From our archives:

85 years ago

F J Perry, the English lawn tennis “star,” had crowned his most successful season so far by defeating J H Crawford, by 6-3, 11-3, 4-6, 6-0, 6-1, in the final of the US Men’s Singles. Perry who had come to the forefront of British lawn tennis only four or five years ago, had been improving ever since. And Miss Freda James, had expressed her intention to wear shorts during the South of England lawn tennis championships in Eastbourne, stating that “One’s movements are not impeded when running and obviously they are the most sensible attire for a fast game like lawn tennis.” On hearing the remarks, Miss G L Rogers, the Irish player, was quoted saying: “I am using shorts myself and I think it will not be long before everybody in lawn tennis wears them.” Meanwhile, Anglers in Whitby were rejoicing at the news that a local fisherman, Mr L Mitchell-Henry, had caught a record tunny fish weighing 851 lb, 35 miles off the coast of Whitby.

50 years ago

Torrential overnight rain had caused chaos over a wide area of the North Riding. On the Great North Road, vehicles became trapped in several feet of water, in Catterick, the civilian and Army population at Camp had been completely cut off and children screamed in terror after flood water rushed through a primary school in Colburn. One lorry driver heading north on the A1 approaching the floods phoned a warning to York and North-East Yorkshire police headquarters: “It’s going down the road like a tidal wave. It’s frightening to see.” And softly, softly, the gleaming white Concorde 002 rolled out of its hangar at Bristol. But there was no fanfares and no flags as the Anglo-French supersonic giant slowly emerged for the first time into the daylight at the Filton factory.

20 years ago

Prison officers at Full Sutton, where some of Britain’s most dangerous inmates were in custody, were refusing to work overtime because of pay and safety concerns. Officers on shifts had refused to turn up half an hour before their shift started to be searched before they entered the prison, if they were not getting paid. And a new youth club had opened in Selby, based at the local Methodist church. The club for 11 to 18-year-olds opened its doors in Eggborough, with a weekly admission of 50p.