100 years ago

What was asserted to be the carpenter’s workshop of Joseph had been discovered at Nazareth.

Excavations on the site of a small Franciscan chapel had brought to light the foundations of a church of the time of the first Crusaders.

Thorough research and investigations seemed to establish the fact that this was the place where the workshop of Joseph stood.

The Franciscans had bought up all the adjoining buildings, and intended erecting here a magnificent temple.

Further excavations on this site continually brought to light large numbers of exceedingly interesting relics.

It was also believed that the site had been found where Christ’s transfiguration took place. It was an imposing rough rock with a structure resembling an ancient altar.

50 years ago

York City Council had made history. It had decided to build a bridge at Clifton – the first to go over the Ouse since Skeldergate Bridge was opened to general traffic in March, 1881.

The bridge finally approved by the council was slightly different from the one originally suggested by the development and planning committee.

The cost of the new bridge would be paid for entirely by the ratepayers. It had been estimated at a 4d rate for 30 years.

A new approach road would be built from Salisbury Road to the crossing site. It had been estimated that the bridge would be completed by September, 1963.

There was still controversy as to the width of the carriageway, but a final decision of 24ft was chosen over a 30ft carriageway, which would have cost an estimated extra £35,000.

25 years ago

Communicants at Pickering anxious about catching AIDS through use of the common cup had been reassured by their vicar.

Canon Geoffrey Lawn said though the Government leaflet on AIDS clearly stated that there was no danger in sharing cups, he was quite happy for those who were worried to receive their wine by dipping their wafer instead of drinking from the cup.

“A lot of us think there has been a bit of a panic over AIDS – after all, anxiety has been expressed in former times, with regard to less dangerous infections, of the possibility of givding or receiving an infection through use of a common cup,” he commented.

“Often people with flu or colds have felt they wanted to take the bread and not the wine. I'm quite happy for people to use intinction (dipping the wafer) if that’s what they prefer. What I certainly don't want is people staying away from Communion because of their anxieties.”