100 years ago

The Vicar of Worksop the Rev GJA D’Arcy had come to the fore again. He had been speaking frankly on the subject of manners, and, among other matters, condemned the modern craze for effeminate pleasures, luxurious fare, and the problem novel and female fashions.

When, he said, they saw the modern female decked out in outrageous and outlandish garments, was it any help towards securing cleanness in her own heart and mind when, as she went along the street, every man she passed must perforce notice her, and point sometimes the finger of scorn, and more often the finger of mockery, at her?

He could not think of that daughter of Israel of old, bedecking herself out with gewgaws, going out amongst the men of the city, and falling into sin. Those who dived beneath the surface of society would be able to tell them that the way a certain evil was fostered was by the extraordinary ornamentations and dress of modern fashions.

50 years ago

Dr Richard Beeching’s plan for the future of British Railways was ready. It had been in preparation since his appointment as British Transport Commission chairman in mid-1961. Now it had been sent under “top secret” cover to Ernest Marples, Minister of Transport, for study.

A Ministry of Transport spokesman said: “The report will be studied by the Cabinet and later, it will be published” It was understood that the Minister and his colleagues were to give the report immediate top priority attention so that its provisions could be put into effect quickly where necessary. Dr Beeching aimed to wipe out the railways’ £150m a year a loss.

25 years ago

A trip on the threatened Settle to Carlisle railway beat the Orient Express into second place, claimed the Tory MP for Selby, Mr Michael Alison.

Speaking at Commons Question Time in praise of the joys of steam on that route, he told junior Employment Minister Mr John Lee: “A trip over the Ribblehead Viaduct on the Settle to Carlisle line, perhaps in a Pullman train pulled by one of our great historic steam locomotives... blasting its way up Ais Gill summit, is one of the world's greatest international tourism attractions, in comparison to which a trip even to Venice on the Orient Express is as a mere trip on Brighton Pier.”

He called on the Minister to “both sample and save” the line. Mr Lee replied that the tourism potentials of the line had been brought to the attention of transport ministers currently deciding the future of the line.