Way we were

100 years ago: It was a busy time in York on the river, as there were in the Ouse and Foss eight cargo steamers, ten pleasure steamers, and 84 barges. Owing to the flood in the river a couple of days previously many heavily-laden boats had got up to this point, and the tugs of the Navigation Committee were busy towing them to their berths, as the strong current made it difficult to get upstream.

50 years ago: A motorist from near Howden, summoned at Selby for speeding on the Selby to Leeds Road, sent a letter to the magistrates which read: "It is with no disrespect that I do not attend, But with all the cars I have to mend, The Petrol, the time and all the expense, Crossing the Toll Bridge twice at ninepence, I find it much easier to say in a letter, Guilty, Your Worship." The chairman of the Bench replied: "We have noted well this little rhyme, It has lightened the daily round; And although it is nearly Christmas time, Defendant will be fined £2. And at this festive season, were we not forced, We would not say 'license endorsed'." It had also been the shortest court of the year, as the magistrates disposed of all the business, mainly concerned with Christmas licensing extensions, in half an hour.

25 years ago: For the staff at the Castle Museum in York, Christmas decorations were a serious business. The Victorians made rather than bought presents, and so some of the staff at the museum did the same. Beadwork slippers, a smoking cap, watch pockets and a netted purse were made by the keeper of textiles, while the keeper of folk, with some help, decorated the parlour with a collection of Christmas cards dated 1879-80, and a Christmas tree complete with period toys, trinkets and candles. The tree decorations were based on a description from a magazine article by Charles Dickens, and the memories of a former attendant, now sadly deceased, who often decorated the parlour at Christmas. In contrast, the Moorland cottage at the museum had simple traditional decorations. There was a mistletoe bough suspended from the rafters with evergreen and apples, and more apples with nuts about the room, which were traditional gifts for children of a poor family at the time, and on the dough trough top preparations for a plum pudding could be seen.

Updated: 15:13 Friday, December 17, 2004