May 2

Mr Fred Karno had numerous productions touring the halls of the United Kingdom at the present time, but there was room for doubt whether any one of these enjoyed the same popularity as "Parlez Vous Francais," an Anglo-French comedy sketch, which was to be seen at the York Opera House and Empire this week.

Crowded audiences had witnessed its performance the previous night, and greeted it with well-deserved applause.

From beginning to end it was one long laugh, and the greater part of this was caused by the sayings and antics of Mr Syd Walker, who was inimitable as James Mustard, an Englishman in France.

The programme was completed by Alfonso Sylvano, in a daring balancing act; the Mozelles (Millicent and Aida), vocalists and dancers; and Bedini and Bedini, in original comedy juggling.
 

50 years ago

The rebuilt organ of All Saints' Church, Pavement, York, was shortly to be rededicated.

Up to 1963, the organ had been enclosed in a stone chamber at the South-East end of the church.

The chamber had been built in the early years of the 20th century when the organ was enlarged.

York Corporation's scheme for the widening of Coppergate had entailed the demolition of the chamber, and the consequent re-siting of the organ within the church. The move presented a problem, for the organ was a large one for such a church.

Mr Cecil Leckenby, the consultant architect, had solved the difficulty by dividing it into two sections, placed on the north and south sides of the chancel, with the console under the pulpit on the south side.
 

25 years ago

A hosepipe ban, it was thought, could be imposed throughout the Yorkshire Water area within a fortnight. But residents of York and surrounding villages were almost certain to escape restrictions.

The area's water was taken from the River Ouse, which had a 1200 square-mile catchment area on the Dales via the Nidd, Swale and Ure, and supplied by the separate York Waterworks Company.

General manager Graham Wilford said: "there is no cause for concern at the moment that water restrictions will be imposed in our area, as long as people continue to use water sensibly. A garden sprinkler left on for an hour uses the same amount of water as the average person does in a week, and horticulturally it is not particularly effective."

But in the remainder of the county the prospects were grim if the dry spell and present levels of water usage continued. And to make things worse for water bosses, there was no sign of steady rain.