Tuesday, June 14, 2005

100 years ago

The House of Lords Select Committee issued a report on the Sunday Closing (Shops) Bill. The committee were convinced by the evidence that Sunday trading was on the increase, that the Bill was urgently needed, that it was desired by the shopkeeping interests and would inflict no serious hardship on the poorer class, that it would be a great benefit to the country generally. The committee had ascertained the feelings of over 300 shopkeepers' associations, and, with the exception of the Confectioners' Union, all were in favour of the Bill. The committee also heard evidence from 49 witnesses, representing the principal shop keeping interests, especially bakers, butchers, dairymen, drapers, grocers and hairdressers, and they found that an overwhelming majority of tradesmen desired Sunday closing.

50 years ago

"Burlesque" at the Empire advertised itself as "featuring the spectacle of glamour", and as might be expected was consequently more of a man's show than a family entertainment. A team aptly named "The Sex-Appeal Girls," a handpicked selection of attractive young women, gave the audience its money's worth of glamour in the form of a series of artistic poses in a state of near nudity. Their chief features included a "Legend of the Glass Mountain", a series of poses which brought fame to such film stars as Marilyn Monroe and Hedy Lamarr, and "Miss Blandish and her famous moving nudes", who were rotated as they posed on a moving platform. The rest of the programme was also liberally sprinkled with ladies in near-undress, who carried out their legal requirement of absolute stillness as they meditated on the vivacious performance of the rest of the chorus in their various song and dance routines.

25 years ago

Residents would fight to save the threatened Chapelfields adventure playground in York. They planned to make representations to North Yorkshire County Council, which had decided against continuing to pay for supervision. The play leader was arranging a meeting of residents. Meanwhile there was a chance that the city council would step in if the money was not forthcoming. York Recreation and Amenities Committee was asking the county to continue funding the play leader. But if that plea failed, a motion asking for the city council to provide the money would come forward again, said Councillor Eric Roberts. "I am confident that the committee would agree to take this over," he added. "It's still an open issue."

Updated: 15:25 Monday, June 13, 2005