100 years ago

In the east of England, and in the west, the Saturday half-holiday was becoming a national institution, and we could expect the Midlands to follow suit.

Outside Liverpool, among market-garden labourers, the weekly “half” was a standard demand, and it was granted by many employers.

On the east the King had now set the example. On his most admirably organised Sandringham estate he had granted the half-holiday as well as established a form of standard wage.

The habit had spread from the eastern counties as far inland as Huntingdonshire, where several employers had voluntarily offered the half-holiday on Saturday without deduction of wages.

The result had been a new keenness in the village football clubs.

In some cases the half-holiday meant not necessarily less work, but more adaptable work. All the men engaged in the care of animals had to feed the beasts regularly in spite of all regulations.

Sunday work as well as Saturday work was necessary, and some people feared a general increase of Sunday work. But hours were growing rather more elastic, and stock-keepers as well as labourers reaped some benefit.


50 years ago

Filey Urban Council had received a cheque for £1,000 from Mr Billy Butlin towards a fund for advertising British resorts, because he was concerned at the amount of advertising to induce people to take holidays abroad.

Mr Butlin said resorts should counteract this by increased advertising, the cost of which should be borne not only by the local authority but also by the proprietors of hotels, boarding houses and tradespeople.

He would send £1,000 each year for five years if a resort publicity fund was formed and supported by the council and tradespeople.

Filey Pleasure Grounds committee was to ask hotels and boarding houses if they would support a publicity fund.


25 years ago

The Japanese had ordered 10,000 pullovers from a York factory on condition they bore the label Made In The UK.

Remploy Knitwear, which employed 80 disabled people at its Layerthorpe factory, was delighted at its first order from Japan.

The pullovers being knitted at the factory were sober affairs compared with the bright reds, yellows and baby blues regularly dispatched to outlets such as Marks & Spencer and British Home Stores in Britain.

Japanese shoppers would have a choice of navy blue, dark grey and a brown shade called Driftwood.

Factory manager Eric Walters said the Japanese were extremely keen on the British image.

“They were most insistent that all the pullovers had a Made In The UK label.”

The pullovers were lightweight classic V-necks in pure wool and would be exported through an international trading company.