100 years ago

It would be recalled that towards the end of the previous year a meeting of the ratepayers of Dringhouses had been called to consider whether the Lighting and Watching Act of 1833 should be adopted.

Divided opinions had been expressed and a poll was demanded. The poll had recently taken place in the Dringhouses Council School, the voting hours being from four o’clock to eight o’clock pm. The voting resulted as follows: For the adoption of the Lighting and Watching Act, 43; Against, 42.

 

50 years ago

In one parish in York, estimated the vicar, about two houses in three had no bathrooms. Residents in more modern parts of York might have been further surprised to learn that about one in three of these houses had no water-closet lavatories, either.

They had “duckets” – a sanitary system dating back to the 19th century. Midway in evolution between the water-closet and the primitive earth-closet, the “ducket” discharged its load into the city sewers. It had no flush cistern; but it was flushed by water drained into it from all the other household usages of washing and the washing-up at the kitchen sink. Some of residents still had to follow the routines of the 1800s.

 

25 years ago

The Army was on full security alert in North Yorkshire following the interception of two parcel bombs. The bombs, thought to have been sent by the IRA, were addressed to senior officers at the South East army headquarters in Aldershot.

Their discovery sparked off a nationwide alert, and concern that this could be the start of a letter bomb blitz. At Imphal Barracks, York, army and civilian personnel had been warned to be vigilant when opening mail. The warning had gone out across the country.