Tuesday, April 5, 2005

100 years ago: An angler on the banks of the river Ouse at Moreby Park, below Naburn Lock, was netting for salmon when a huge fish got itself entangled in his nets. It was too big to haul in and so he took up his fowling piece and fired two shots into the ferocious fish, mortally wounding it. The following day at Cawood a huge white fish was discovered, still alive, but it died soon afterwards. It was kept in the water at Cawood bridge and a large number of people visited the spot, including York anglers hiring conveyances to take a trip out to see it. One of them inspected the white fish, and declared it to be a young whale. It was 11 feet 6 inches from tip of the nose to the tail, and weighed about 55 stones. This creature was taken next to Selby, where it was exhibited and seen by more than 1,000 people, then on to a stonemason's property in York's Skeldergate for two days, before the baby leviathan was offered to the York Museum authorities.

50 years ago: "Give us back the symbol of our faith," said the Vicar of Thirsk, speaking at a service on the steps of the Town Clock in the Market Place. He appealed to the parish councillors to put back the Old Market Cross on the place now taken by the clock. "Give us back our Market Cross so that the children who comes after us will ask: 'What is the meaning of this old and battered stone?' and the parents can answer: 'That is a constant reminder of God's eternal love and of your salvation.' We are holding our service on the site of our old Market Cross, marking the place, no doubt, where the very first Christian service was held in this town. In these days when we fear nuclear warfare the Cross would be a reminder of something that is eternal and cannot be touched by the evil of mankind."

25 years ago: The leaning telephone box of Sinnington was to be replaced by a straight kiosk, 23 yards from where the present one stood, on the village green. The Post Office said it would move the slanting kiosk, not because of the lean but after hearing that it was also often flooded, leaving callers standing in water. It seemed to have no foundation, the lowest corner being below road level, and whenever it rained the kiosk flooded.

Updated: 16:30 Monday, April 04, 2005