From our archives:

85 years ago

The annual report for 1931 of the British Board of Censors, stated that there had unquestionably been a tendency of late for films to become more and more daring.

As a result the President warned the trade that more drastic action would be taken with regard to stories in which the main theme is either lust or the development of erotic passions.

No fewer than 34 films had been rejected by the President, being in his opinion unsuitable for public exhibition in this country.

Malton and district was asked to decide within the fortnight whether or not Malton Grammar School could go ahead with a planned 21st anniversary pageant to showcase the school’s history which was originally founded in 1547.

50 years ago

A dusk-to-dawn “teach-in” on student rights was held at York University on the eve of a meeting between the student body and Lord James, the Vice Chancellor, on student discipline.

About 250 York students heard speakers from Sheffield, Hull, Leeds, Keele and Bradford Universities talk about the proposed increase in overseas student’s fees.

The 90-year-old jubilee clock in the tower of St Hilda’s Church, Beadlam, was due to go… or go for good.

Villagers in Beadlam and Nawton were being asked to subscribe to the £100 for the cost of repairing the clock, or having it removed.

When Mr N Cowling, an Osbaldwick parish councilor, went into his garden and found 16 bullocks trampling on his lawn and knocking down his fences.

But he was not altogether surprised because he lived at 59 Osbaldwick Lane, which was on one of the routes along which cattle were driven to York Cattle Market.

20 years ago

The equivalent of a large Viking town lined the banks of the Ouse in York to watch the funeral of King Halfdan.

Organisers estimated a crowd of about 10,000 turned out to watch the finale of the week-long Viking Festival, roughly the same number who originally colonised the city 1,000 years ago.

Hundreds of golden North Yorkshire couples expecting to attend the Queen’s wedding anniversary party at Buckingham Palace were to be disappointed.

Married couples celebrating their golden weddings that year, the same as the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh totalled over 30,000 couples, with only 4,000 places available to couples across the country.