From our archives:

80 years ago

Nearly 500 children from 11 York senior and higher-grade schools were privileged to visit the Empire Exhibition at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, on an observation outing arranged by the York Education Committee. These educational outings were held each year, and the Glasgow trip had taken the place of the usual day’s outing to London. The organisers rightly feeling that the visit to the wonders of the Empire would be of more educational value. The children accompanied by their teachers, left York shortly after 6am and though it was raining at the time their eagerness and hardly repressed excitement was not diminished. They had good cause for joy, for the adage “Rain before seven, fine before eleven,” proved to be correct. While the senior children were enjoying the wonders of the Empire Exhibition more than 1,500 younger children travelled to three of Yorkshire’s famous beauty spots, Bolton Abbey, Fountains Abbey and Brimham Rocks.

50 years ago

Louis Armstrong, the living legend of jazz, had walked on to the stage of Batley Variety Club at 11pm and given Yorkshire jazz fans a music session that they would never forget. While the applause still rocked the Variety Club, beaming Louis ripped into a couple of instrumental then vocal choruses of When It’s Sleepy Time Down South. Seventeen pounds had been raised by a coffee evening held at the home of Mr and Mrs Humpleby, of Shackleton in aid of the Hovingham Youth Group funds. And a man had been killed in an explosion at the end of the North Pier, Blackpool. The incident which had occurred during demolition work on the jetty, had ended in tragedy, and the launch of the resort’s inshore rescue boat to search for his body.

20 years ago

A Georgian mansion worth £1.5 million was to be the new home of the Duchess of York and her two daughters. Birch Hall set in the Surrey countryside was just three miles from Sunninghill, her old marital home where she had been living for the last 16 months. A Pocklington pharmacist has become the first in the country to complete a new training course for community pharmacists who could now provide oxygen therapy for their patients. And York’s second Festival Of Food and Drink got off to a damp launch on a wet and windy Knavesmire.