From our archives:

80 years ago

Harry Castelli and his accordion band were top of the bill for York’s Empire Theatre. A notable attraction Castelli and his band provided a popular programme of musical comedies and melodies, crowned by a performance of Mr Castelli’s own arrangement of “The Lost Chord.” The clever variety show also showed real team spirit combining other talented “turns” such as the likeable comedian; Peter Raynor, “the BBC novelty box” and Fell and Francis, comedy acrobats. Budding Malton jockey Kenneth Richard Mullins, son of a hunting farmer in Monmouthshire, rode his first winner at Lingfield on Mrs J A Dewar’s Truckle, on which both owner and trainer had a nice bet. And the King, had taken a special interest in the Royal Counties Agricultural Society Show, in Bournemouth, mainly due to receiving the first and second prize for heifers born in 1937 and the first prize for bulls born in or previous to 1936.

50 years ago

The Duke and Duchess of Kent had paid a visit to York Minster to see how the work was progressing on the Save the Minster campaign. Wearing a trim navy suit with white cuffs and a white polo-necked under-blouse, the Duchess arrived with her husband in an S-type Jaguar with their two dogs, a black Labrador and a Cairn terrier. Sporting white safety helmets throughout the visit the Duchess commented, “that it was almost seven years since the couple were married in the Minster and were looking forward to their anniversary.” Blue skies, and large entries in the cattle classes, had brought the crowds rolling in early for the 16th annual Wetherby Agricultural Show. Show secretary Mr Roger Worthy, recalled last year’s loss of £100, and declared: “We hope, with a day like this, to at least reach our target attendance of £12,000, or to break even.”

20 years ago

The BBC had drawn up a secret contingency plan to try and save its coverage of the World Cup as striking technicians warned they would pull the plug on the matches and black out other sporting highlights such as Wimbledon and Royal Ascot. The planned 24-hour stoppage was due to rumours that the BBC service would be privatised by Stealth. And several tons of coal dust had caught fire at Drax power station resulting in the closure of one of the coal grinding mills.