Tuesday, June 21, 2005

100 years ago

A Traders' Defence Association was about to be formed for the Private Tradesmen to defend themselves against the Co-operative Societies. A correspondent wrote to the press saying: "Every tradesman in the city ought to be actively associated with the movement, and I trust the conditions of membership will be elastic enough to admit employees as well as employers. If the movement was really philanthropic there need be no opposition, but seeing that the guise of philanthropy is but a cloak that covers a 'divi'-making concern, there need be no fears of fighting such an institution." To read of the thousands of pounds taken quarterly by the stores, was surely sufficient stimulus for tradesmen, but if any more was needed to induce them to combine in this matter, they were urged to take a stroll down Railway Street about 8.15 on any Friday night.

50 years ago

The Prime Minister's announcement that Britain and America had signed an agreement on the interchange of atomic information marked a big stage forward in the nation's progress to an atomic age. Almost more important than the military aspect of this agreement was the fact that information about the civil use of atomic power would also be available to private firms as well as to national boards. Much was said about the great prospects atomic power offered; yet few people really knew what that meant. The scope was vast. It ranged from the treatment of plastics to the improvement of agriculture. In the chemical industry alone, apart from plastics, radioactive treatment could be used to simplify processes normally demanding great heat and pressure, thus making working conditions easier and reducing plant cost at the same time.

25 years ago

A record 140 Methodist youth club members and leaders went on the annual midsummer midnight ramble in the North York Moors. They were from clubs in York, Northallerton, Malton, Whitby, Scarborough, Aldborough, Brough and Hull. Four coaches took them to the starting point for the walk - the foot of Rudland Rigg - just before midnight. The ramble took them through Farndale and at dawn a short service was held on the old railway track bed near Blakey Rigg. It was conducted by Gerald Barley, secretary of the York and Hull District Methodist Association of Youth Clubs. After rejoining the coaches the ramblers were returned to their homes in time for breakfast.

Updated: 15:27 Monday, June 20, 2005