Way we were

100 years ago

Sir J G Tollemache Sinclair Bart, of Thurso Castle, Caithness, had initiated an original scheme, designed to brighten the dull lives of inmates of London's workhouses and hospital wards. Sir Tollemache had addressed a letter to every board of guardians in London offering to present a gramophone, with thirty records, to the inmates of each workhouse, the only condition being that the gramophone should be used for one hour each day. The baronet, in his letter, said that he desired to avail himself of the now perfect gramophone to cheer, console, and lighten to some extent the lives of those who were condemned to lead a monotonous existence through no fault of their own. While the offer had been almost unanimously welcomed, some boards had taken objection to the accompanying condition of one hour's performance daily. The Wandsworth Guardians said it was absolutely impossible to comply with the condition, and asked the donor whether he would allow them to use their discretion.

50 years ago

Mr Colin Garthwaite, the new president of the West Yorkshire Federation of the National Association of Schoolmasters, urged that more male teachers were needed in primary schools to prevent the spread of the "Teddy Boy" cult. We now had in our midst a horde of undisciplined youths, referred to as "Teddy Boys", mostly in their late teens, who were becoming a menace to everyone, Mr. Garthwaite said. They were, for the most part "those unfortunates, who did not come under the influence of a man teacher at all, or at any rate too late for such influence to have the desired effects". He was not laying blame for their conduct on the shoulders of women teachers, who did an extremely good job during the war, when men were not available in sufficient numbers to deal with boys in their early formative years. "We must have men in the primary schools, not just in the grammar and secondary modern schools, in order to counteract this effeminacy." Mr Garthwaite added: "And the salaries must be sufficient to attract men of good qualities."

25 years ago

The Nolans, who were in the charts with 'Don't Make Waves', were making musical waves in the Royal Opera House, Scarborough. The singing sisters were the star attractions in a show that also featured comedy show group Fiddlygig, ITV New Faces comedy winner Johnny Kennedy, magician Paul Derek and the Geoff Laycock Variety Showband. Further down the East Coast in Bridlington, Ken Dodd and the Diddymen were in charge of the fun in the Spa Theatre with the Ken Dodd Laughter Show. Mike Harding was due at the 3B's Theatre Bar, Bridlington in June, but there would be Three Degrees less at the Spa Royal Hall it was reported, as the planned show by famed American singing trio The Three Degrees had been called off.

Updated: 09:08 Friday, May 27, 2005