Way we were

100 years ago

"We are more and more becoming reconciled, as the years pass by, to the part that women desire to play in our public life," wrote the Evening Press columnist. "By sheer force of intellect, in the face of ridicule and opposition from men, they have established a place for themselves in the affairs of the nation that commands the approbation of all who watch their movements, here, there, and everywhere, with ever-increasing respect." These points were brought more clearly to mind by the conference of the National Union of Women Workers of Great Britain, which had just taken place. "We no longer regard our sisters as beings of an inferior order, at least so far as brain-power is concerned. They have proved the contrary in many instances of late, and now that they have won a place on the same level as ourselves we find they are acting with judicious feelings, and do not make themselves nearly so objectionable as might, in other days, have been expected. Naturally quick and ready to learn, they have shown themselves good, earnest workers, and their best, up to the present, has been entirely satisfactory. Of course they are faced with many difficulties, but the period of their complete emancipation has yet to come; they have not altogether proved to what extreme heights they can climb. The future has a great deal more in store for them."

50 years ago

York Development Plan would be amended in order to permit a crematorium to be erected on the land lying between Bishopthorpe Road and the River Ouse just within the city boundary, if a York Building and Planning sub-committee recommendation was accepted at the next Council meeting. The land was zoned at that time for agricultural purposes.

25 years ago

Yorkshire and north-east fishermen were prepared to defy the law, if a new conservation rule was introduced, increasing the minimum size of lobsters that could be landed legally. They would regard it as the last straw in a series of restrictive measures, the North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee heard at the Royal Station Hotel, York. Mr Howard Theaker, Chief Fishery Officer, reported that "the majority of what I would call honest fishermen" feared that the larger minimum size would cut down their catches by 15 to 20 per cent. He said they had told him that, if it came to the crunch, they would bring the lobsters ashore anyway. The following month, when the National Association of Sea Fisheries Committee were to meet the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in London, the association would press for an increase in minimum size from 80mm to 83mm carrapace.

Updated: 16:13 Friday, October 28, 2005