From our archives:

85 years ago

The “Yorkshire Herald” understood that an import transfer of staff from the London and North Eastern Railway Company’s York offices to London would take place soon as part of the general scheme of centralisation.

As a result of the change practically the whole of the conveyancing section of the legal department in York, would be transferred to the King’s Cross offices.

The two Northern Railways, the LNER and LMS also revealed another scheme to recapture passenger traffic from the roads following an announcement that fares would be reduced to the pre-war rate of a penny a mile.

Commencing from the end of March, a special night express ticket available for 17 days would be issued every night from Yorkshire and North Eastern stations, including York, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington, Thornaby and Durham.

Similar tickets were already in force from Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire to London.

50 years ago

The stampede to buy gold approached record proportions in European markets with the rush extending to South Africa and the Far East.

Bullion dealers in London, Zurich and Paris reported a huge demand for bars and ingots, resulting in severe pressure on sterling and the dollar.

In London Foreign Exchange Market, the pound sterling slumped to a new low figure of around two dollars 39 cents.

Sources close to the swiss National Banks said reports reaching them on the gold market situation were serious.

The last brick to complete the roof coping of the new Viking Hotel was laid by Mr Larbalestier, director and general manager of Spiers and Pond, and owners of the 105-bedroom Viking.

The “topping out” ceremony was followed in the traditional manner by “drinks all round” for the 150 men on the site, a custom which persisted since the Middle Ages.

20 years ago

Reggie Kray’s bid for freedom after 30 years behind bars entered its final stages as the final deadline neared for his Parole Board submission.

Campaigners for Kray’s release said he no longer represented a threat to the public.

Waiting for the bus in Front Street, Acomb, York, had become a whole new experience after the appearance of a navy-blue three-seater sofa at the bus stop.

The mystery of who put it there and why, had proved the subject of intense speculation in the area.