From our archives:

85 years ago

Mr James Gregson, the Yorkshire actor, playwright and producer, delighted the members of the York branch of the English Association with an entertaining lecture which had his audience gripped from start to finish at St William’s College.

In a candid manner, Mr Gregson went on to discuss that all his big parts were propaganda parts, and that he thought “Saint Mary Ellen” was the best thing ever written, yet it fell under the ban of the Chamberlain.

At the Sports Palace in Berlin, Dr Goebbels announced that Hitler would be one of three opponents for the up and coming election for the presidency, after 84-year-old Field-Marshall Von Bindenbury’s departure.

The news and was greeted by continuous shouts of “Hail, Hitler”.

50 years ago

High winds and snow played havoc with road conditions in the North riding area.

Two police officers waded into the waters of the flooding River Ouse on King’s Staith, York, to move endangered vehicles from a car park.

Equipped with a giant bunch of car keys and a “bit of bent wire” they neatly opened most of the locked cars.

Milking machines on hundreds of North Riding farms also wouldn’t start due to clashing grid wires causing a two-hour power cut.

Tempers were stretched to breaking point as farmers struggled to try to get through by hand milking.

But cows that had been accustomed to machine milking all their lives took badly to old-fashioned ways.

One hundred and thirty three men prepared for a day they hoped would never come.

The men all members of the No 2 Region police mobile column, drawn from 14 forces covering the West and East Ridings took part in a survival event in case of a nuclear war.

20 years ago

The Government announced plans to cut the Territorial Army’s strength by 3,000.

York however seemed to escape the worst of the cuts.

Defence Secretary Michael Portillo and Armed Forces Minister Nicholas Soames said the establishment size of the regular army would also be cut by 600, equivalent to an entire battalion.

Artist Jim Park, well known for his distinctive views of York, has a new view of his own gallery to ponder.

Ever rising floodwaters on the Ouse had marooned his gallery and studio in the Barker Tower, next to Lendal Bridge, forcing out him and fellow artist Jan Oldfield.