100 years ago

A suffragist meeting had been held in the Exhibition Square under the auspices of the local branch of the NUWSS, the speaker being Mr JM Mitchell, a master at London University, and the secretary of the men's branch of the union.

He contended that women workers were handicapped because they had not the power to make a political protest when they were hurt too much by legislation.

He said that 5½ millions of women were earning their living in the labour market, and their average wage was 7s 6d a week, which was obviously a great danger to the working man, who was hard hit by the fact that these women could be got to work at such a low rate.

The unenfranchised woman was the saddest thing in modern civilisation, and it was cant and hypocrisy for men to ask why did women go on working for such wages. In reference to the militant movement, he said he did not believe in it, but he defended it so far as to say that the women were only doing what the men did when they sought political power.

50 years ago

Fine Fare were to open the doors of their new supermarket at 35-37 Goodramgate, York, to an anticipated crowd of eager shoppers waiting to take advantage of hundreds of price reductions during the opening week.

The actual opening ceremony would be performed by Bobo, the lovable Brooke Bond chimp, who would, no doubt, prove a popular little “personality” at the opening. Fine Fare was fast becoming a household name throughout the country.

The York supermarket was a valuable addition to the shopping facilities of the area, and its 5,000 items on display would do much to brighten the menus of many local families. The new store had a sales area of 5,700 square feet, and in keeping with Fine Fare supermarkets it offered a complete range of all food items.

25 years ago

The Government had called on the household names of British Industry to open their factory doors to tourists. Mr John Lee, Tourist Minister, said modern industrial tourism could “help cut unemployment”.

He hoped that firms like Rolls-Royce or those involved in Coventry’s motor industry would allow visitors around their works and provide education at the same time. He said York’s chocolate industry was an example of an industry which would be ideal for this sort of tourism, and added: “There are a whole range of industries that could open themselves up to industrial tourism.”