Monday, November 8, 2004

100 years ago: A good story of the telephone came from Scarborough. A few days previously the police rang up the Magistrates' Clerk on the telephone, to inform him that there were no cases at the Police Court that morning. Owing to some mistake in the numbers, the connection was made with a local Methodist, well known for his fervour. "Are you there, sir?" was asked. "Yes," came the answer. "Glad to tell you that there are no cases at the Police Court," was the message caught by the listening local preacher. "Glory be to God. Hallelujah!" came the reply. Then the police concluded that some mistake had been made.

50 years ago: The master of the Incorporated Guild of Hairdressers, Wigmakers and Perfumers, at their autumn conference in Harrogate, had said: "I have come to the view that women are badly organised from the word go. Their hearts are in the right place, otherwise there is sheer chaos. Some years they have no waists and other no hips. Sometimes they go in at the front and out at the back. There was a time when women took pride in the display of their knees. Now they are doing things with the upper part of their anatomy which leaves me gasping. When it comes to hair, confusion increased. Having madly donned gloves a yard long, bought shoes of a new shade, duly raised the hem and lowered the neckline, women none the less continue all too often with the same old hair style. They had little or no courage to try new styles - boldly to have their hair cut and shaped. If only they knew how much better they would feel with less weight on their heads, how much easier it would be to keep their hair elegant and attractive by constant and regular attention. Ladies, your hair is a mess."

25 years ago: A scheme to allow people to park their cars and take a bus into the centre of York to do their Christmas shopping was approved by councillors for the second year running. One councillor did think it was a "poor show" if people couldn't walk into town from the car parks on the outskirts, but another argued against this saying it would be a boon to people living further out of the city. The two schemes would run from Leeman Road car park to Davygate, and Heworth Green car park to Piccadilly.

Updated: 12:13 Saturday, November 06, 2004