Friday, November 4, 2005

100 years ago

At a sitting of the magistrates for the Eastern Ainsty Division, held at the York Castle, a Micklegate butcher, named Thomas Collis Browning, was summoned for driving a vehicle without a light at Dringhouses. Sergeant Henderson stated that he met the defendant driving a horse and trap in Dringhouses Lane, near Ashfield, at 6.30pm. He had no light and when he called out to him to stop he took no notice. Sergeant Henderson followed him on his bicycle, and caught the defendant at Ashfield. Mr Browning said that something was the matter with his lamp, and that he did not hear the sergeant call to him to stop. A fine of 5s and costs was imposed.

50 years ago

The Minister of Housing and Local Government, Mr Duncan Sandys, answering critics of his anti-smog bill, in the House of Commons, declared: "I think we are all united in our determination to eradicate what is a great social and economic evil, a menace to the health of our people and a source of disgraceful waste and destruction." Previously some MPs had urged stronger action on the measure - the Clean Air Bill - and Mr Sandys was winding up the Second Reading debate. "What we all want," he told the House, "is a measure which will be effective and workable and which will achieve its results as quickly as possible. Our intention is to make this Bill as effective, as tight and as strong as possible, consistent with what is practicable." There had been anxiety about the proviso that nothing but authorised fuel would be used, as the Government did not intend to authorise for this purpose anything but smokeless fuels. There was no existing prospect of eliminating the greater part of the sulphur discharged from industrial and domestic chimneys, but research was being energetically pursued.

25 years ago

British Rail was chewing over the idea of a £500,000 hamburger bar at York Station. This followed the runaway success of BR's first instant-food eatery at Waterloo, London. The prototype, offering burgers to travellers on a cash-and-carry basis, was likely to be copied at other mainline stations. It was a non-stop operation, geared to providing burgers on request. "It has done away with giving an order, listening to it being shouted through the hatch and then sitting down to wait," a spokesman explained. Travellers' Fare, BR's catering subsidiary, had launched its new concept under the name of Casey Jones.

Updated: 12:38 Thursday, November 03, 2005