From our archives:

85 years ago

Influenza was taking a serious toll at Darlington, with an estimated 20 per cent of the population having contracted the illness.

Forty teachers out of a total of 294 were absent from school along with 2,556 scholars.

Twelve deaths in the town were directly attributable to influenza and 56 members of a large store were also ill.

A controversy had arisen over a whist drive and dance held by the Greenbank Methodist Church Tennis Club.

According to the Rev Edward Wyman, superintendent minister of the Darlington Methodist Circuit the function was a violation of the Methodist constitution.

“Acts of disloyalty make it very difficult to administer the constitution of the church,” he said.

And Prince George who was residing at Newby Hall, near Ripon, had also been struck down by the virus.

In an official statement it was noted that the royal had passed a good night, but was expected to remain in his room for a few days.

50 years ago

Tributes were pouring in for Dr John Corlett, the former Labour MP for York, who had died in the City Hospital.

Mr Trevor Faulkner, chairman of the York Labour Party, said he had known Dr Corlett for many years.

“He was difficult to catch out in debates. He was respected by teachers for his services in that field, and his work in Parliament on behalf of education generally. It is a great loss.”

Police had been called to a Saturday night dance in Linton, near Wetherby, after reports of a disturbance.

On arrival officers found one dancer with a cut head and arrested two others on an assault charge.

And in Pocklington three pupils from the Junior School had been presented with the first Amateur Swimming association’s gold medal for proficiency in personal survival.

20 years ago

A pioneering £1m scientific project which had been developed to help save the lives of leukaemia sufferers had been set up in York’s Science Park, creating more than 100 jobs.

Roman Catholics in Selby had welcomed their new priest Father John Aveyard, as Parish Priest of St Mary’s RC Church Leeds Road and St Patrick’s RC Church in Abbot’s Road.

Hollywood-blockbuster, Titanic, had won best film at the Golden Globe awards.