From our archives:

85 years ago

The two youngest members of the Royal Family were both celebrating their birthdays at the weekend.

Princess Margaret Rose was celebrating her second birthday, while her cousin, Master Gerald David Lascelles was due to turn the grand old age of six.

Although the baby princess would have been too young to enjoy the excitement of a birthday, Princess Margaret was to find many delightful surprises awaiting her on the breakfast table, including, of course a parcel from sister “Betty.”

Heights never before attained by man had been reached by Professor Piccard, the dauntless scientist, in his second adventurous journey into the unexplored regions of the upper air by balloon.

Having succeeded in beating his previous height the professor was very happy with his observations and the fact that the balloon had only been slightly damaged.

50 years ago

Yorkshire fast bowler Freddie Trueman had been reported to the Minister with responsibility for sport, after an incident with an umbrella which ended with scuffling on the pavilion steps at the end of a drawn match with Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Dozens of boys booed the team when they set off for a game at Scarborough and comments like ‘bad sports’ were scrawled in the dust on Brian Close’s car.

Visitors to York racecourse for a big Ebor meeting would be able to see what was thought to be the earliest official record of racing after the original Match Book giving an account of every race and match at Newmarket from, 1718, and 1788, had been loaned by Messrs Weatherby to the Turf Museum in the main York grandstand.

20 years ago

Corks were popping at Knavesmire’s Ebor Festival to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the big race, the Juddmonte International, where more than 75,000 people were expected to York’s biggest race meeting of the year.

Almost 200 clothing jobs were facing the axe after the troubled fashion and fabrics group Laura Ashley announced it would be closing two factories.

Hearts were a-flutter in the North Yorkshire village Goathland home to the hit television series Heartbeat as fans waited with bated breath to catch the first glimpse of the man stepping into the shoes of the show’s star Nick Berry.

Jason Durr, better known as Lord Kiely in Sharpe had been brought in by Yorkshire TV in the hope of keeping an interest in the top-rated programme.