Way we were

Comparing the past and current strength of the British Army, the military correspondent of The Times remarked that in the current war we were working up to the 3,000,000 men standard, and were already far upon the way towards the third million.

Even if we were the least ambitious we had to suppose that we would have 1,000,000 men in the decisive theatre before the campaign was much further advanced, and this was 110 times the figure of Agincourt; 33 times that of the Crimea; 25 times the Peninsular; 14 times the figure of the Second Afghan War. The effort which we were currently making had no parallel whatsoever in our past history.

Moreover, this effect had not yet produced the results which were eventually to be anticipated from it because the mass of our troops were still at home.

50 years ago

For the first time in centuries, the full and correct inscription on a medieval stained-glass window, the Great West Window of St Martin’s Church, Coney Street, had become public property.

Thanks to the public-spirited action of many people who donated to the committee formed for the purpose, the St Martin window had been removed to safety with other York church stained glass before the air raid in 1942.

The proper text of the dedication on the window had never been seen because it was incomplete for centuries. Historians from the late 17th century had spoken of it and illustrated it in the form well-known to pre-war generations, but half the original text had been missing.

During restoration work in the Minster workshops recently, pending its return to the chapel-of-ease being built on the site of the war-damage church, fragments of the text had been found in other parts of the window.

In the last few weeks, microfilm had been found of a record in the Bodleian Library Oxford, dating from 1670 when the inscription had been complete.

25 years ago

Women in North Yorkshire were coming forward in large numbers for cervical smear tests.

The Family Practitioner Committee said a large number of GP practices would achieve a target of 80 per cent take up.

A new payment system would start on April 1, which doctors in some areas said would mean it was not worth their while to give tests.

Doctors who checked less than 50 per cent of women aged 25 to 64 every five years would be paid nothing at all for testing.

Under the old system doctors were paid a flat rate of £8.90 for each check-up. Under the new system they would be paid £760 if they saw at least 50 per cent of their women patients, and £2280 if they saw at least 80 per cent.