From our archives:

85 years ago

Farmers from the Ryedale Heavy Horse Society gathered round to feast their eyes on some fine shire horses during the Society’s annual parade around Helmsley market.

The main attraction was the Earl of Feversham’s three year old Suffolk stallion.

The amount of money lost in fire wastage was hot topic for the members of York Rotary Club.

The disclosed sum was said to be around £12,000,000 according to Major Lyon of Liverpool, who put the causes of fire under three headings: Carelessness, wilful negligence and lack of civic duty.

He replied “he could never understand, why business men insured only for fire damage,” as a business could be incapacitated for months after a fire. Mr A J Mollison set off from Cape Town on his return to England, taking with him his damaged plane.

The flier, who was due to celebrate his 27th birthday the day after landing in England, said: “It’s hard to leave you now when I have just begun to like your country, but I must return to England on urgent business.”

50 years ago

More than 700 engineering workers had downed tools in the latest strike at Eggborough power station, due to the sacking of 64 of their workmates and girls from all over Yorkshire turned up at Tiffany’s Ballroom in York, wearing nothing but swimsuits and smiles in the hope of becoming the next Miss England.

Flyingdales police rescue team were called out to search for eight boys and girls from Haxby and Wigginton Youth Club who got lost during a map-reading exercise on the North Yorkshire Moors.

Seventeen teenagers in four groups set out to walk during the night 14 miles from Egton Bridge to Ravenscar.

But only one party completed the walk, one group gave up half way along and the two other groups got completely lost.

20 years ago

Thousands of motorists faced gridlock after bomb attacks closed three of Britain’s busiest motorways.

Police searched sections of the M1 and M6 after separate coded warnings thought to be from the IRA, were made about suspect packages on the motorways.

TV bosses had launched their own star wars in the battle for viewers of the nation’s favourite soap operas, by killing off Coronation Street’s dozy Derek Wilton the first of many casualties as the show’s writers tried to boost ratings over rival Eastenders.