From our archives:

85 years ago

Mr George Bernard Shaw had once again spoken out via his latest book, describing the Ten Commandments as “unsuited and inadequate to modern needs.”

According to Mr Shaw, the power of the Bible was waning, as the 16th century English was a dying tongue, new translations were being forced upon us owing to the fact that the old one was no longer intelligible to the masses.

Market traders in Thirsk had started selling their Christmas wares early.

The Marketplace now a sea of colour, with its stalls decorated with coloured crinkled paper, synthetic frost and paper bunting, was possibly doing the best trade in town.

And in Poona, after fasting for 36 hours in connection with the untouchability campaign Mr Gandhi, was obliged to break his fast.

After losing 6lb, his condition was beginning to give rise to anxiety.

50 years ago

Barbara Castle, Minister of Transport, had dropped plans to nationalise private ‘bus companies.

The new Passenger Transport Authorities (PTA) would not have the power to buy out the private operator compulsorily, although stringent conditions were laid down about the services that they could provide.

The possibility of a central bus terminal in York was also under consideration by the Yorkshire and Humberside region passenger transport co-ordinating committee.

Over the years, York corporation had discussed and later rejected several sites for bus terminals, including the station yard, the cattle market and the site of the present Yorkshire Insurance Company’s office block.

The Bishop of Selby, Dr Douglas Sargent, made his second visit to Pocklington in 72 hours.

His first port of call was the chicken-processing factory of Yorkshire Egg Producers.

20 years ago

York taxis were back at the railway station rank after striking a deal with station bosses GNER to break a week-long boycott.

Taxis drivers had stayed away from the station in protest at demands by GNER for them to smarten up and pay more for permits.

Engineers were battling with the mystery of a burst water main that was paralysing traffic across York.

Engineers excavating the area had discovered an underground cavern that had opened up beneath Leeman Road.