From our archives:

85 years ago

The North Shore at Bridlington was the scene of a thrilling drama in which a Hull girl dashed to the rescue of her fiancé, who had got into difficulties while bathing.

Coast guards from a nearby station on the cliff above, scrambled down the cliffs, which were nearly 100 feet high at that point, with a lifebelt, and raced towards the sea.

Two scouts who were also nearby waded into the sea towards the couple.

Another youth lost his life, while bathing at Cayton Bay, Scarborough.

Scores of campers were on the sands at the time when a young swimmer was seen to be in difficulties at the Red Cliffe end of the bay.

The heatwave was definitely over as dull and cloudy skies and a temperature in the sixties testified to its passing.

50 years ago

The Prime Minister Harold Wilson had interrupted his holiday in the Isles of Scilly to fly back to London for talks with Ministers on the situation in Peking after Chinese demonstrators had broken into the British diplomatic mission and destroyed the Chancery.

York’s tourist information centre in the public library was inundated with telephone calls from visitors seeking accommodation during the three day Ebor race meeting.

Staff had made inquiries at hundreds of addresses on their lists throughout the day, but by late afternoon some callers were still without accommodation.

Star names, colour, “gutsy” plays, and “unvarnished” Z-cars were lined up for the autumn, according to Mr Sydney Newman, head of the BBC Television drama group.

Speaking at a press conference he added: “Do not expect us to be wildly experimental in the use of colour. We will try to be as subtle as we can.”

20 years ago

A York-based footwear specialist had harnessed the power of the Internet in an environmental battle against the international sports giant Nike.

Stuart Paver, of Shoeworld, had launched a worldwide web crusade against Nike’s “Air” trainers, claiming environmentally-damaging gas had been used in their manufacture.

Nike’s response was that it only used a tiny amount of the global warming gas in the cushioning bags that formed part of the shoe.

Douglas, a giant figure on top of a 133ft tall hot air balloon, looked as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth as the balloon took off from Ripley Castle.