Monday, October 10, 2005

100 years ago

A well-attended meeting of the Freemen of Micklegate Ward was held in the large room of the Co-operative Society, Railway Street, to hear a statement from the Wardens and Pasture Masters as to the offer from York Corporation for the acquirement of their strays - Knavesmire, Scarcroft, and Hobmoor. The Corporation became owners of Micklegate Strays, paying the freemen £1,000 a year in perpetuity for the full rights in the Strays, obtaining for the public entire and unrestricted access, as their offer was accepted. The Corporation made a most liberal offer, perhaps thought too generous, seeing that the real ownership of the soil of the Strays rested with them, and the Freemen's rights only extended to the herbage or pasturage. It would probably mean nearer £1,300 to the Freemen because the Wardens and Pasture Masters were freed from all the trouble and cost of collection in small sums, and also of the cost of watching and maintenance.

50 years ago

Many York motorists, who knew and visited the areas concerned, would welcome the proposal to provide car parks at many well-known beauty spots in the county. One of the urgent requirements of the new National Parks, which were steadily coming into being, was as the latest issue of the Dalesman pointed out, the provision of these parks at popular places to avoid congestion and enable motorists to enjoy the countryside without strewing their cars along roadsides. The Planning Committee of the Yorkshire Moors National Park was alive to the need and eight new car parks in the area of the Yorkshire Moors National Park in the financial year and the extension of the existing park at Robin Hood's Bay were included in the programme.

25 years ago

York's Salvation Army Songsters were clinging to the styles of the past. They had decided to revert to the old-style button-up tunics and bonnets. Parts of the new uniform introduced ten years before, were not particularly flattering, they claimed. The move came as the women singers from the York Citadel prepared to celebrate the following year's centenary of the Salvation Army in York. The comparatively new uniform features jacket and blouse, and a trilby-style hat. Mr Raymond Hawkshaw, spokesman for the York Citadel, said: "Whereas before the women members of the 30 strong Songsters had a choice of uniform to wear, they were now all dressed the same." His wife Miriam, added: "The old tunic was much smarter and more comfortable. The blouse on the new uniform doesn't flatter us as we only have a brooch to wear, not a tie like the men, and we used to get lots of different shades of white blouse as well."

Updated: 11:01 Monday, October 10, 2005