From our archives:

85 years ago

York Theatre Royal presented James R Fagan’s “The Improper Duchess” to an excited audience. With its ingenious plot and craftily told story it had been a long time since a play of such outstanding merit had visited the city, and news of its arrival had set the tongues of London talking.

The people of Catterick Garrison were also paying special attention to a christening of the daughter of Major and Mrs Ralph H Rayner, due to the celebrity status of the choice in godparents, Mr Rudyard Kipling and Lady Clonmel.

Special guest Lady Forster Todd paid a visit to the table top sale at York Queen Anne Secondary School for Girls to help raise much needed funds.

With a total of £500 towards the cost of the library the school and its parents were very grateful for the visit.

50 years ago

York City Baths Club’s annual water polo tournament held at Yearsley Baths had resulted in a win for Birkenhead with the York team second on goal average and Portobello third.

Young swimmers from the club had also excelled themselves at the National Age Group finals at Blackpool, returning with two firsts, two seconds and two thirds.

A police family service held at St Helen’s Church, York, had the pleasure of listening to a speech by Canon Noel Porter who had made his opinions very clear towards those who were “advocates of drug-taking.”

In London a court heard what was believed to be the first case in which a breathalyser had been used, just 15 minutes after the Act had come into force.

Arrested at 12.15 am the 18-year-old kitchen porter from Battersea pleaded guilty to driving a taxi while unfit through drink.

20 years ago

After five years of wrangling and hundreds of jobs at Nestle Rowntree in York spared the European consumer affairs committee had finally come to the conclusion that British chocolate really was pure.

According to Labour MP Hugh Bayley the past five years had not been “just a storm in a cocoa cup” as Nestle UK exports of chocolates to Europe were worth between £115 million and £200 million.

York Races had been called off due to heavy rain and a waterlogged course.

Racegoers jockeys and bookmakers woke up to the disappointing news as officials announced they were cancelling the day’s races after 13mm of rain fell during the night.