HERE are a few scenes of life from Lawrence Street in the 1970s and 80s, thanks to a quick rummage around in our archives here at The Press.

First up (top) are two dramatic dramatic scenes of workmen at work on or near the road. One, dated February 1972, shows cobblestones being removed and trees cut down to make way for road improvements. "Trees which are knocked down in Lawrence Street... to make way for a road widening scheme will be replaced," declared a story in the Yorkshire Evening Press of the same day, confidently. "This has brought relief to the street's residents, who feared the road scheme could mean the loss of trees for good. The trees are being uprooted as part of the Walmgate Bar traffic improvement scheme..." A second photograph, dated the same day, shows a tree surgeon high up in one of the trees in question, presumably preparing to lop it.

Fast forward five years to February 1977 (below) and we have a second photo involving cobbles. This time, they are being re-instated - though the photo shows a stretch of the street much higher up than that shown in the earlier photos.

York Press:

February 1977: re-laying cobbles at the side of Lawrence Street

From 1975, meanwhile, we have a photograph showing a 1970s version of a traffic jam. "Traffic build-up today at Lawrence Street and Hull Road," says a cryptic caption. The photograph was taken on a Saturday in September, 1975 - and the congestion was felt to be so bad that a policeman was on duty to try to manage it. A sign just visible at the far right of the photograph seems to be saying something about a traffic rally: so congestion was clearly big news back then. Little could they have dreamed just how bad it was to get...

York Press:

September 1975: traffic jam, 1970s-style

And finally, just to make you feel nostalgic, we have a photograph of an actual local sub-post office. They are few and far between, these days - that's progress for you, of course. This one closed in 1982, with lack of business cited as the reason. The Post Office decided not to replace the retiring sub- postmaster Peter Jackson. "Demolition of housing in the area over the last few years has meant there are not enough people using the sub-post office," said Alan Race, York's Head Postmaster. It was an early taste of things to come...

York Press:

August 1982: Lawrence Street sub-post office, which was shutting because of a lack of business