Friday, April 8, 2005

100 years ago: The vicar of Holy Trinity, York, had written to the York Diocesan Gazette asking for information respecting a certain saint, his curiosity being aroused by the discovery of a will, dated 1522, of a certain Katharine Smith. She bequeathed to her parish church, Holy Trinity, Micklegate, York, "a pound and a half of wax to be maid in iii Kandeles, one to be burne a fore the trinite, aother to burne before Saynte Sunday, the iii before Saint Katerine". The vicar had hoped that his query had been made known to some antiquary living in the Lake District, who might have gone into the question in connexion with St Sunday's Crag. He had wondered, if it wasn't thought too fanciful, if the name came from the Latin word for Sunday being Dominica, and in medieval times a play was upon the word, St Dominic being sometimes spoken in English as St Sunday. If so, then the 'images' and 'pictures' in parish churches were representations of the founder of the order of Friars Preachers.

50 years ago: People walking near the entrance to the St George's Hall Cinema, Castlegate, York, were surprised to see an elusive streak of blue darting here and there. It was an unidentified budgerigar enjoying an illicit jaunt in the city. The "budgie" was finally taken to a fancier at the Bay Horse, Fulford, where it was "boarded." It would be a good idea if all pet budgerigars - provided they had the ability - could be taught to repeat their addresses and telephone numbers, if any, thought Mr Nobody, as the columnist knew at least one in York that could do it.

25 years ago: Sammy the seal was lucky to be alive after being found orphaned on the beach north of Whitby. He was only a month old and just losing his baby white fur when an anonymous rescuer brought him to Flamingoland Zoo in January. For the first few weeks he had to be force-fed four times a day, staff had to teach him how to swallow whole herrings. When he arrived Sammy had green dye on him and it was believed he may have been marked by Greenpeace so that he wouldn't be culled for his coat. It was hoped now that he was expected to survive a permanent home could be given to him at the zoo: at the time he was staying in the fish pool in the reptile house.

Updated: 16:49 Thursday, April 07, 2005