100 years ago

Monk Bar, at the junction of Monkgate and Goodramgate, York, had withstood the wear and tear of nearly 700 years, but at last it was to undergo complete repairs, under the direction of the City Surveyor.

How many times partial repairs had been carried out were not recorded, but there certainly had never been any which had materially altered the external appearance of the handsome structure, so that it still remained nearly the same as it had been seven centuries before.

A few years back the Bar had been altered internally, portions of the upper storeys being lime washed and plastered so as to make them fit for human habitation for the comfortable housing of a policeman and his family.

Not that the Bar had never before been used for human occupation, for it was recorded that at one time prisoners had been lodged in the gloomy apartments. But this was to be changed again, and the apartments reformed into their original state.


50 years ago

Fulford Golf Club was looking forward to welcoming new members from among the students of York University.

Fourteen applications for membership had been received from the 200 undergraduates currently at the University and the Club had met representatives of the students.

Mr Willsdon, president of the club, said that if the same proportion of students wished to join the club when the University had the 3000 undergraduates it was designed for, there might be some difficulties.

But, he said, it was the club's intention to make students welcome. He also spoke of the club's financial stability and revealed that only recently, the guarantees to the bank which committee members had had to make since the club's early days, had been cancelled.

He said the club had a course which had everything, including 18 immaculate greens. It was one which always made visitors welcome and it had always been loyal to the Yorkshire Union.


25 years ago

World rail speed record holder Mallard, pride of the National Railway Museum's collection of steam engines, it was suggested, might be going Dutch!

The 126 mph A4 'Pacific', the report stated, could be leaving York for Holland, to take part in the summer's 150th anniversary celebrations of Dutch Railways.

Following a recent visit to York by Dutch railway officials, the go-ahead had been given "in principle."

"But there are still some difficulties to be overcome," said Dr John Coiley, Keeper of the National Railway Museum.

"There are complications but we would very much like the locomotive to go and perhaps go on to the French National Railway Museum."