Way we were

100 years ago: By what was termed "a strange coincidence", seven children strayed away from their homes and were unable to find their way back, all on the same day in seven separate incidents, and were taken to York Police Station. In each case the child was restored to the anxious parents without very much delay, the furthest wanderer being a boy who was found at Heworth, but who belonged to the Leeman Road district.

50 years ago: Columnist Mr Nobody asked if York council house tenants were superstitious about living in a house with the number 13. He began to wonder after reading that the housing authority in Sunderland had agreed to omit the number 13 from all its housing estates in deference to the wishes of its tenants. It appears that Sunderland people were reluctant to have this supposedly unlucky number on their front doors, and so the columnist telephoned York's housing department and asked if there was a similar prejudice in the city. He drew the conclusion that the tenants of York were not so superstitious, after he was told that there was a number 13 on all York housing estates and so far there had been no complaints. One new avenue on a York estate had been renumbered recently, however, and one tenant who previously lived at number 12 now found himself at number 13, and so the authorities were now waiting to see if he would object.

10 years ago: An unusual request was made by the staff at the Forte Hotel in Tadcaster Road, York, who were searching for a pet duck. They needed one to be their mascot all the nnext month to coincide with the hotel chain's nationwide Love A Duck promotion, and so owners of eligible ducks were asked to telephone the hotel.

Updated: 08:33 Wednesday, May 26, 2004