Monday, December 6, 2004

100 years ago: A most amusing scene was witnessed in the York City Police Court when a man described as a farmer, from Fleetwood in Lancashire, was brought before the chairman of the bench, on a charge of being drunk and incapable on Heslington Road at about 1.20am that morning. When first called the prisoner, who had been bailed out at 8am, did not answer, but some time afterwards was dragged into court by a constable, still disgracefully drunk. When the farmer had arrived safely in the dock he looked about in a very dreamy manner, and in answer to the Magistrates' Clerk said "Prapsh I have had - hic - a lil drop - hic - er whisky - over mush prapsh," provoking great hilarity in the court. After hearing the arresting officer's evidence the Bench fined the prisoner 10s and costs.

50 years ago: At a meeting of Scarborough Town Council it was resolved to provide a dry dock at an estimated cost of £4,266. Of that amount, £2,260 was to be supplied from the fund received from the sale of Scarborough's floating aquarium, the Hispaniola, which was sold to the film company that made Moby Dick. An application would be made to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to borrow the balance of £2,006. The Harbour Committee chairman said that such a dry dock would bring in an income of £250 a year, in addition, when they had to dry dock Scarborough's dredger Scarthi, it would cost £32 instead of £200 if they sent it to some other place for dry docking.

25 years ago: A 35 feet high hoarding covered the front of York Minster's West Door, where it was expected to remain for a year while a new treatment was used to harden stonework and masonry. A liquid was sprayed on until the stone could absorb no more, to consolidate the masonry, a temporary measure to save it from further deterioration, so that plaster casts and mouldings could be made. The stonework was too friable to take casts until the liquid worked, and eventually the whole thing would have to be renewed. The liquid would take six weeks to work then a further six months for the stonework to dry, so while this process was happening scaffolding was put up, with hoarding over it up to stop people climbing up it.

Updated: 08:58 Monday, December 06, 2004