Thursday, July 8, 2004

100 years ago: Pleasant weather has prevailed at Scarborough for some days past, and the number of visitors was increasing steadily. The newly-established electric trams last week carried 10,000 more passengers than in the preceding week, and pleasure trips by steamers were being largely patronised. Another feature that had been popular was at the annual conversazione of the Field Naturalists' Society at the Museum, where there was a realistic exhibition about summertime in the Scarborough district.

50 years ago: A "particularly hearty" commercial radio show, broadcast from Radio Luxembourg, offered prizes to people for doing such "talented and worthwhile things" as carrying a pillar-box down the main street of Douglas, delivering alligators to innocent housekeepers, charging through the streets scattering pennies, and other such larks. The latest exploit involved an affianced couple, the male half of which was to spend a week aboard a raft in the middle of Scarborough Mere with all mod cons. His fiance, without a penny to her name, was to live in a tent beside the Mere, and keep both the mariner and herself from starving by scrounging food from anybody willing to give it. The young woman didn't have to beg as so much was brought to her, and the young man had grown a beard during the experiment. Columnist John Blunt questioned whether such stunts classed as entertainment, when in fact they showed rather poor, even vulgar, taste. He declared: "Let's make up our minds that even though we may welcome commercial television when it starts in this country, we shall not put up with shows of this description."

25 years ago: Pieces of Roman pottery and the bones of an ox dating back 1,600 years were found on a building site at Bridlington. The remains were found while excavations were made at a new house on the Marton Fields Estate, and also the discoveries also included Neolithic flint flakes. The acting curator of Sewerby Hall Museum was able to investigate the site before concrete was poured into the foundations, and he declared that they were the first evidence of a Romano-British settlement in the area.

Updated: 11:15 Thursday, July 08, 2004