From our archives:

85 years ago

Two special trains conveyed 20,000 pigeons for release in Selby over the weekend.

The collection consisting of young birds from the up North Combine, was the largest convoy on record from one organisation.

The new Selby goods yard provided ample ground for housing the birds.

The London and North Eastern Railway Company undertook another unusual railway operation by loading and moving 16 large pontoons from Chigwell to Moor Monkton.

Walter Bardy from Richmond Street, York, had been awarded the Royal Humane Society’s parchment for saving four boys who had been rowing on the river when their boat was caught in a swift current by the weir and swept over the waterfall on June 5, at Stamford Bridge.

A house named “Dolly Garth,” in Richmond was up for sale at the Fleece Hotel by auctioneers.

The house comprising of three large bedrooms, a tennis lawn, and poultry run had been sold for the sum of £675.

50 years ago

Four of the seven people who had died in a rail crash near Thirsk had been named by the North Riding police.

The victims included two Yorkshire women, one from Wetherby and the other from Hull.

Two of the 40 people injured in the crash were from York.

The train a London to Aberdeen express, had ploughed into derailed cement wagons at Sessay.

The complete sides of six coaches, each weighing 40 tons, were ripped open like sardine tins as the 100 mph train crashed into 50-ton cement wagons.

It was the embarrassing knack of making people laugh when he was trying to look earnest that had brought success to Derek Nimmo, who was now starring in his own new television series, “Sorry I’m Single.”

20 years ago

Arson had not been ruled out after a farm fire had caused £6,000 worth of damage.

The blaze which had destroyed 250 tonnes of straw on land adjacent to Wombleton Aerodrome and forced police to divert traffic had become a severe worry to neighbouring corn fields.

Celebrity bear Pudsey made a guest appearance at Ryedale’s own Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

Youngsters, and their much loved teddies, descended on Duncombe Park, near Helmsley, with a donation from entry fees going to the BBC’s Children in Need Appeal.

And North Yorkshire ambulance had backed out of a showdown with Channel Four over a damning ‘ Dispatches’ documentary.