Wednesday, June 1, 2005

100 years ago

In the Divorce Court, proceedings were taking place regarding the story of a Margate boarding house, a lady who was alleged to have struck her husband with her corsets, and the clairvoyant who was said to have foretold the events. The husband, petitioning, alleged that his wife had been unduly familiar with a young man who was a relation by marriage. " My husband was always unreasonably jealous of the gentlemen staying at our boarding house," the wife told her counsel. "Did the young man in question ever kiss you?" asked the counsel. "Yes," replied the wife, "and other members of the family as well." "Did you go to see a clairvoyant?" continued the counsel. "Yes," replied the wife, "and she told me that there was going to be trouble with a dark handsome man, with a black moustache." (There was laughter in the court) "She told me that he would fall in love with me and it would cause serious trouble." "Did she tell you what the trouble would be?" questioned the counsel. The wife replied that the clairvoyant had advised that it would probably end in the Divorce Court, and that when she saw the young man cold shivers would run down her back, to which there was more laughter in court. "Has the young man got a black moustache?" asked the counsel. "No, he is fair," replied the wife. After the young man had denied all the charges, the judge dismissed the petition, with costs.

50 years ago

York Parks Committee, after considering various sites for additional burial ground accommodation, recommended that the most suitable one was at the junction of Moor Lane and Askham Lane (outside the city boundary). The Parks Committee had also considered sites for the proposed crematorium, and was to recommend that this be sited on land lying between Bishopthorpe Road and the River Ouse near to the city boundary.

25 years ago

York Art Gallery had begun issuing car park tickets, but the machine was only exercising artistic licence. What it should have been producing for gallery visitors was 20p admission tickets, as for the first time the public was charged an entrance fee. The gallery, however, remained free for residents of York, Friends of York Art Gallery, pensioners, students, children and educational groups. Because of a printing delay, old car park tickets were being used - and were likely to be used for most of the summer. Officials posted a notice explaining the stipulations on the back of the ticket did not apply. Cars they said, could not be left in the gallery - even at the owner's own risk.

Updated: 16:23 Tuesday, May 31, 2005