From our archives:

80 years ago

Mr Walter Elliot, Minster of Health, had a paid a second to York, following through on an appointment made by his predecessor Sir Kingsley Wood. Both Mr Elliot’s meetings had been held in the Exhibition buildings, and once again he commented that he was glad to be in York, a city with such a great historical background. After the conference Mr Elliot visited some of the recent sewerage undertakings of Flaxton RDC at Haxby and expressed his satisfaction at the way the authority were dealing with the problem. Blue Coat School for Boys and the Grey Coat School for Girls had taken part in their annual anniversary service wearing uniforms from the 18th century and York Convocation had concluded by passing a resolution welcoming the introduction of the Contraceptives Bill.

50 years ago

A team of six neuro-surgeons were operating on Senator Robert Kennedy to remove a bullet from his brain after he had been mortally wounded at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Television programmes on the BBC had been altered because of the shooting and a 24-hour special was to be aired which included film by satellite of the shooting. Work on the £2m restoration of York Minster had also stopped while clergy ministers went into the pulpit and prayed, and visitors stood in silence.

York City had been elected to the Northern Intermediate League. Director Wilf Meek had acknowledged his club’s election and said it was the intention of the manager to play practically all the games at Bootham Crescent in order to give the young players the right atmosphere. And despite an almost unanimous opinion that some action should be taken, members of Flaxton Rural Council refused to support a motion of no confidence in the council’s three representatives on the Foss Internal Drainage Board, which was responsible for the felling of trees along Tang Hall Beck.

20 years ago

Tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed and Princess Diana’s mother, Frances Shand Kydd, had meet face-to-face for the first time since their children died in a Paris car crash at a “summit” called by the French judge investigating the accident that had claimed the lives of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Dodi Fayed. And Nestle had vowed to try to find work for 90 casual workers who faced being laid off when work on the firm’s new chocolate-covered pretzel Flipz stopped for an eight-week break.