From our archives:

85 years ago

Mary the monkey, who had escaped from the Piccadilly fun fair, was once more in captivity.

After a chase lasting over seven hours, she was cornered at the bottom of a lift shaft by Mr Frank Buck, the well-known wild animal trapper, who was lowered down the shaft by five strong men.

Following a radio questionnaire issued by the Broadcasting Board, results showed that in 1932, 74 per cent of 24,000 listeners preferred recorded music.

The remaining 26 per cent of the replies favoured entertainment by local artists.

According to columnist Beryl Harper, “Blondes pay particular attention to your skin and hair.”

“You have to remember that neglect will show sooner with you than Miss Brunette. In short, to be a successful blonde you must be on duty all the time.”

50 years ago

More than 12 hours after the start of an underground fire, in which seven men died in Michael Colliery, East Wemyss, Fife, Scotland, rescue teams were still struggling through smoke in an effort to rescue three miners who were still trapped.

Three hundred men on the night shift at Scotland’s largest colliery which had all its workings under the sea, were brought to the surface after fire broke out in the deepest section, 1,800ft down, at about 3am.

The colliery was one of the top priority pits in Britain, with a production of 3,500 tons a day.

The Archbishop of York, Dr Donald Coggan, officiated the wedding of Miss Rosalie Marcelle Gwynne and Mr John Peter Gibson Morris at St Andrew’s Church, Bishopthorpe.

Attended by five bridesmaids, Miss Gwynne wore a full length dress of white giberline and a toile veil and carried white garnet roses and lily of the valley.

20 years ago

A huge operation was now under way to remove the millions of flowers left outside the royal palaces in tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales.

The task was expected to take days or even weeks because of the “great sensitivity” needed and because mourners had continued to add fresh bouquets to the sea of colour.

Residents in traffic-choked Selby were breathing in almost twice the level of noxious fumes recommended by Government health chiefs.

District councillors planned to use to use the latest evidence on the risk to public health to press home the case for a bypass.