From our archives:

85 years ago

Enormous interest had been aroused by the Automobile Association’s endeavour to discover remote villages around the county, after a member had advertised that he wished “to get off the beaten track” and had asked for readers to suggest the names of any remote Yorkshire villages.

In response the AA had suggested: West Stonesdale, Thixendale and Rosedale Abbey to name a few.

However Ellingstring, near Masham, was top of the list to be the most remote village in Yorkshire.

Being the font of all knowledge, the Automobile Association also printed the mileage from Blackpool to other places of interest.

And the LNER announced that cheap Whitsun holiday return tickets would be available between any two stations and on any train without exception.

That included The Flying Scotsman, Queen of Scots Pullman and the Aberdonian sleeping car expresses.

50 years ago

In national news Holland was gaily celebrating the birth of a son to crown Princess Beatrix, the first male heir to the Dutch throne for more than century and in London a bevy of 32 girls had paraded before a panel of judges in a ‘live’ broadcast at the Lyceum Ballroom to find out who would be this year’s Miss England.

Among the contestants was 22-year-old beautician Diana Parker of Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, who had gone into the final from the York area heat at Tiffany’s, York.

In Pocklington an appeal had been made to families asking them to take in children from poor homes in York, Hull and Leeds for a full week’s holiday.

WRVS children’s welfare organiser Mrs Laura Young said that already 50 applications had been made for children from the three areas to spend a holiday in the East Riding.

The plan was to beat the previous year’s total of 81.

20 years ago

Residents of Acomb started a petition calling for the public toilets in Front Street to be re-opened.

The toilets had been closed earlier that month as part of the City’s budget savings.

Animal-lovers were being urged to temper their enthusiasm as the geese in Rowntree Park, York, were having too much of an easy life.

Although visitors may have been enjoying nothing more than to feed the Canadian Greylag Geese, the city council was worried at the effect on the birds’ waistlines.

York City were relieved after a 2-0 victory over Rotherham ensured another season of Second Division football at Bootham Crescent.