100 years ago

The famous Yorkshire aviator, Mr Hucks, had just accomplished a remarkable performance when flying at Belle Vue, Manchester.

He was the first British aviator to loop the loop, and had recently set up a record as being the first of our countrymen to loop the loop 100 times, increasing his total from 88. For his first flight the conditions were far from satisfactory, for although the fog had lifted there were low-lying clouds, which at times hid the machine from view. Hucks twice made a double loop, however, and then, after a single turn, made a safe descent.

After half an hour’s rest he was again in the air, and made a preliminary loop at 600 ft high. Then, to the delight of the huge crowd, he made a series of graceful loops to reach his hundred. He came safely to earth, being then carried shoulder high round the ground. In his first flight at the event, Mr Hucks took as a mascot a large doll, in full aviation dress.

 

50 years ago

A sound had been heard in Coney Street for the first time for many years. It was the tenor bell which would strike the hours when the famous Admiral’s Clock was restored to the blitzed Church of St Martin-le-Grand currently undergoing conversion into a Shrine of Remembrance.

Ronald Newey and his son, Geoffrey, of Clifford Street, were assembling the hammer work which would strike the bell - the only one now left at St Martin’s. The drum of the clock, which was 5ft in diameter, was also being prepared. It was the original, but the working parts of the clock would be new.

It was intended that the clock would have Westminster chimes but, before that could happen a peal of eight bells would be required. And so, to begin with, the clock would strike the hours only.

 

25 years ago

In the 1988 top 50 singles from the York-based Fast Forward Top Ten, more than 60 per cent of the songs were by artists most people had never heard of until this year, making the theme for 1988 the year of the newcomer.

The best-selling single of the year was The Only Way Is Up by Yazz. The only ones anywhere near Yazz were Wet Wet Wet with their charitable remake of With A Little Help From My Friends, and Kylie Minogue’s I Should Be So Lucky. Kylie may not have had the best-selling single, but she was without doubt the best-selling artist with four gold hits plus one with fellow soapstar Jason Donovan. Kylie also took the honours in the LP chart with her platinum LP Kylie – The Album running away with top spot.