From our archives:

80 years ago

The “Yorkshire Herald” had been officially informed by Mr Norrison Stead, of Driffield, that the terms of the purchase of 285 acres of land at Cottam House Farm, near Driffield, had been finally settled by the Air Ministry. The land had been purchased from Mr Stead for an emergency aerodrome and a Royal Air Force station was to be established at Staxton Wold, near Willerby, by November. The station would occupy an extensive but somewhat isolated site on high land, and its purpose was not being divulged. And there had been an increase in expenditure on Air Raid Precaution Services in their administrative area from £1,000 to £7,000. The committee had also recommended an appointment of three temporary Air Precautions Officers at salaries not exceeding £400 per year.

50 years ago

Tobacco shares were in hot demand on the London Stock Exchange. The excitement followed the news that many of Britain’s smokers will soon by paying an extra 1d for 20 cigarettes, and that American Tobacco was out to take over Gallaher’s. After a lapse of 10 years the World Professional Snooker Championships were to be held once again. Under the auspices of the Billiards Association, the draw for the first round was John Pullman v John Spencer, Rex Williams v Bernard Bennett, Gary Owen v Jack Rae and Fred Davis v Ray Reardon. And Senorita Monserrat Tresseras, a 28-year-old clerk from Madrid, swam Windermere in just under six-and-a-half hours and was given a cup of tea to help her over the finish line. Miss Tresseras now planned to swim Coniston Water and Ullswater in the Lake District.

20 years ago

Dangerous thugs, believed to be armed with a sawn-off shotgun, were on the run in York after robbing a security van at a city petrol station. Police combing streets around Chapelfields warned the public to be on their guard after a security guard was sprayed in the face with a noxious substance, possibly ammonia. The guard was being treated at hospital for his injuries after the attack at the BP Inner Space petrol station in York’s Boroughbridge Road. And according to a local newspaper President Nelson Mandela was due to wed Graca Machel, on his 80th birthday, in a private ceremony at his home in Johannesburg.