100 years ago

The militant suffragettes intended embarking on a much more extensive policy of militancy after the reassembly of Parliament, than anything they had hitherto attempted.

They would make the lives of public men, without distinction of party, as unbearable as possible. The announcement made at the meeting of the WSPU by Mrs Dacre Fox that an effort would be made to see His Majesty at Buckingham Palace was only one item in the programme. Raids on Cabinet Ministers and members of Parliament were promised, and the violence was hinted at of a nature more daring than anything which had formerly been attempted.

Social functions, especially those where society was largely represented, and popular sporting events would be used to advertise the suffragettes’ propaganda, and in other ways they intended to make 1914 politically famous.

 

50 years ago

Thousands of contributors to York University’s appeal had received a specially prepared 18-page illustrated report on the new university’s progress.

The university appeal for £2m was launched in May, 1962, and £1,600,000 had been raised so far. The report gave details of academic and architectural progress. Among the photographs were pictures of ancient buildings now restored, new buildings and a perspective of one of the two new colleges to be completed the following year.

There was also a photograph of students, about one-twelfth of whom were from overseas, at work in the reading room. The academic progress indicated the courses already open and the professorial appointments to the departments of biology, chemistry, physics, economics, education, English, history, language, mathematics, philosophy and politics. The library had been established at Heslington Hall until the provision of the university library by 1966.

 

25 years ago

A multimillion-pound leisure village of hotels, cinemas and a roller skating rink was planned on the edge of York. Developers had just revealed details of the next stage of the 70-acre Clifton Moor complex.

Experts believed York was ready to exploit the leisure boom with two hotel chains, a ten-pin bowling alley and roller-rink queuing up for a slice of the action. Already more than 40,000 people a week visited the Clifton Moor centre where Tesco had opened its superstore in May.

A total of 163,000 sq ft of extra shopping space would be completed in the autumn bringing a further 250 jobs. This would offer carpet, furnishing and DIY chains a chance to join the out-of-town shopping complex. Warner Brothers Theatres had started work on its 12-screen cinema at the site in November and hoped to open towards the end of the year.