From our archives:

85 years ago

While officials of the British Gliding Association were alarmed at the absence of Mr J Laver, of the Dorset Gliding Club, who had entered the Sutton Bank competition in Thirsk and was now reported as missing. Mr Laver himself was tucked up in his hotel only a few yards away. Forced down three miles from the landing ground in a field in Kilburn, a colleague had gone in search of the missing pilot and returned him to Thirsk, without informing any officials. And Mr Sam Tempest, an 86-year-old Otley pensioner, was having the laugh of his life after receiving a letter from Ilkley Rugby Union Football Club asking him to return his football jersey, “as you will not require this now.” Mr Tempest tickled to death by the postcard, told a Yorkshire Herald reporter, that he had never played football or been associated with the Ilkley Club. According to one Ilkley official, “it was perhaps an Otley Postman who had made the blunder.”

50 years ago

A three-and-a-half-hour meeting had taken place between the Prime Minister, Mr Harold Wilson, and Rhodesia’s leader, Mr Ian Smith, to discuss the Rhodesian problem. The talk aimed at easing the differences between Rhodesia and the United Kingdom had been carried out once before in December 1966. Both efforts had failed to achieve an agreement, although Harold Wilson did add a sixth principle to the five he had previously enunciated. Legendary Eartha Kitt had started a two-week season at Batley Variety Club. Travelling with her for the first trip to Britain in more than three years, was a stage wardrobe which included gowns of ocelot and mink, worth £20,000. And in York, Professor Swann, was the guest of honour at the opening of the Universities new biology laboratories.

20 years ago

Thirty-one workers were recovering after a toxic gas leak at the British Sugar factory in York. Launching an investigation into the leak of sulphur dioxide, which had left some employees suffering from eye and throat irritation, British Sugar operations director Karl Carter said the tank had been an isolated incident and the leak had been halted quickly. And in New York, an English oak tree had been planted in Central Park to mark the birthday of ex-Beatle John Lennon. His widow Yoko Ono had attended the ceremony in an area known as Strawberry Fields.