Wednesday, February 15, 2006

100 years ago

An ex-Northern Master of the Fox Hunt, who had always been interested in hound breeding, had decided to try an interesting experiment with a view to improving the nose of hounds. In his opinion hounds had for some time been bred too much for speed, often at the expense of nose, whilst even if they had good noses by standing on legs longer than the old-fashioned hound, it was more difficult for them to catch the particles of that mysterious quantity - scent. It had often been suggested that if the foxhound were crossed with a bloodhound the nose would be materially improved. Of all dogs the bloodhound was the quickest and truest on the stalest and faintest of lines, and the ex-Master of Hounds had determined to give the cross a trial.

50 years ago

Snow drifts platform-high halted a passenger train in Ravenscar station on the line linking Whitby and Scarborough. An SOS was sent to Scarborough for a snowplough and the train was eventually freed. This was one sequel to a night of heavy snow and gale-force winds on the Yorkshire Coast. Drifts up to 10ft deep blocked all roads into Whitby and at Bridlington there was four feet of snow in many streets. Snow ploughs on many roads in the Whitby-Scarborough area had had to give up working, being unable to cope with the blizzard blowing from the Moors. Yorkshire coastguards reported winds of over 50 mph during the night and ships had to take shelter in Bridlington Bay.

25 years ago

More and more tourists visiting York were taking hotel accommodation at Selby and then travelling into the city each day of their stay. This was the view of Mr William Shannon, general manager of the Leeds trading region for brewers Whitbread East Pennines Ltd. He had reached the conclusion, he said from the brewery's expense in running the George Hotel in Gowthorpe, Selby. He foresaw Selby being used to a limited extent as an "overspill" area by tourists. Mr Shannon was commenting on his brewery's application for planning permission for a package of improvements to the George and the nearby Grey Horse public house. The two houses, just one door away from each other, would, if the improvement package were given the go-ahead, boast additional letting bedrooms, a banqueting suite, conference facilities and improved public facilities.

Updated: 08:52 Wednesday, February 15, 2006