100 years ago

MRS Lucy Beaumont, 31, Fossgate, York, had received the following letter from her son, John William Beaumont, who was currently at the front with the 2nd York and Lancaster Regiment: “Dear Mother, Many thanks for your parcel, and the curry especially, for it warms you up these days.

“Last Sunday week was my birthday, and a day for me to remember for the Germans gave us a fine bit of shelling just as a kind of present to commemorate the day, but I am still in the pink, and hope to remain so. I should like a French-English dictionary published for our use by Gale and Polden. All the York chaps here received a box of Rowntree’s chocolates, but somehow mine was lost or I was forgotten.”


50 years ago

A BILL to extend the control of the authorities over roaming dogs, and to deal with nuisance caused by dogs in public places, had been introduced into the House of Lords. Some local authorities had already taken power to deal with the problem by means of bylaws, but the power was seldom used.

The position was becoming more serious as the number of dogs increased – the number of licences had risen by 50,000 during the year, bringing the total number to nearly three million, and this figure excluded puppies under six months of age.

The new Bill was due for its Second Reading quite soon. It provided for serious penalties to be imposed by the courts upon owners whose dogs were proved to have fouled the footway on any highway which had a street lighting system, or any public open space adjoining any such footway.

Power was also sought to give the police or authorised officers of the local authorities the right to hold any dog found wandering, and for it to be disposed of or destroyed if not claimed within 14 days, and to make the owner liable as a civil debt for all expenses involved.


25 years ago

PLANS by British Telecom to erect three towers to form part of a nationwide network of cellular radio base stations would be debated by Harrogate borough planners shortly.

Members of the council’s area two planning sub-committee would be recommended to approve plans for a 32-metre high tower at Upper Poppleton.

But they would be urged to refuse applications for a 42-metre tower at Marton-cum-Grafton, near Boroughbridge, and a 35-metre mast at Linton Spring, near Wetherby, because of insufficient research and the compromising of statutory green belt and a designated area of great landscape value.