Monday, June 14, 2004

100 years ago: If the forecast of the North-Eastern Railway Company's intention to make return tickets for distances over twenty miles available for six months from the date of purchase was correct, it was good news for passengers, according to columnist TT. He thought that railway companies knew their own business best, and as a rule they are not far behind well defined public requirements. The return tickets privilege to certain places in the summer for single fares was so highly appreciated last year as to induce the company to repeat their offer, and it was more than possible that the management had reason to suggest an extension of the week-end arrangement.

50 years ago: Mr Nobody thought that his regular readers would know one of the things which he hated most about York was trying to walk along Coney Street on Saturday afternoon, or at any other busy period. Recently, something else had arisen to irritate him, although not to the same degree. It was not, he supposed, confined to York, but it did happen regularly here, particularly in cafes. He was referring to those people who turn the rubbish from their pockets into ash trays, filling them with silver paper, bus tickets, and anything else which they wish to dispose. They could not wait until they passed a waster-paper basket, or found a fire. It infuriated him when, wanting to smoke, he had to either empty the rubbish or scatter his ash on table or floor, or rest his cigarette on the rubbish and risk producing an unpleasant smouldering mass. He then asked if any of the readers had any pet hates which they wanted to get off their chests, so he would air their peeves in the column too.

25 years ago: The county architect urged North Yorkshire County Councillors to start an early investigation into ways to beat the fuel shortage to avoid a crisis next winter, the council's oil suppliers having already cut ten per cent from the amount available for county council buildings. Three suggestions were made by the county architect to ease the problem: new buildings should only be fitted with gas, some existing buildings should be converted to gas, and increases should be made in oil storage capacity, in the hope there would be enough to last the winter out.

Updated: 08:25 Monday, June 14, 2004