Tuesday, July 6, 2004

100 years ago: A proposal made by one of York's aldermen to change the name of the York Lunatic Asylum to Bootham Park was deemed a sign of the times by Columnist TT. He believed that no longer was the harsh word spoken, and so the change was to soften the pangs of friends of the afflicted, by speaking of an asylum as a Park, or a Grove or a Retreat, and so no objection should by lodged against the proposal. A change would only be effective for a period, believed TT, for the new name would attain a significance no less direct than that attaching to the present title.

50 years ago: A few days previously, columnist Mr Nobody mentioned a copy of the York Courant of May 12, 1842, which reported the case of a thief who was taken before magistrates sitting at "the Town Hall". No one seemed to know where the building was or even that it existed, but a long reference to Pocklington in a History of Yorkshire published in 1856, 14 years after the date of the newspaper, contained the statement that "Petty Sessions for this division of the Wapentake are held here in the Police Station on the first Saturday in every month". There was not a word about a town hall, and he was wondering whether such a building could have been swept away in the "considerable improvements" that were said to have been made, according to the History of Yorkshire, "within the last quarter of a century". Several more letters had been received by people, all also hoping that somebody could throw further light on this somewhat baffling subject.

25 years ago: The former County Hospital complex in Monkgate, York, was being sold on behalf of the North Yorkshire Health Authority, and on the day of deadline there had been received more than two dozen tenders, plus two or three expressions of interest in other forms. The site was expected to cost £6 million to buy and redevelop, and planning consents granted included hotel, office block, education and residential occupation.

Updated: 09:30 Tuesday, July 06, 2004