100 years ago

When pleasure had for its object the service of charity it was doubly pleasing. Such could be said of the fancy dress ball held annually in the Assembly Rooms, York, for the proceeds were always devoted to some charity by which children benefited.

Recently, when the ball had been held in aid of the League of Pity (York branch NSPCC) the hall had been, from six o'clock until the early hours of the morning, crowded with a laughing, joyous throng.

As was customary the first part of the evening was given over to the children who numbered about 200. They were all in fancy dress.

Prizes were awarded for the most effective and most original costumes, and there were not a few quite unique in their originality.

Among the winners Miss G Rudgard, costumed as the Goddess Diana, came first for girls between seven and 12, and in the most original, Miss Lorna Wailes Fairbairn, as an advertisement for Messrs Leak and Thorpe, Coney Street, York, was placed first.

In the boys’ classes, Master Miles Stapylton, as an Irishman, was first for the most effective costumes, and for most original, Master Wilfred Procter, who appeared as brown paper parcels, was selected as the winner.


50 years ago

Teachers meeting in London had agreed that part of their role was to give realistic guidance to adolescents on sexual behaviour.

At the first of the year’s national sectional meetings organised by the National Union of Teachers, the modern school section passed a resolution that schools had a positive role to play in the development of the highest moral and social attributes of their pupils.

It was advocated there should be discussions by teachers and also with others concerned in the welfare of young people to establish how best teachers could approach the problem.


25 years ago

York's flourishing Green Party was hoping 1989 would be the year when it conquered the threat of a nuclear dump and boosted the sales of lead-free petrol.

European election candidate Rod Bell spelt out two of the most important issues for the party after a year which had seen a leap in their membership.

York now had more than 100 Green Party members as environmental issues thrust more frequently into the spotlight.

“We have passed the three-figure mark in the York area alone, and started new groups in Scarborough and Whitby,” said Mr Bell. He highlighted the Green candidate’s performance in York City Council’s recent Guildhall ward by-election, polling 12.5 per cent, as “very encouraging.”

“We are starting to get a higher profile, and people are more aware of us, seeing us as a credible organisation.”