From our archives:

80 years ago

A quarter of an hour after a telephone message had been received at York Police station asking for the fire brigade to be sent to an outbreak at Minskip, a second message was received at the station. The second message stated that the fire had already been extinguished and that the Brigade’s services were not required after all. Unfortunately, it was a little too late, as the Brigade had already started on its journey and had to be intercepted near Green Hammerton before returning to York. The house, park and gardens of Harewood House, the residence of the Princess Royal and Earl of Harewood, were all ready to open to the public at an admission charge of 1s per person with all proceeds going to charity. And a large number of summonses for alleged road offences had been dealt with the at the York City Police Court.

50 years ago

A warm welcome for the heroes awaited Manchester United players and officials after they returned home after winning the European Cup 4-1. To cope with the crowd and traffic, police had closed several streets in the city centre while Matt Busby’s “boys” had a lie in at a West End hotel. With a recorded crowd of more 250,000 people, it was the biggest ever football crowd turnout. And a machinist with the British Railways carriage works Albert Ordish had become the 13th blood donor in York to receive the National Blood Transfusion Service gold award. Giving his first donation in 1942 and his 50th on May 9, 1968, Mr Ordish, aged 52, stated that he didn’t intend stopping anytime soon and was hoping to go on until 65.

20 years ago

A man trapped for almost 12 hours at the bottom of a 20ft deep trench which had collapsed on top of him finally been freed. Rescue teams had worked throughout the night to release the 18-year-old from Leeds, after he had become buried up to his waist while laying drainage pipes near his home in Rawdon. And miracle baby Charlie Issatt had joined his sister with a place in the medical history books to become the first new-born child in this country to be administrated a new wonder drug from America sparing him the trauma and risk of a liver transplant.