Friday, December 9, 2005

100 years ago

Mr Leslie Bucknall, accompanied by three others, ascended in the balloon Vivienne at Sevenoaks and went off rapidly in the direction of Dover. They would attempt to cross the English Channel provided that the wind remained good. Other news from the coast stated that a telegram from Lloyd's signal station at Spurn Head reported that a steam trawler collided with the Bull Lightship at the north of the Humber. The lightship was considerably damaged and would have to be removed from the station.

50 years ago

Contrary to expectations, the recent closure to traffic and the re-laying of the roadway in the Shambles did not result in a great loss of trade to the shopkeepers in that thoroughfare. The street was closed from October 10 to November 10. According to the traders who were interviewed, during the roadway alterations and when the immediate frontage of any particular business was affected, trade was considerably reduced, but otherwise, trade was normal for the time of year. The alterations were carried out at a time when the heaviest tourist traffic for the season had ended. Several businessmen in the Shambles however, felt, as a result of the closure to vehicles, that should the roadway be permanently closed to traffic the result would be advantageous to trade and a boon to tourists. One opinion expressed observed how the Shambles were improving as a shopping centre, both for tourists and local people. This improvement was not helped by shopkeepers having to remove hanging signs to allow the passage of large trucks. Nor was it helped when sightseers, probably trying to take photographs, found themselves forced into shop doorways by the traffic.

25 years ago.

The costs of vandalism were causing concern for councillors in York. They were told that providing extra security to protect empty council houses while they were being modernised could be exorbitant. York City Council's housing services (management) sub-committee heard that even hiring a night watchman could cost up to £240 a week. The committee decided not to provide any extra security for first phase of a modernisation scheme on the Gale Lane estate, which involved two blocks of flats. But councillors said they would reconsider the issue when the next two phases of the scheme started. Meanwhile the same sub-committee was told by the council's chief environmental health officer, Trevor Phillips, that the Clementhorpe area of York needed to remain as a housing action area for another two years, so that "extremely successful" improvement plans could be fully completed. Five years before less than 20 per cent of the 304 houses in the area had standard amenities, while more than 75 per cent were in disrepair. Now 88 per cent of them had the amenities and were in good repair.

Updated: 16:12 Thursday, December 08, 2005