From our archives:

80 years ago

An English-bred Jersey cow named Starting Taranto, owned by Mr H D Walston, Thriplow Farm, near Cambridge, had just created a new world record for daily milk production for Jersey cattle. In 24 hours she had yielded 99lbs of milk, thus beating the previous Jersey record of 96lb of milk held by Stonehurst Patrician’s Lily. A night’s joy ride by four young members of the RAF stationed at Driffield, had ended in tragic circumstances after the car in which four men were travelling had overturned in Sunderlandwick. Addressing the jury, the Coroner said it was very sad case of a young man serving his country and who had played a silly prank and lost his life. And a rare albino foal born at Smylett Hall, Pocklington, was still attracting visitors from all parts of the country a year after it was born.

50 years ago

Patients at Clifton Mental Hospital, York, had been evacuated after a fire had broke in a basement at the hospital. Five of York’s City Fire Brigade machines were first on the scene under the watchful eye of Chief Fire Officer, Mr George Dawes, while the city’s part-time firemen were summoned by siren for stand-in duties. It was understood that rubbish burning in the century-old basement had sent thick smoke swirling through the wards above causing the evacuation of more than 400 voluntary patients. And a wall of 500 riot police, carrying shields and truncheons, battled with 3,500 students in Paris, over the continued closure of Sorbonne. The students who hurled Molotov cocktails and chimney bricks at police had then been sprayed with high pressure fire hoses and hit by tear gas grenades.

20 years ago

Young chess prodigy 10-year-old Gawain Jones of Gilling East, near Helmsley, had been chosen to represent England at the World Youth Festival in Spain. Gawain, a day pupil at Ampleforth College Junior School was a member of the York Railway Institute chess club and had been playing chess seriously since he was six. Representing England in the under-10 world championship in 1997 he came 13th out of 89. And Thirsk and Sowerby runner Peter Wragg had raced to victory in the Galtres Half Marathon alongside Andy Capel was second leading his club Knavesmire Harriers to victory in the team competition. The women’s race had also brought more success for Knavesmire as club member Christine Shouksmith came home first.