100 years ago

What was stated to be one of the most expensive films exhibited in York recently had been booked by Mr Bert Rutter, manager of the Victoria Hall, for exhibition the following week.

This was “The Escape,” a first-class production in six parts, the exclusive showing rights of which had been secured.

The film promised to become well-known, dealing, as it did, with the question of eugenics.

It would be exhibited for the first part of the week, and would be backed by a programme of topical films and “Sydney Bacon's Gazette.”

For the latter part of the week a fine comic film was amongst others to be submitted, namely “An Ill Wind.”


50 years ago

An error which had been perpetrated by generations of local historians and antiquaries in York had recently been brought to light by a member of the staff of the British Museum.

Mr R A Skelton, Keeper of the Map Room at the Museum, had discovered that a plan of the city, believed to be the first ever printed, was not published in 1574 as was originally thought.

It had not appeared until 1618. His discovery meant that the first ever printed plan of the city was the one by John Speed, the famous cartographer of the late 16th and early 17th century which was published in 1611.

The cause of the error was simple.

Braun and Hogenberg had published their plan of York in a work called Civitates Orbis Terrarum, which was brought out over the years in six volumes. Historians had made the mistake of dating the York plan to the date of the first of these.

In fact, the York plan had not appeared until the sixth volume.


25 years ago

It was the first anniversary of the closure of Deangate, and council chiefs would shortly recommend if the traffic ban should be permanent.

The Greater York Travel Study Group would be making a recommendation to the Highways Committee, which would meet on March 16. But Deangate's future as a pedestrian precinct, bringing a sense of peace and cloistered calm to the area, had not to be regarded as a foregone conclusion.

The warning had been given by Councillor John Clout, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, the authority responsible for implementing the existing temporary ban.

“The county council has not made its mind up and you can only make good decisions when you have good information to work on,” he said.

The county council had gained a lot of valuable information but it was also bound to take account of the views of York City Council and its citizens, who now had to live with the problems of traffic which had been diverted by the closure.