From our archives:

80 years ago

The schedule had been issued for Easingwold’s annual Agricultural Show, containing some very interesting features. Announcing it would open its doors to the whole of Yorkshire, £400 in prizes were on offer, with several challenge cups up for grabs. Fortunate in its selection of presidents, this year’s choice was the distinguished Captain Cyril Lloyd, of Mill Hill, Brandsby, who would finish off the event with a speech, followed by an attractive evening of gymkhana and leaping classes. And a challenge shield, offered by the Thirsk Rotary Club, for the best-kept Council house garden had been won by Mrs Danby of No 1, Council House, Newby Wiske. The second and third prizes had gone to Mr P Dowson, King’s Gardens, Sowerby, and Mr F Gavigan, Council Houses, Topcliffe.

50 years ago

Mr Edward Heath, Opposition Leader, had made it known when he paid a visit to the Great Yorkshire Show at Harrogate, that he did not want to talk about the Tory mutiny over the Race Relations Bill. He did however, spend 10 minutes at the Common Market stand speaking about the possible effects of recent political developments in France and Britain’s ambitions to join the Common Market. A 50-year-old Czechoslovak woman who had received a new heart during Eastern Europe’s first heart transplant had died five hours after the operation. Mrs Elena Horvathova had been given the heart of a 46-year-old man in a six-hour operation. And Selby Town footballers reported for training at the club’s Flaxley Road ground. Among the players were several new signings, John Woodall, Jack Cockroft, Geoffrey Green and Mick Scally.

20 years ago

Coastguards on the East Coast were flooded with calls from people reporting a series of lights seen high in the sky across North Yorkshire. A spokesman from Humber Coastguards said the calls began at 2am when callers said they had seen a green light flashing across the sky. “We received about half a dozen calls, so we checked it out to make sure it wasn’t any ship in distress. But a red light usually marks distress, so we put it down to being a meteorite,” said the spokesman. The lights had also been seen from Scotland to Cornwall. And police were appealing for witnesses after two lorry drivers were involved in a punch up on the A1.