Thursday, November 3, 2005

100 years ago

Mr Amos Chambers of Selby sued the North Eastern Railway Company for the recovery of 30s, damage alleged to have been sustained by the breaking of a plate glass in a wardrobe whilst being carried in the guards van from Leeds to Selby. The plaintiff purchased the wardrobe in Leeds, and in order to ensure its safety brought it home with him by passenger train, paying 3s 6d excess luggage. The wardrobe was intact at Leeds, but at Selby the glass was broken. In explanation the guard said that it had fallen over as the train was crossing the curve at Neville Hill. The Judge said that as the plaintiff had signed a contract that it should come at the owner's risk, excepting for wilful misconduct, and as this could not be proved then an act of neglect was not enough, and rejected the claim. Mr Chambers said that this case would open a serious question, because it seemed to him that the Railway Company could do as they liked with your luggage.

50 years ago

Until shortly before, any woman who was not the standard shape and size had a difficult time when it came to buying stockings. With only one leg length available, stouter-limbed women endured tortures wearing stockings far too tight at the top, small women fought a losing battle against wrinkles, while their tall sisters, perhaps the unluckiest of all, were reduced to cutting the tops off their old stockings and sewing them on to the new pairs. Most of the best-known manufacturers had recognised the difficulties and had started to manufacture in three different lengths for each foot size, for the tall, medium and short woman. Another great help to the non-average size shopper were the new developments in nylon which enabled a stretch stocking to be produced.

25 years ago

Bridlington inshore lifeboat had saved 17 lives the previous summer. Many of those rescued had been blown out to sea on rubber dinghies. Others were cut off by the tide. The boat, now laid up for winter, was launched 27 times. Some of the launches involved other boats or RAF helicopters going to the rescue. Mr Fred Walkington, coxswain, said: "In one day last summer eight were rescued from dinghies -- two by helicopter, two by a yacht, two by a pleasure boat and the other two by the lifeboat. Some people take no notice of conditions and others go to sea in spite of warnings. Some, however, are at last learning sense when they have had a narrow escape. Twice, when people have been rescued, the children or their parents have asked us to destroy the dinghy and this we did.''

Updated: 15:47 Wednesday, November 02, 2005