100 years ago

The two Government Committees dealing with the distribution of Canada's gift of one million bags of flour and the 250,000 bags of flour presented by the Government of Ontario had now almost completed their task.

The gifts had so far been disposed of thus: to local representative committees for relief of distress, 90,474 bags; to Belgian refugee committees, 1691 bags; damaged flour sold or in process of sale, 3219 bags; sold by Messrs Joseph Wiles and Son, Ltd, 1500 bags; transferred to War Office, 99,760 bags; further quantity offered to War Office, 300,000 bags; quantity placed at the disposal of the Commission for Relief in Belgium, 443,886 bags.

A total of 940,530 bags. The flour taken over by the War Office was being sent over to France for the troops, and was already being turned into bread in the field kitchens.

It was estimated that Canada's million bags of flour would make 67,000,000 2lb loaves of bread.
 

50 years ago

Rail enthusiasts had paid over the odds for the privilege of making the last trip along the full-length of the Derwent Valley Light Railway.

A section of the line, from which passengers services were withdrawn nearly 30 years before, was to be closed. The single-line track between Layerthorpe, York, and Cliffe Common, near Selby, was to terminate at Wheldrake.

Stations to go included Thorganby, Cottingworth, and Skipwith. The main reason for the closure of the southern end of the line had been the withdrawal of British Railways facilities at Cliffe under the Beeching Plan.

One hundred members of the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society boarded a special two-coach train for the final run. The fare for the return trip - 15s. If passenger trains were still running, the same journey would have been about 8s.

The railway, which cost about £100,000, had opened in 1913. A diesel locomotive currently provided a freight service five days a week.
 

25 years ago

Round-the-clock security patrols had begun on the Valley Bridge, Scarborough, after a woman had fallen 80ft to her death.

It was the fourth death at the bridge this month and the 47th in the past 20 years.

The latest death came two days before councillors were to approve new safety measures at the notorious suicide spot.

Scarborough's Chief Executive, Mr John Trebble, quickly declared that steps were being taken before an emergency council meeting, as residents renewed their pressure for urgent action.

“From 9 o'clock last night we mounted a bridge patrol. We are using a security firm to patrol the bridge on a 24-hour basis until safety work is completed,” he said.

There were several possible permanent solutions to the Valley Bridge problem. One suggestion was to raise the height of the railings.