Supporting cast

First we take to the river bank. The wonderfully evocative photograph of boys fishing on the River Ouse was brought in by Victor Newland. He has lived on Leeman Road most of his life, and this picture, taken by a Yorkshire Herald photographer, shows a stretch of the river behind the road.

It dates from about 1936, and it belongs to a friend and neighbour of Mr Newland. On the back of the print, one of the boys is identified as Jim Wrigglesworth.

In the background, you can see a couple of boats. This was before Clifton Bridge was built and a ferry would take people from one side to the other.

The riverside has long been a playground for Leeman Road lads, said Mr Newland, who is 62. Swimming and fishing with home-made rods was still very popular when he was growing up.

And he enjoys the occasional dip to this day - when the weather is warm enough. "The river's a lot cleaner now than it was then," he said.

The riverside was a great place to get away from parents and have a laugh, he recalled.

"When we were kids, we had to be seen and not heard. You had your own gang.

"Some people used to frighten you, so you would keep in your own gang.

"We used to go to the river on a Sunday all day, and then go into town to see the flicks at the Rialto."

Mr Newland would love to hear from anyone on the picture, or from those who can identify the young anglers. Ring him on (01904) 635611.

We go a few years further back for our other river picture. Dennis Lancaster brought in the photograph of a group of people taking a ferry across the Ouse at Barlby, near Selby.

They were making the crossing by boat because the toll bridge had broken down, he said. According to the date written on the back of the photograph, it was May 31, 1930.

The woman second from the left is Dennis's mum, Doris May Lancaster. Next to her is Kitty Bainbridge, who became the mayoress of Selby. Although the mill is still there, the houses on the left have all gone.

"The ferry was still used when the bridge broke down to ferry people back and forth," said Mr Lancaster, of Olympia Crescent, Barlby.

The last in our selection of photographs is more recent. David Lucas, now living in Penzance, sent it to us. In the Seventies he was appointed director of the film and television department at St John's College in York.

He came across this picture when he left the college in 1986 and writes: "The enclosed photos seem to be shots taken when a school presented a nativity tableau in some local stately home.

"I suspect my predecessor, who had a small mobile TV van, may have been recording it all."

He would love to know what was going on and whether anyone recognises themselves on the photograph. If you can help, email me at chris.titley@ycp.co.uk or telephone (01904) 653051 ext 337.

We have run several articles in recent months on the local music scene in days past.

One of them focused on a book by Ray Moody, The Sounds of the Cities, which detailed the groups that played in York and Hull.

It was his pledge that "if you or your group aren't mentioned in this book then you weren't there".

Mick Scaife, of Norby, Thirsk, wrote to point out he wasn't in the book - but "we definitely were there, and what a great time we had".

He was in a group called The Informers in 1965 and 1966. Mick was the drummer and the other musicians were fellow pupils at Burnholme Secondary Modern School.

They played in church and village halls then became the resident band on a Thursday night at St James The Deacon in Thanet Road, Acomb.

"In late 1965, we supported Gideon's Few at the Enterprise Club," he writes. "This really was the icing on the cake for us and I remember we played really well that night, so much so that we actually played the final spot."

Finally, we ran a piece on Yorkshire milestones last month. Mike Prime of Flavian Grove, York, has spotted some ones we didn't mention, on the York to Helmsley Road.

"They are cast iron with a V shape facing the road. Each face has a cast and painted hand pointing to York or Helmsley with the appropriate mileage. Unfortunately they all point in the wrong direction!" he writes.

"I have always assumed they were removed early in the war to thwart German invaders and put back on the wrong side of the road after the war."

Updated: 11:54 Monday, January 06, 2003