June 6 (From York Press)

June 6

12:10am Wednesday 6th June 2012 in Way we were

100 years ago

Through the munificence of the President of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, Dr Tempest Anderson, there was being opened at the Museum, a new wing which had been added to the north-western side, forming a commodious and up-to-date lecture theatre.

The old theatre of the Museum had for many years past caused considerable anxiety to the Council on account of its inadequate accommodation and defective lighting, and it came as a welcome surprise to the members of the society when Dr Anderson intimated his intention of building a new theatre in a separate wing, a sum of money having been left to him by his sister, the late Mrs Percy Sladen, to be used for scientific purposes.

The theatre now had seating accommodation for 460 persons, the seating being on the gallery principle, and underneath the upper part of the gallery was a new work room to be used for scientific research.

50 years ago

In Mr Nobody's Gossip column there was a discussion as to who had the first car in York. Mr Thomas, of Stockton Lane, thought it was owned by the late Mr Edwin Gray, of Gray's Court, a solicitor and former Under Sheriff of Yorkshire.

“As a boy some 47 years ago,” said Mr Thomas, “I worked in Mr Gray's office and I well recollect his immaculate old green Daimler (registration number DN 1) parked outside his office in Duncombe Place. “For Mr Gray to be the first to have a motorcar in the horse-coach era would be quite in keeping with the make-up of that grand Victorian gentleman.

He and Mrs Gray loved to shake convention.” Mr Thomas interestingly added that Mr Gray had been the second York subscriber of the then National Telephone Company. His number was (not surprisingly) No. 2 York. “No. 1 York” we were informed was a number of the late Dr Tempest Anderson.

25 years ago

New proposals for York's Stonegate Arcade would be unique within Britain, said the developers. Mr Robert Houston, a consultant surveyor to Lilliput Property Unit Trust told the city planning committee that the proposed arcade of specialist food shops and restaurant would be the first in the country.

But he was unable to promise that would be how the arcade would remain in the future. “I can give no guarantee of anything in the long term,” he said when asked if their plans might fail like the previous scheme.

Mr Houston was outlining the controversial proposals to rebuild the centre just six years after it was completed. He attacked the previous owners of the arcade, Hambro Life, as not being interested in its success but explained that Lilliput was a smaller trust which specialised in such developments.