From our archives:

80 years ago

To mark the completion of 25 years’ service, the employees of York’s Gas Company presented Mr H E Bloor, director and secretary, with an inscribed gold watch. The presentation made at the company’s new cooker shop in Little Stonegate was well attended by more than 200 members of staff. Handing the watch to Mr Bloor, tributes were paid by three of the company’s oldest employees, Mr C Watson, Mr R Jefferson and Mr J Alderson. York competitors had been awarded three prizes in the SS Car Club Rally in Scarborough. Mr E Triffitt, of Fulford, had won the premier award in the two and a half litre class and carried off the Harrogate control prize, even with a shattered windscreen. And work had commenced on the big Filey development scheme, were more than 300 acres of land overlooking the Filey Brigg rocks and North Bay, were due to be turned into playing fields, public gardens and a concert Hall.

50 years ago

The only services which had been operating in the Eastern Region were “just a few” trains between Hull and Bridlington. Normal services were officially due resume at 6am with the first train leaving York at 7.15am to Leeds, calling at Church Fenton. Due to the lack of transport the resort services of Scarborough had suffered, on what should have been one of the busiest Sundays of the summer. There was plenty of room on the two beaches, and only short queues for ice cream, despite temperatures in the upper sixties. And more than £9 had been raised for Skelton Youth Club funds, thanks to a concert given by Mr Ted Levitt and his Harmonica Band in the village hall.

20 years ago

The £1 million bidding battle for the rights to the wedding of David Beckham and his Spice Girl fiancée Victoria Adams was hotting up amongst the countries leading magazines and newspapers. The price for the exclusive rights of the ceremony due to take place the following summer appeared to be unaffected by the Manchester United star’s sending off during England’s match against Argentina in the World Cup. And some readers may have had trouble in obtaining a copy of Saturday’s Yorkshire County Edition of the Evening Press. Many newsagents received short supplies due to a breakdown of the automated counting equipment.