Way we were

100 years ago: A columnist thought it was satisfactory to learn that though there were apparently over 1,300 names on the register of the York Labour Bureau, there were really only about 400 unemployed in the city, the remainder having found work. Many of them, he added, were only out of work temporarily, while a large number were doubtless "chronics", who worked at odd jobs for a day or two, and then took it easy for a week. The great danger of inviting people to put their names on the list of unemployed, in his opinion, was that it was apt to lead to exaggeration to the discredit of the city. For weeks past it had been represented far and wide that there were more than a thousand unemployed in this city, but as a matter of fact there had never been 1,300 unemployed during the whole time, nor 1,000, nor perhaps 500. The list had been gradually growing, but the workers had been finding work almost as quickly. Moreover, men were ready enough to report themselves unemployed, but not so prompt to notify that they had found work.

50 years ago: "Too big," said customers, "we want a turkey, but not a bird of that size. It would last our small family a month." Alas, the York poulterer had only large turkeys left in the shop, so what he did was cut the birds in half. This seemed to Mr Nobody to be an obvious solution to the age-old problem, although he noticed many more smaller turkeys on sale this Christmas. Some seemed to be only slightly larger than a good, plump chicken, an ideal size for the smaller family. Supplies of poultry seemed to vary from shop to shop, one having sold out of turkeys, another had plenty of turkeys, but no ducks and few chickens, and a third could offer late customers everything but a goose.

25 years ago: York's Park and Ride scheme for Christmas shoppers was going to be extended for a further fortnight, for the sales. The scheme provided cheap bus services to the city centre after motorists parked their cars free at Heworth Green and Leeman Road car parks. It had operated each Saturday during December, and now York Chamber of Trade and Commerce announced that they would be footing the bill to keep it running for the next two Saturdays.

Updated: 16:24 Wednesday, December 22, 2004