From our archives:

85 years ago

“If people would only make a small weekly contribution towards the upkeep of their church such efforts as garden fetes would not be necessary.”

That was the suggestion put forward by the Reverend Bulmer, vicar of Monk Fryston, who presided at its annual garden fete held in the grounds of Hillam Hall, Monk Fryston, in aid of the Parish Church Funds.

And representatives of the Press were entertained at dinner in the County Stand, Knavesmire, by the Tattoo Committee before witnessing the final dress rehearsal.

An engine-driver was killed and 31 passengers were injured when two trains on Scarborough Corporation miniature railway crashed head-on, carrying a full load of holidaymakers drawn from York, Grimsby, Derby, Hull, Leeds, and other northern towns.

To this day the cause of the accident remains a mystery.

50 years ago

Evening Press photographer Jimmy Brownhill had a surprise in store for him when he was returning from taking aerial pictures of the Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate.

The Piper Apache aircraft he was in belonging to the Automobile Association, developed landing gear trouble on its way back to its base at Yeadon Airport.

Landing safely, Jimmy said: “I saw the fire engines near the runway when we were coming in to land, but I didn’t know it was for us. If I had known, I’d have probably jumped out, with or without a parachute.”

Engineers sinking the last four boreholes in York Minster had struck masonry at a depth of only 6ft.

Although the borehole was thought to be outside the area of the Norman church on which the Minster was built, the engineer in charge was worried it may be part of a sleeper wall extending from the Norman Church.

The Minster Appeal Fund now stood at £778,000.

20 years ago

A pair of Ryedale students had both carried off a win at the National Agricultural Awards.

James Pearson and Alec Quarton both bagged top prizes whilst attending Bishop Burton College, near Beverley.

Veteran airman from across Britain winged their way to North Yorkshire to pay tribute to fallen comrades.

The Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington hosted the annual Air Gunners Day in honour of those who served with the RAF, Fleet Air Arm Service and the Dominions Air Forces.

Police warned York residents to be on the look-out for a bogus window cleaner said to be operating in the South Bank area.