Thursday, February 16, 2005

100 years ago

Mr Malcolm Spence, general manager of the York Glass Company, in his interesting lecture at the Merchants' Hall, Fossgate, detailed the history and art of glassmaking, the technical operations being made clear to the large audience by the aid of a number of excellent lantern slides. He outlined the history and progress until 1557, when the first works were established in England. They proved a failure, but being revived in 1660 the industry thrived, and had continued so since. The York industry was not a modern one. The first works was started in 1730 on the site of the existing coal-yard in Marygate, occupied by Mr Smith. This venture was not a success, but in 1794 another glass works was started in Fishergate, and was originated by two York jewellers. About 1830, the industry came almost to a standstill, and in 1836 Mr Joseph Spence bought it. The grandfather of the existing Recorder of York was one of those gentlemen who joined Mr Spence at the start of the works, and there was also in partnership a Mr Wilson, who was the sole survivor and now lived at Castle Howard.

50 years ago

In winter, one could picture a child, warmly wrapped in its nightie, all ready for bed and in front of the fire or near an electric or gas fire. How often this cheerful picture had had an unhappy ending. However, a new form of winceyette was on the market, and on sale in York, which at 6s 11d a yard was guaranteed fireproof. The price, though naturally higher than for other makes of winceyette, was worth paying to save the risk of fire. The "Proban" finish, which actually made the material anti-flame, was also claimed to increase the properties of the cloth in other ways. It was rot-proof, weatherproof and durable to repeated washing. When tested with a flame, the fabric charred slightly, but all burning stopped immediately the flame was removed. There was no smouldering or afterglow.

25 years ago

Dogs and their owners at Ilkley had been given a flag day . . . but it was nothing to do with charity. Two Ilkley men were so disgusted with the mess left behind by dogs that they had launched a protest. They planted homemade flags on every piece of dog dirt they could find in a local park. Mr Robert Gibson and Mr Keith Hodgson ran out after 120 flags were planted in Spencers Gardens. Mr Gibson said: "We're so fed up with our children coming in covered with dog mess after playing. Our aim is to get the park cleared up and get people to act more responsibly with their dogs."

Updated: 15:50 Wednesday, February 15, 2006