HERE'S a New Year treat for you - a selection of wonderful old postcards of York showing scenes from more than 100 years ago.

The images all come from the archive of the Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society (YAYAS), which has an unrivalled collection of historic photographs of the city.

There are a couple of postcards of Petergate, one showing the street in 1886, the other taken 20 years later, in 1906. A view of the upper end of Coney Street in 1906 shows elegantly dressed women in Edwardian costume promenading along the pavement, while behind them a horse and cart rattles down the centre of the street. In the background can be seen the Yorkshire Insurance Company building on St Helen's Square.

Other postcards from 1906 show the Royal Station Hotel (with the city walls and the statue of George Leeman prominent in the foreground) and two views of the River Ouse and Marygate Landing. To finish off with, there is a wonderful postcard of King's Square in 1911, with Holy Trinity Church (which was demolished in 1937) filling the space where these days buskers like to perform.

Stephen Lewis

The Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society (YAYAS) has been promoting and protecting the history, heritage and architecture of York and Yorkshire since 1842. You can find out more about the organisation by visiting www.yayas.org.uk