100 years ago

The latest novelty in cinematograph films was to be shown at the Victoria Hall, York, every night during the week.

The management, up-to-date as usual, had secured from the Selsior Film Company the exclusive rights for the York district to exhibit the ragtime dancing films, which had been received with the heartiest applause wherever shown, and had proved a great success.

For the first three nights Mr Rutter would show "Ragtime Texas Tommy," and for the rest of the week, "Ragtime a la Carte," danced by the American ragtime dancers, Joe Bissett and Enid Sellers, would be projected on the screen.

The feature of these films was that the dancers were shown dancing in correct time to the accompanying music. This was the outcome of a simple invention, which secured perfect synchronism.

The pianist simply followed the baton of the conductor appearing in the corner of the film, facing the audience, and in this way splendid results were obtained. This novelty was sure to attract large audiences to the Victoria Hall.


50 years ago

The York City Engineer had discussed with the Divisional Road Engineer road proposals involving Clifton Green, which would be necessary to cater for the anticipated traffic flow on the opening of Clifton Bridge.

The Streets and Buildings Committee had agreed that the provisional agreement with the Clifton Green Committee for the improvement of the highway on the north-west side of the Green, by incorporating into the highway a strip of the green, should be approved.

It would be recommended that the Green Committee should be asked to approve the inclusion in the highway of a further strip on the south-west side of the Green.


25 years ago

Not long before, the idea of music in a bank would have been as blasphemous as a jukebox in a reference library.

After all, banks were places for hushed whispers and solemn faces, were they not? Well, no, actually, they were not. They were places where a great many of us conducted our financial affairs, an everyday part of our lives.

That being so, there was no good reason why doing business there should not be pleasurable and congenial, a fact which was recognised by the newly refurbished Midland Bank in Parliament Street, York.

The new-look bank offered more sensible and convenient operational hours, a less formal atmosphere and - most radical of all - that taped music. The repertoire would need to be carefully checked, of course.

Inflation ruled out The Threepenny Opera, Money Makes The World Go round was acceptable and Money Is The Route Of All Evil was unlikely to make the bank's Top Ten!