Thursday, March 18, 2004

100 years ago: At a meeting of York Penitentiary committee, members were lamenting that "regrettable feature" of the life of the city, namely the gathering of "youths and girls" in Coney Street on Sunday nights.

It presented a problem that "defies Christian workers and social reformers," who had been unable to stop, or find a reason behind, the promenading on Sunday, a common feature of all large towns. The behaviour of the "loose tongued boys and girls" was blamed by the committee on the parents, for not doing something about their offspring.

50 years ago: A reader's letter complaining about bad manners in York cinemas sparked a deluge of similar comments, both from readers and journalists. One columnist was annoyed to have to sit through a film with a small section of the audience giggling and guffawing in the most moving moments of the film, having, it seemed, gone to the cinema with the intention of laughing irrespective of the nature of the film.

There were plenty of amusing moments, but the journalist saw nothing funny in a dead man being carried from a room on a stretcher, which had set the same people off into fits of laughter. Five minutes before the performance ended he was treated to another display of bad manners, as people remembered that they had buses to catch, and the first from the cinema would be first in the queue.

So, back thudded the seats and the stampede was on, some people even having the audacity to slip coats and hats on as they rose, blocking completely the views for everyone behind. Finally, he hoped that no overseas visitors were there to see the almost frantic efforts made by some people to "bolt" through the exits before the National Anthem was played.

10 years ago: Friendly foxes seemed to be getting a taste for sport by watching the action at Clifton Park in York. Rugby and tennis players had reported how foxes sat on the sidelines and watched them play, and in the last six weeks one fox had become a regular spectator at York Rugby Union training sessions.

As soon as the lights were switched on he came over, then sat on the touchline for three quarters of an hour watching them. Anglers at the lake at Clifton Moor had also seen the animals regularly, and residents in the area were feeding the foxes, encouraging a family of them to set up home in one garden.

Updated: 16:03 Thursday, March 18, 2004