100 years ago

The King had visited the International Aero Exhibition, just opened at Olympia, London.

His Majesty, who spent about an hour at the exhibition, devoted some time to the inspection of the army airship Delta, the mechanism of which was explained by the Superintendent of the Army Aero Factory.

The King also viewed with particular interest an 80-horsepower military monoplane, and had a long chat with Colonel Cody, who explained the working of his great machine with which he won the first prize at Salisbury. The King was greatly amused at some of Colonel Cody’s comments.

The well-known aviator expressed the hope that if his Majesty ever decided to take a flight it would be on a Cody machine in which he would be absolutely safe.

At the luncheon preceding the opening of the exhibition, Mr Hobhouse MP said the Government were determined they should not be far behind others in the development of aviation.

They realised that successful defence of the country and successful offence, if ever needed, would depend in the future on mastery of the air, as well as of the land and sea.


50 years ago

An article informed us all about Noel Goddard Terry, who was born in York in 1889, but despite the family interest in confectionery made his first job on leaving Marlborough School one in banking.

He eventually joined the firm in 1911, when the number of people employed was only about 300. Mr Terry worked in the sales section before being commissioned into the West Yorkshire Regiment during the 1914-18 war.

After his thigh was shattered by a German machine-gun bullet in 1916, he took a job at the Ministry of Pensions, returning to the family business after the war and rising to managing director.

For more than 25 years Mr Terry sat on the Eastern Ainsty Magistrates’ Bench, being elected chairman, in 1944. He had always taken a keen interest in local affairs and was involved in many York organisations.


25 years ago

York Green Party was preparing to fight a move to cut down a 50-year-old 40ft lime tree in front of the Judges Lodgings hotel in Lendal on February 21.

The tree, subject of a city council preservation order since 1981, was said to be posing a threat to both pedestrians and traffic because of the way it leaned out across the street.

A replacement lime was to be planted back from the road. York Green Party had deplored what it described as the proposed destruction of the lime and claimed the council had a duty to protect it.

If necessary, the wall should be altered and the tree braced, said the Greens.