100 years ago

At the York City Police Court, Fred McDonald, 11, and William Ryde, 13, were summoned for wilfully damaging a gas lamp, the property of the Derwent Valley Light Railway Company, on November 8th.

Mr HW Badger appeared on behalf of the company, and said that the facts of the case were that the two boys had pelted a gas lamp at Layerthorpe Station, and besides breaking all the glass they twisted the ironwork, doing damage to the extent of 10s.

The company did not want to press the case unduly, but they were constantly having property destroyed at the Layerthorpe station.

Wagons had been removed, gates torn down, and a more serious thing had happened from time to time, namely, large stones had been put in the points.

In fact, the Layerthorpe station goods yard seemed to be the “happy hunting ground” of all the hooligans in the Layerthorpe district, especially on a Sunday, and he asked for a conviction in the case as an example.

The defendants were each ordered to pay 5s towards the cost of the damage, and were placed under the care of the Probation Officer.


50 years ago

Musical honours would be accorded Father Christmas during his triumphal ride into York the following morning to the Coney Street store of W Rowntree and Sons Ltd.

The occasion would mark the first ever appearance in York of the 90-strong Horden Melody Makers' Jazz Band, comprising miners' children from Peterloo County Durham.

In their bright, red-and-white uniforms, members of the band - which had proved a big success at Scarborough's Dutch Week Festival procession in June - would receive gold-coloured medals from Santa near Clifford's Tower before the procession moved off.

Father Christmas would travel on a decorated 20ft long float.


25 years ago

China today accused Britain of trying to undermine its right to govern Hong Kong, which would revert to Chinese rule in 1997.

The government's People's Daily said China's sovereignty over Hong Kong was not debatable, and attacked British officials who they claimed had “vigorously spread word of a so-called 'crisis of confidence' and promoted the internationalisation of Hong Kong.”

Under a Sino-British accord, Peking promised to protect Hong Kong's capitalist system and allow a “high degree” of autonomy for 50 years after the transfer of power. But confidence in Hong Kong had slumped badly since the Peking massacre in June.

Meanwhile China's top official dealing with Hong Kong was reported to have said that China was considering prohibiting contacts with overseas political groups and limiting or banning foreign nationals from the territory's legislature.