Thursday, May 12, 2005

100 years ago

A woman who took off a heavy boot, and threw it at the Stipendiary Magistrate, created a sensation in the Police Court. Missing his worship's head by an inch the boot struck the wall behind him with a heavy thud. The woman was at once seized and taken below. She gave the name of Jane Lee, of York and had been fined for being drunk and assaulting a constable who prevented her throwing herself into the river. She was sentenced to two months hard labour. The woman used filthy language in the dock.

50 years ago

Ten thousand miners went back to work, and in the Doncaster coalfield, storm centre of the three-week-old Yorkshire strike, the feeling was growing that the end might be near. A survey showed that 37 pits were still idle, compared with 43 the previous day, ten were working partly and 71 normally. The improvement was stated to be mainly in the Rotherham, Carlton and Castleford areas. Branch officials of the Doncaster panel at Markham Main, where the strike had begun over fillers' piece rates said: "We seem to be getting somewhere now, but the whole case has not yet been met."

25 years ago

(Industrial action means there was no Evening Press 25 years ago today. We have instead used an entry from a paper as close to this date as possible.) Selby's fun-loving nightclub goers were to be knocked into shape by the strong arm of military discipline. The town's Pendulum Club was being given the spit and polish treatment by its new manager, ex-Army corporal David Downing. The club was to reopen with a new image and a new name - Mr Livingstone's. Mr Downing had been hard at work revamping the entire building since his arrival at Selby only four weeks before. Alterations included a grillroom upstairs with soft background music. Disco music would be downstairs in the new bar. Mr Downing came out of the Army two years earlier, after serving with the Royal Engineers in Germany. After completing a management course with Tetley's, he worked as assistant manager at a club in Scunthorpe. The club would have strict new rules. "No one will be allowed in without a collar and tie," Mr Downing said, "and they will have to be over 21."

Updated: 16:37 Wednesday, May 11, 2005