Way we were

100 years ago: A "Fulford Landowner" in a letter on riverside walks, made a practical suggestion, which columnist TT hoped would not be allowed to fall flat. "We are not all cyclists," he pointed out, "and there were still a few old-fashioned folk left who prefer to see the meadow and the stream without the intermediaries of goggles or motor veils. We can't all take winged wheel in the early morn or the early eve to the country, and the walks within easy distance of the city are too few to allow them lightly to be lost us." The Fulford pathway by the river's edge and across the fields was called one of the sweetest round about, and so it would be "a thousand pities" if it were to be closed because a thoughtless few did damage in the long grass.

50 years ago: An appeal was printed from the keeper at the Yorkshire Museum to show him any Roman finds people may have. During recent excavations in Micklegate a quantity of Roman pottery and coins were dispersed among local collectors. The keeper would be very grateful if these collectors would bring these pieces to the Yorkshire Museum so that they could be recorded. "The history of Roman York," he continued, "can only be pieced together by the patient collation of all details and a record of every find, however insignificant, is of importance. I should be grateful to be allowed to examine these and any other finds from the city and neighbourhood."

25 years ago: After 32 years of silence the parish church at Clifton, York, would soon echo to the country's lightest bells. A full peal of six bells would ring out at St Philip & St James, thanks to the York Minster bellringers who had replaced the church's old bells, and cleaned up the ringing chamber and tower. The old bells were sent to the foundry to be melted down, the new ones having the advantage of being so light that, unlike their predecessors, they didn't rock the entire tower when being rung.

Updated: 15:07 Monday, July 26, 2004