From our archives:

85 years ago

The nation’s first ever Food Exhibition was officially opened by Sir John Haslam MP in the Empire Hall, Olympia.

The exhibition which had been arranged to focus the attention of the British public on the need to develop their own resources, in their own country and overseas.

The purchase of a children’s playing field in Huntington was first on the agenda at Earswick Council’s annual meeting.

Next was the hedges at the end of Brockfield Road, which had not been cut, and the state of the fences in Church Lane.

The “Yorkshire Herald” also featured a wonderful picture of the Darlington Quaker women’s team lining up before a match on the Clarence Street ground, York.

The sporting event had attracted more than 6,500 spectators in which they defeated Terry’s Girls by two goals to nil.

50 years ago

The Middle East stood on the brink of war following President Nasser’s declaration that Egypt had sealed off the strategic Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping.

As the tension approached flash point, Mr Wilson urgently summoned Ministers to a special Cabinet, just before King Faisal of Saudi Arabia arrived at 10 Downing Street to discuss the situation with the Prime Minister and other senior Ministers.

In York a 10-year-old, Pamela Brown, of Askham Lane, Acomb, was celebrating after her painting had been chosen from 500,000 in a competition organised by Blue Peter.

In York vital drilling equipment needed to start on the emergency repair work at Minster, had been delayed, after it had been damaged by heavy seas at Port Talbot.

The unique diamond drill was now in a loading bay still waiting to be transported to York.

20 years ago

Motorists were finally allowed full access to Walmgate after repairs to the street’s medieval gateway had been completed, following an incident were thieves had smashed a stolen lorry into its stonework.

For the last six weeks incoming traffic had been forced to take a detour around the city walls, gaining access via Piccadilly as archaeologists worked to restore the historic structure.

Visitors to one of York’s top tourist attractions, the National Railway Museum, welcomed the news that admission charges could be scrapped, after the Heritage Secretary Chris Smith had indicated he was very much against visitors having to a pay to enter the national museums.