Wednesday, January 12, 2005

100 years ago: York Benevolent Society was celebrating the anniversary of its founding by the attendance at divine service at the Centenary Wesleyan Chapel of the Lord Mayor, Sheriff and Corporation. In 1792 a few charitably disposed persons formed a society for the relief of the poor of this city, and from that time the organisation had done a vast amount of good work, maintained by subscriptions and collections. It was strictly non-denominational in its character and workings, carrying its gifts to the homes of want, regardless of the religious or political opinions of its recipients. It made all its gifts in tickets, never affording help in money, and its visitors inquired into each case before relief was administered. Its work was all done by voluntary agents and collectors, so that no cost was incurred in its workings, except for printing its reports, etc. It distributed about 4,000 bread and coal tickets each winter, a number which could be usefully increased if the funds of the society admitted of such extension. The growth of York necessarily brought an increased area to serve, whilst the death or removal of subscribers reduces the income.

50 years ago: York Castle Museum, which experts all over the country extolled as being one of the foremost of its class, came in for some praise yet again. This time it was from one of the top-flight men in his field, who was deputy director of an exhibition of antiquities and works of art at Olympia in 1928. It was virtually the first Antique Dealers' Fair, and the value of the exhibits ran into millions of pounds. Writing in a national newspaper, he said that the method of display at York's "unique museum" ensured that "no visitor could possibly come away bored". The reference was made to the city in a letter which criticised the "faulty" displaying at many of this country's other public museums.

25 years ago: The first major overseas-built exhibit at the National Railway Museum was going on show in a few days. It was a completely restored sleeping car of the type which had been in regular use on the cross-Channel night ferry services between London Victoria and the Continent since 1936. The coach, built and operated by the Campagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits, had been restored at the company's Ostend workshop. It represented the only type of passenger-carrying vehicle operating regularly between this country and the Continent.

Updated: 09:17 Wednesday, January 12, 2005