Wednesday, April 13, 2005

100 years ago: Some difficulty arose at the York Quarter Sessions with regard to a charge against a 37-year-old woman, who was indicted for having neglected her three children, and as an habitual drunkard. To both indictments she pleaded guilty, and a proposal was made that she should be sent to an Inebriates' Reformatory, and the case was adjourned so that inquiries could be made. This was the first case in York under the new Act for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. When the delinquent was brought up again, the bench said it was a complex case, as the 1904, 1894 and 1898 Acts seemed at variance with the pre-existing state of the law. The Learned Recorder said there was really so much doubt at this point that he proposed to remand the defendant in custody until the next sessions, rather than sending her to a reformatory where she would have to go for at least 12 months. The defendant would be carefully looked after in Wakefield.

50 years ago: A letter was printed asking forgiveness from "my American friends" for observing that the genius of their country did not shine most brightly in its masculine attire, although the writer pointed out that "they don't ask us to wear the things, and one could easily exaggerate the danger of Sir Anthony Eden appearing in public in a flowered shirt, or even in a Wild West shirt with a rather loud check". The writer urged readers to recoil with disdain from a correspondent's open and shameless commendation as suitable clothing for English boys of "those hideous, constricted trans-Atlantic blue drainpipes known as 'jeans'. Let girls who wish to remain single wear these graceless garments if they will, but let our boys go free and seemly. No, Sir, the proper dress is shorts, which give ease, activity and health, and have no knees to bag at. Mothers of England, stand firm!"

25 years ago: The Marquis of Normanby would be officially opening the enlarged military collection of the York Castle Museum, which would mark the end of a two-year programme of changes in that area. Parts of the museum were opened up for new storage areas, allowing the military exhibits to be re-displayed, the Timperley collection of 17th century material particularly benefiting. Uniforms from Yorkshire regiments, regimental silver and a reconstruction of a First World War trench were among the exhibits.

Updated: 08:39 Wednesday, April 13, 2005