WHAT a fantastic photo of some men fishing in a small boat by York's Blue Bridge.

It comes from the city's Explore archives and is dated as "in the 1900s".

Just beyond the boat, at the edge of the bridge, you can see a cannon. This is one of the cannons captured at Sebastopol during the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

These guns had originally been Museum Gardens but were moved to this location on November 5, 1858.

Here is an interesting anecdote: the army did not join the parade because the country was at peace with Russia and army leaders did not want to embarrass the Russian Czar by celebrating his defeat.

The guns were removed in 1942 to help the war effort.

New Walk, by the river, was designed for citizens to promenade along the riverbank from St George's Gardens near Davy Tower to the confluence of the Ouse and Foss. The footpath was eight feet wide and lined with a single row of trees. It proved to be so popular that it was extended further along the bank to Fulford, widened to twenty feet and given a second row of trees to provide an avenue.

You can see more old photos of York online from the City of York Council/Explore York Libraries archive at images.exploreyork.org.uk.

And if you love looking at old photos of York, make sure to buy The Press every Wednesday for our weekly nostalgia supplement and join us in our Facebook group, Why We Love York - Memories. Join us at www.facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia/