Monday, October 17, 2005

100 years ago

The Chapel at the York Cemetery had recently undergone renovation and had been greatly beautified in its interior. The scheme of decoration was a tasteful one, light colours predominating, and the chapel had assumed a bright and cheerful aspect. The stone walls were tinted pale green, with the exception of a number of abutting columns which were treated so as to resemble alabaster, and the wood panels beneath were painted a rich brown, which was made more effective with stencilled patterns in black. The ceiling was adorned with alternate colours of white and cream, and the windows were also coloured white. Mr Pilmoor, of Nunnery Lane, had carried out the work.

50 years ago

"What the State should do for education" was the subject before the Winter Forum held at The Settlement, York. It was said that State education since the war had been hit by an overflow bulge in school population - 1,250,000 extra children, plus other children staying at school until a later age. New school places provided had risen from 130,000 in 1950, to 260,000 in 1953. The previous year, 1954, the figure had dropped to 180,000 because the stage had been reached when the bulge was moving on from primary education to secondary education. On the point of "How are we going to develop secondary education?" an opinion was aired that it was impossible to sort out children and assign them to their proper line of education by the 11-plus examination, it not being possible to judge them well enough at that age and the 11-plus system created a form of snobbery. One argument maintained that the children should all be put into a comprehensive school. An example was given where 25 per cent of the grammar school children in South Yorkshire were leaving at 15, before GCEs, yet at secondary modern schools, there were children capable of gaining a GCE. "Selection at 11 is absolutely wrong," said one Doncaster teacher.

25 years ago

Work had started on a sports complex for Huntington which, when completed, would cost about £250,000. The first phase, costing £56,000 would include changing rooms, showers and a lounge and bar on the sports field in North Lane. "At the moment we have only a wooden hut for use by the football and cricket teams, and that is falling down," said the secretary of Huntington Sports Club, Mrs Sian Wiseman. "We have almost met the £56,000 target for the first phase," she added. Grants towards the cost had included £23,300 from Ryedale District Council and £4,500 from the Sports Council. There had been a lot of fund-raising by villagers. For example a sponsored walk by 78 people from Malton to Huntington had raised £1,058.

Updated: 07:56 Monday, October 17, 2005