TUCKED away in a file of 'historic pics' at The Press is an unassuming brown envelope marked simply 'York - General'.

It is to this file that we turn for Yesterday Once More this week.

As you'd expect from a folder with such a name, there's no theme to the selection of photographs we found in there. But there are some wonderful photos. Here they are:

1. Daytrippers gathered for a charabanc outing from the Black Swan pub in Peaseholme Green. There's no date, but the landlord was Fred Wright (see his name above the door). A quick search reveals he was landlord in the 1910s, when the Layerthorpe Cycling Club used the pub as its headquarters. You can see the club's shield hanging below one of the windows. That's more than likely Mr Wright you can see sitting proudly next to the driver - or possibly standing beside the charabanc holding onto one of the struts that supports the roof.

2. The Grand cinema and ballroom in Clarence Street not long after it opened in 1919. It was York's third purpose-built cinema. We particularly like the eye-catching advertising posters plastered all over the next door building. These were designed, apparently, to catch the eye of passengers in passing trams. Not to mention of cinema-goers...

York Press:

Grand cinema and ballroom

3. York Herald office. The photograph itself doesn't say so, but we believe this must show Pavement in the days before it was knocked through to create Piccadilly. Next to the Herald is 'patten, clog and last' manufacturer Lawson, and John Briggs' tea warehouse. A patten, for those who don't know, was a protective overshoe with a wooden or metal sole, while a last was the mold on which a shoe was made.

York Press:

The York Herald office in Coney Street

4. Breakaway hot air balloon, Bootham Park, 1911. One of the items in the envelope is a copy of the 1988 History & Heritage magazine. It includes this wonderful photo of hot air balloons in the grounds of Bootham Park, along with the following story: "Eight people... took a 2s 6d ride in a tethered balloon during a gala at Bootham Park, York, in 1911. They were being winched back to earth when the cable snapped and the balloon shot skywards.

"After a hair-raising flight over the city, the balloonist managed to release sufficient gas for a descent two hours later near Elvington. Miraculously, all the passengers escaped with nothing more than scratches and bruises."

York Press:

A breakaway hot air balloon, Bootham Park, 1911

5. Prospect Gardens, Bishophill. This was "one of many garden squares that could be found in terraced areas of York," the caption says. "It has been replaced by Oliver House which opened in 1965 as an old people's home." and which is, itself, now no more...

York Press:

Prospect Gardens, Bishophill

6. The Burton Lane children's carnival, 'circa 1910' according to the caption. The children appear to have gathered on Clifton Green. We can't help wondering how many of the older boys in this happy photograph might have had to go off to fight in the First World War a few years later...

York Press:

The Burton Lane children's carnival, circa 1910

7. An early motor bus. We have no idea where this picture was taken. But we can at least see where the bus was going, from its destination board. It was heading for Clifton.

York Press:

An early motor bus heading for Clifton

8. Throngs of women, both on foot and on bicycles, looking as though they've just come out from work. This is actually a postcard. There is no hint as to where it was taken, but we guess they might have just come out from the Rowntree factory at the end of a day's shift. Look carefully and you can see the bus in the distance is heading for Strensall.

York Press:

Women leaving their workplace (possibly Rowntrees?) on foot and by bike, date unknown