From our archives:

85 years ago

More than 2,000 public school boys, all members of the Officers Training corps, were being housed in 400 tents at Bellerby Camp.

All had to be fed for the next ten days, putting a strain on the “Naffy” which also had to provide a tuck-shop amongst other provisions.

Sardines, fruit and ginger beer were all popular with the school boy’s, as their appetites sharpened by the moorland air.

Malton Urban Council had approached the Malton Estate with a view to a restoration of the right of way on Water Lane to the River Derwent in hope of securing a landing stage for boats.

The Dowager Marchioness of Zetland opened a garden fete and pound day at Redcar, in aid of the Stead Memorial Hospital.

50 years ago

A mass exodus started from York, with thousands of the city’s factory workers beginning a fortnight’s holiday.

The big confectionary firms of Rowntree and Co, J Terry and Sons, and M A Craven and Son all broke up that evening for the factory workers to go on holiday.

About 2,000 British Rail staff in the local carriage and wagon shops were already on holiday.

Norton branch of the East Riding county library had been hit by its new neighbour, the Malton branch of the North Riding county library.

In his annual report, the East Riding county librarian Mr E W Fryer said “the issue is the same everywhere except for one or two places, including Norton”.

His theory was that former readers were now obtaining their books from Malton library.

Shock waves of a pleasant kind, spread through the village of Howsham, after learning that it had won the East Riding best kept village competition.

20 years ago

A paint store at a North Yorkshire factory had been destroyed by a fire.

Firefighters were called to the Derwent Plastics factory at Westgate Carr Road, Pickering, in the early hours of the morning.

A small area of the main factory was damaged by heat and water and the rest of the factory was affected by smoke damage.

Paranormal researchers were investigating two crop circle formations which had mysteriously appeared in fields on the outskirts of York.

The strange formations, which were only about half-a-mile apart, were by the A64 close to Copmanthorpe and the outer ring road.