Thursday, August 26, 2004

100 years ago: After a story about Captain Mosey using an ammonia bath for a jelly-fish sting, columnist TT wrote more on Scarborough Chief Inspector of Boating and Bathing, as he was deemed worthy of being brought to the publics' attention. He was a "deep-sea, lime juice skipper" before he settled down on shore to run the Corporation's Receiving House, a pretty little bungalow situated close to the sands entrance of the Spa. It was fitted up half in the style of a bedroom and half as a bathroom, with a boiler that could fill a full length bath with boiling water within a minute of a half of the gas being lighted, for the treatment of the "apparently drowned." Artificial respiration would also be attempted, at times for a couple of hours, before the abandonment of the attempt. The captain also had autocratic power on the sands, as he decided when red warning flags should be run up, keeping the cobbles from sailing in bad weather, as well as preventing bathing machines from launching

50 years ago: The search was on for the oldest worker in York and district tackling a full-time job of night work, the first claim to the honour being made by a 70-year-old man from Pottery Lane. He had worked as a cleaner in York Station's refreshment room since 1949, going on duty at 9pm and clearing up round the tables until the last stragglers left when the refreshment room closed at 10.30pm, and then he got down to scouring and sweeping the floors. He worked through the night and didn't leave until 6am at the earliest, often there being overtime for him. Prior to working at the station he had been a road sweeper for York Corporation, and a boots at hotels in Scarborough and Whitby.

25 years ago: There seemed to be the bargain of all time when "Six Million Dollar Man, £1" appeared as an advertisement in the Under A Tenner column in the Evening Press. Before people started ringing up for this bargain, Pressman thought he better inform those not in the know that it was only the plastic doll modelled on Steve Austin, from the television series.

Updated: 15:26 Friday, August 27, 2004