig Middleton, said the issue had been oversubscribed, but they did not know yet to what extent. A clearer picture was expected soon, along with some idea of how the shares would be allocated.

Thousands of Yorkshire people were among those who had applied for a stake in Ramsden’s, whose customers included comedian Charlie Williams and showjumper Harvey Smith.