From our archives:

85 years ago

The sluice boards at Norby’s waterfall and the constant flooding problem had been finally addressed at a meeting by Thirsk Parish Council. Presiding over the proceedings was Mr J Hall, who had brought to the attention of the council a letter written by Mr Bell of Thirsk Hall, asking for something to be done with the waterfall, and the footpath. “I gather you have a Council meeting on Monday, and as one of the biggest ratepayers in Thirsk I should like to ask your Council if they would approach the County Council to insist that they increase the water way under the bridge at the World’s End, Sowerby.” The “Yorkshire Herald” had also been informed that an agreement had been reached between the four big wheat exporting countries. The announcement which delayed the opening of the market for one hour, granted trading restrictions would be lifted and minimum prices would be set, a total win for all farmers.

50 years ago

Trade union leaders of Armstrong Patents in Shipton Road, York, had been told by management of plans to move the factory’s telescopic shock absorber manufacturing to a new factory in Hull. The union leaders calculated that the move would mean a transfer of between 500 and 700 jobs from York to Hull. All men had been assured that no redundancy would be involved. And a reception had been held at the Constitutional Club, St James Street, London, to celebrate the publication of a new novel ‘The Day the Queen Flew to Scotland for the Grouse Shooting’ by York author Arthur Wise, a story about a fictional civil war between the North and South of England.

20 years ago

A York businessman had been fined for refusing to move his van for TV cameras even though police said he was doing nothing wrong. David Grierson refused to move his vehicle from its normal parking spot after being asked to do so less than 24 hours previously by Heartbeat TV crews filming in the city. Now he said he was going to fight the legality of the City of York Council’s decision to slap a parking ticket on his window. And nearly half of workers in the UK believed smokers did not work as hard as non-smokers and should be docked pay for “fag breaks”.