From our archives:

80 years ago

The news that York Repertory Company was to celebrate their 1,500th performance at the end of the month had created a great deal of interest locally. The Company’s success had been due a lot of hard work and producing first-class productions for a dying theatre, putting it back on its feet again and making it a vital feature in the life of the city. And Scriptures were still the best sellers according to Mr N B B Bevan of the British Foreign Bible Society. Addressing a garden meeting for the Ladies’ Association at Rawcliffe Holt, Clifton, York, Mr Bevan who oversaw the Bible Society van which was doing colportage throughout England, said that during the year the Society had distributed 11,500,000 copies of the Scriptures in almost every country in the world.

50 years ago

In the face of fierce overseas competition, the Thirsk firm of A C Bamlett Limited had won a £15,000 contract to supply 24 grass cutting machines to the Ministry of National Development of Thailand. It was the biggest single contract sale that Bamletts had to date in its 100-year history. A mobile telephone exchange with 400 lines had been installed on a car park near the main exchange at Bridlington to cope with traffic until a new extension to the main exchange was completed. Sixty-eight-year-old Selby widow Mrs Elsie Endley had won £1,116 in a national golden scoop bingo game only three weeks after winning £21 and £10 before that. And pupils, parents and friends crowded into Lidgett Grove Junior Training Centre, Acomb, York, when the Lord Mayor, Coun Mrs M M Armitage, opened a garden party and sports day.

20 years ago

Telecom giant BT had announced it had chosen York for its annual general meeting. It was the second time in six years that BT had picked North Yorkshire for the event, raising the profile of York as a leading conference venue. Eighty-year-old road sweeper Fred Stewart, of Heslington, took a breather after being told he had been awarded an MBE for his community service and crowds had braved apparent certainty of a soaking to cheer the Queen during her official birthday celebrations at Buckingham Palace.