Friday, June 3, 2005

100 years ago

A correspondent signing himself Mr J Carroll, of Castlegate, York, wrote that the Police and Law Courts, the Opera House, and public newsrooms had rendered Clifford Street one of the most frequented thoroughfares of the city. He ventured to ask the aid of the press to call the attention of the local authorities to the urgent need of providing public urinals in this immediate neighbourhood. The absence of such accommodation was causing a public scandal. The Nessgate and Coppergate improvements offered an opportunity to rectify the situation, though if it could have been a little nearer the Law Courts it would have been better. At nights, when the Opera House was open, the absence of such necessary provision was a very serious matter.

50 years ago

A correspondent signing himself A F Harrison wrote: "Mr Ashman's letter concerning the cleanliness of the city is, no doubt, like mine, a voice in the wilderness, and I doubt if there will be much improvement in the near future as there has been none in the last 12 years during my residence here. One can travel to all other market towns in Yorkshire and never experience such disgusting conditions as exist in York. The filth and litter that are scattered about by the stallholders, the wet fish stalls that are situated a few yards from the public conveniences, and the swilling of stinking fish stalls over Davygate and St Sampson's Square every night is beyond our comprehension."

25 years ago

The grunts and groans of professional wrestlers would echo round York Rugby League FC's ground for the first time in years. Some of the sports biggest names - and bodies - would be locked in combat at the Clarence Street ground. Among them would be Big Daddy, world titleholder John Quinn, and York's own ambulanceman John Cox. John was a well-known figure in and around York, having lifted human frames in the ring and into ambulances for many years. He was based at Pocklington ambulance station, and despite a busy life was still able to continue his long and distinguished career as a professional wrestler. Heavyweight John had "slimmed down" to a slender seventeen and a half stones, having in earlier days weighed in at almost twenty stones. "My weight and strength are useful in my work as an ambulance man," he said, "I was able to lift a heavy patient up two flights of stairs not so long ago, and quite often we have to carry people hurt on farms across fields."

Updated: 16:15 Thursday, June 02, 2005