From our archives:

80 years ago

Hawnby Village had been chosen as the perfect choice to host the Helmsley district’s Wesley Day celebrations, as Wesley himself had once preached there. Kicking off the celebrations with an afternoon service, followed by tea for 230 guests was the Rev H Hindle. Hawnby Brass Band continued the evening’s programme of entertainment with a procession from the top of Hawnby to the village hall, where various speakers then gave an address from the hall steps, as most of the congregation were unable to enter the building due to the extreme popularity of the day. And a new High Altar set up in York Minter in the memory of the late Viscount Halifax had been consecrated by the Archbishop.

50 years ago

Efforts to raise £5,000 for a new sports centre in the village of Heslington, York, had turned out to fruitless. In two months of fund-raising by a hard-working committee of 11, only £50 had been received in donations, including profits from a whist drive and two dances. One of the last big church jobs to be undertaken by the Rev Dudley Hill, before he moved to St Oswald’s, Fulford, York, was organising the new lighting for St Mary’s Church, Thirsk. According to his newsletters he aimed to purchase nothing to obtrusive, “Many fine churches to my mind, have been spoilt by obtrusive fittings which should be quite unnecessary today, one would think.” And Chief Inspector Ernest Temple, Scarborough’s RSPCA inspector, had a problem on his hands in the shape of a kitten which had arrived in Scarborough via a diesel tank of a brewery wagon.

20 years ago

Hunky Yorkshire lads were being sought for a new all-male strip troupe. As Full Monty fever showed no signs of abating, two Scarborough business women were trying launch their own male strip show. Under the guise of Gorgeous Promotions, they were looking for five “attractive, fun-loving rhythmic males” who could strut their funky stuff on stage for £100 a night. And it wasn’t only Gazza who had been driven to tears, yet again by Glenn Hoddle’s controversial swinging of the axe. Boyes department store, Goodramgate, York, had just taken delivery of hundreds of soccer mugs featuring Gazza’s face and feared they would be left on be shelf just like the Geordie football legend.