100 years ago

The extracts from the records of the Cromwellian Committee at York, which referred to the Civil War of 1645, and which were being presented to our readers in the weekly edition of the Yorkshire Herald by Mr William Giles, had reached a very interesting stage.

This week’s article told of the plate and other furnishings of the Minster, and gave an inventory of the valuable collection which had been ordered to be kept in safe custody. The members of the committee appeared to have been very thorough in their methods, and had taken most excellent care that all rents and revenues were paid, but one was inclined to ask what had become of the silver candlesticks which had been ordered to be sold by an order issued by the committee on October 30, 1645?

Many treasures of historical and religious value dispersed at the time of Cromwellian rule had been recovered, but by no means all, and it was possible that some of those which we currently had no trace of might yet be discovered.

50 years ago

Duke Ellington had again been voted musician of the year, top arranger and top composer, in the 1963 Melody Maker jazz poll. This was the fourth time in five years that Ellington had won the musician of the year title. For the sixth consecutive year, Ella Fitzgerald had been voted the world’s greatest female jazz singer.

Frank Sinatra was still the world’s number one male jazz singer. He had won the award every year since it was instituted. In the British section of the poll Johnny Dankworth and his wife Cleo Laine collected five awards between them. Johnny got the award as leader of the top band in Britain. He also headed the field as top alto saxophonist, top composer and top arranger. Cleo made it seven-in-a-row as the country’s first lady of jazz.

25 years ago

York racecourse was to invest £2.5 million in a new five-storey stand which would provide racegoers on Knavesmire with the best facilities in Britain. The stand would contain a suite of 27 exclusive boxes and also accommodate a further 800 punters in style.

The development reflected a boom in the business and entertainment market at the course. Clerk of the course John Smith described the plan as bold and exciting. “This will maintain our status at the top of the league of racecourses in Britain,” he said. “It must be good news for the city. It shows we have confidence in the future of York.”

York Racecourse had been marked out as one of the top three in Britain in the 1987 Directory of the Turf, which rated facilities at all of Britain’s 59 courses.