From our archives:

85 years ago

Prince George had concluded his tour of inspecting the depressed districts of North-East Yorkshire, paying particular attention to the many villages around the Cleveland area.

According to one reporter “the Prince, in this great and rugged part of the country, had taken away a lot to remember, especially the pluck and perseverance of hundreds of ironstone miners of the Cleveland Hills and the introduction to a new type of garden rouser.”

Fifteen “city fathers” of Yorkshire had been involved in a bus smash, leaving the Lord Mayor of York Alderman H Rhodes Brown, with a four-mile hike and a late lunch.

The accident which occurred while members of the Yorkshire Catchment Board were out on an inspection of flood damage caused by the River Don, involved the stationary bus being hit from behind by a lorry laden with coal.

50 years ago

“Don’t forget, clocks go forward tonight” was the message across the front of the York Press.

The clocks which were to go forward at 2am on February 18, were to give Britain permanent summer time.

From October of 1968, it was to be known as British Standard Time.

Unlike in the past, clocks would no longer go back in October, as Britain conformed to Central European Time.

Cigarettes worth £650 had been stolen by thieves who had broken into Gale Lane Co-operative store, York.

They had also tried to break open a safe in the office but were unable to unfasten it from the floor.

And a protest that snow ploughs had not been used on roads in the Hunmanby district, although they had been blocked by snow, was a talking point at Bridlington’s Rural Council meeting.

20 years ago

The Queen Mother had left hospital only three weeks after emergency surgery to replace her left hip.

The 97-year-old Royal walked out of the hospital, amazing onlookers by slowly descending three steps to the pavement and smiling and waving before gently being eased into her car.

It was a case that had already been dubbed the Second Battle of Stamford Bridge.

But instead of the fate of nations, at stake this time it was a three-foot-wide stretch of garden in Huntsman’s Lane and the peace of mind of a group of neighbours, after a hedge had been pulled down and a metal fence put up.