From our archives:

80 years ago

Norton Rural Council had been pressed to change the colour of their telephone Kiosks in the area to green or red. The town’s clerk Mr T W Preston claimed that postal authorities preferred the red paint as it made the kiosks easily distinguishable in an emergency. Although red kiosks did not seem harmonious in the villages, he thought it was something of a good idea. York mourners had attended the funeral of the once Freeman of the City, Mr John Waddington Graves. Mr Graves a native of York who had recently retired to Scarborough, had spent most of his life working on his family’s farm. And Sir Kingsley Wood, Secretary of State for Air, had turned to the York area in a bid to secure a property large enough to recruit 31,000 Royal Air Force men. The Royal Air Force at present had 25 recruiting offices and premises were now being sort for an additional seven offices, including one in York.

50 years ago

James Earl Ray had been flown from England to Memphis, after being charged with the killing Dr Martin Luther King. FBI spokesmen in Washington said their agents had guarded Ray on the Atlantic flight, after taking over from Scotland Yard’s officers. With a blue dome light flashing an armoured car had sped to the heavily-guarded Shelby County Jail. A three-foot-high effigy of a child made in 1314, had been stolen from a tomb in the church at Burton Agnes, near Bridlington. One of four figures, the statue which was worth only £50 was irreplaceable. And black and white television licenses had been increased from £5 to £6, whereas colour licence holders would have to pay an additional £5.

20 years ago

Britain’s favourite bear had gone back to his roots for a big birthday bash, after children’s favourite puppet Sooty had reached the ripe old age of 50. To mark the occasion, he been appointed mayor of his home town Blackpool. And five people had been saved by warship crew members after their rowing boat overturned more than a mile off the Scarborough coast. The four men and one woman, all more than 50 years old, were tossed into choppy seas after taking a rowing boat from Scarborough harbour to see HMS Fearless, currently visiting the town.