From our archives:

85 years ago

A court case against conductor Stanley Hepton employed by East Yorkshire Motor Services had been dismissed.

According to his solicitor “there was not a single day when the overcrowding regulation was not broken by the tramcars in large cities.”

He stated that Hepton had acted as a “Good Samaritan” in picking up several people including children, who were standing on the roadside in the pouring rain a few miles out of Beverley.

Nineteen miners crashed 700ft to death in a cage accident at No 3 Pit, Plank Lane Colliery, Leigh. Some were crushed to death, and the others were drowned.

And the Prince of Wales broadcast a farewell message to the Swedish people from the British Legation stating “that he would like to see hundreds of young Swedes coming each year for their holidays to England.”

50 years ago

Singer Judy Garland was at the centre of a 6,000 mile mystery trip to London Airport, telling airline officials that she had to go straight back as her son was ill.

The mystery deepened when the singer then told airline public relations that she had to go straight back due to work instead, denying any rumours there was anything wrong with her son Joey.

At last a notorious black-spot on the A1 had been officially recognised.

MPs and local councils joined in renewed requests for action at the junction where York-Harrogate traffic crossed at Allerton Park after three people had recently died in a collision.

Malton’s town crier, Mr Harold Ellis, missed his only job of the year, after been unable to attend the opening of the annual Michaelmas sheep sales.

Mr Ellis, who for the rest of the year worked at the Farmers’ Bacon Factory, was ill in bed when the traditional “crying of the sheep fair” was carried out.

It was the first time he had missed the function in nearly 30 years as town crier.

20 years ago

Rescue workers continued to dig bodies from the mud of Acapulco’s flooded streets as the death toll from Hurricane Pauline’s rampage over Mexico’s resort coast leapt to around 400.

Concrete culverts filled with 10ft of muck, debris and tree trunks were believed to be concealing more bodies as heavy rain hampered rescue work.

At least 19 Britons had been detained after police broke up a number of fights involving English football fans in Rome for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Italy.