From our archives:

85 years ago

No statement had been issued after the close of a two-hour sitting by the cabinet on disarmament. The only concrete facts to emerge from the meeting, were that the cabinet was determined to strain every nerve to secure the signatures of the nation to a disarmament convention of some sort and that Sir John Simon, the Foreign Secretary, and Mr Anthony Eden, the Under Secretary, would visit Paris on their way to Geneva. In Malton, the Urban District Council had approached the Norton Urban District Council for a permanent water supply. The project was now under consideration, but the council was struggling to find anyone who would second the proposal. And the “Yorkshire Herald” had announced that the sub-committee set up by the York City Council to fill the role of Lord Mayor had put forward an invitation to Councillor J Hargrave.

50 years ago

A Liberal Party assembly had ended in Edinburgh with a rapturous ovation for Mr Jeremy Thorpe party leader, who in a closing speech had brought delegates to their feet, applauding, cheering and stamping. The ovation lasted nearly four minutes, despite Mr Thorpe’s appeals for it to stop. During his visit to York Minster, Mr Heath had been shown the progress made so far, on the Minsters £2m repair programme. He was also given credit for some extempore organ playing, which was in fact the playing of Mr John Marsh, a 21-year-old assistant organist. And York’s Consumer Protection Service, a council scheme whereby shoppers could air their grievances was in danger of being wound up. The fate of the service was however, just a mistake during voting, a miscount noted down by the minute taker.

20 years ago

Highway chiefs had announced a £2.1 million scheme for a new flyover on the A64 to close two lethal gaps once and for all. Roads Minister Lord Whitty said the proposed new junction at Bilbrough Top would be a boost for road safety on the dual carriageway between York and Tadcaster. And a grieving Duchess of York was jetting into Argentina at the end of her lonely 8,000-mile journey after her mother was killed in a horrific crash. The news had been broken to the duchess at the Italian home of her friend Count Gaddo della Gherardesca, where she had been staying with her at the time eight-year-old daughter Eugenie.