Monday, January 31, 2005

100 years ago: An advertisement for a shop girl in the paper had riled some factory girls, prompting one to write "as regards the advertisement for a lady assistant in chemist shop, and about trying to run the factory girls down. I am one myself, and would never dream of stooping to take such a paltry position. I have had experience in shops myself, and found wages very small and hours far too long, whereas we do know when we finish. A respectable factory girl would be quite capable of doing what is required, so why object to one?" Another wrote in saying: "Seeing in last night's Press that a 'chemist' requires a lady to put up stock and help as required, and that factory girls need not apply, I wish to say that I am a factory girl and can earn £1 a week with ten years' experience, and would not think of taking a situation where there was no experience needed. It seems to me to be a catch for some young lady, and I hope that he will get one to suit the job."

50 years ago: A farmhand called on to make a tour of inspection of the cow byres on a dark night, any time between the 15th and 19th centuries, would have picked up one of the most familiar and practical pieces of farm equipment: the horn lantern. The light was strictly candle powered, the pale beams finding their way through thin horn panes, in most cases. In other types of lantern, the tin sides were perforated in a variety of shapes such as lozenges, half moons and triangles. It was this type of traditional illumination, the design of which didn't change over a period of 400 years, which would be used in the new Agricultural Gallery at the York Castle Museum.

25 years ago: Officials at lifeboat stations on the Yorkshire coast received questions regarding lifeboats from all over the country, but one received at Bridlington had staff stumped. It came from a nine-year-old boy in the Nottingham area, who wanted to know: "What is a ship? Who invented ships? What is a ship made from? What does a battleship do? Which was the first ship? How big is an oil tanker?" Staff had to admit that while they could answer some questions, they suggested that the boy got a book from his local children's library on ships to answer the rest.

Updated: 11:24 Monday, January 31, 2005