100 years ago

Rumours had reached London the previous night that Zeppelins were on their way to the Metropolis, but exhaustive inquiries elicited that these rumours were without foundation.

Special constables were called out, railway stations reduced lights, and trains crossed bridges in darkness, but the Zeppelins never came.

In order that the public could become familiar with the various types of aircraft, both British and hostile, it was intended to issue from the Home Office a number of posters on which would be depicted Zeppelins and Taubes and British aircraft.

The posters would be large and the designs had been approved by the Admiralty and the War Office. In the opinion of experts the pictures were extremely good. The posters would supersede one which the Anti-Aircraft Department of the Admiralty had prepared for exhibition.

When the posters had been printed they would be very widely distributed, and it was hoped that the public - who were sometimes disturbed by the passage of one of our own aeroplanes - would note the essential differences between our own aircraft and those of the enemy.


50 years ago

York University students were to start “a serious scientific study” of local ghosts later in the year.

They had formed a Poltergeist Investigation Society, and hoped to work in cooperation with national psychic research bodies.

The man behind the scheme was 21-year-old economics student Peter Robinson. “We decided to start a proper investigation after a late-night ghost story session at Heslington Hall,” he said. The Society was formed after about 20 people turned up for a preliminary meeting.

Mr Robinson said they would make a study of places where ghosts had been reported and try to find out if there were any historical basis for the apparitions.

“We want to find out why and how ghosts walk, and discover what people who claim to have seen them are like.” He stressed that the Poltergeist Society was completely serious in its aims.


25 years ago

The South African President, Mr FW De Klerk, had begun sweeping away the odious system of apartheid when he lifted a 30-year-old ban on the African National Congress and said its leader, Nelson Mandela, would be freed from jail soon.

In the most far reaching address by a South African president since the white National Party came to power in 1948, Mr De Klerk said he would lift restrictions on 33 other anti-apartheid organisations, free political prisoners, end emergency press censorship and place a moratorium on hangings.

Announcing that Mr Mandela would be released soon from his life sentence for plotting against white rule, Mr De Klerk told Parliament: “It is time for us to break out of the cycle of violence and breakthrough to peace and reconciliation.”