100 years ago

Yorkshiremen had two great hobbies – sport and success, interestingly remarked Dr C Herbert Smith at the annual meeting in London of the Society of Yorkshiremen. He went on as follows: “Yorkshiremen are always, or nearly always successful in life.”

He attributed it to their having to get up as children very early, to their schooling been very thorough and to the lack of “coddling” in Yorkshire homes.

The Yorkshire boy had to make his way in the home, so it was no wonder he made it subsequently in the world.

When the society of which he was chairman offered to help Yorkshiremen who had fallen on bad times in London, the money was rarely accepted, save on the condition that the recipient should be allowed to return it later when things went better with him, and return it they did.


50 years ago

Lord Deramore’s 3,000-acre estate at Heslington, which had been in the Deramore family since 1558, was to be sold during the summer.

Most of the village of Heslington would be included in the sale with 12 farms. Lord Deramore, aged 60, who currently lived with his wife in the Manor House at Heslington, commented on the proposed sale: “The trustees of the estate reached this decision after a lengthy meeting in London. As this is a settled estate, the trustees are responsible for administering it. They have advised that it should be sold and I have accepted this course.”

Heslington Hall, where the University of York had established in October, was the former ancestral home of the Deramore family. Lord and Lady Deramore hoped to continue living at the Manor House, which was in the centre of Heslington.

“There is land with a building potential but most of it is still in the green belt,” said Lord Deramore.


25 years ago

Hopes that Beirut hostages Brian Keenan and John McCarthy were on the verge of being released were fading.

The sister of Belfast-born Mr Keenan had had talks in Dublin with Iran’s ambassador in Ireland and later dismissed reports he was about to be freed.

Mrs Elaine Spence said: “There is no reason whatsoever to believe Brian is about to be released. Beirut lives on rumour and this particular rumour has been blown up by the press. It is unfair on the family.”

Mr Kamran Karadaghi, political editor of Al Hayat, denied the paper had claimed they would be released within 72 hours. He said reliable sources had reported talks between Ireland and other countries involved were going ahead.

He was not able to say whether the fate of church envoy Terry Waite was also on the agenda.