Monday, May 17, 2004

100 years ago: "It is all very well sympathising with a hungry man," wrote columnist TT, "who, cold and cheerless, and without shelter, deems himself in such straits that he smashes a shop window to be locked up, but what about the poor shop-keeper, who possibly hasn't his window insured. Not only is the damage a dead loss to him, but he has to take his part in paying for the defender's prosecution, and his "keep" in gaol." There was an argument raging about just how productive prison labour was, but TT was in favour of it as in a case like this it would allow the man to make good the loss to the tradesman. These window-smashings for shelter were becoming far too common, and it was only a couple of months ago that a recruit, anxious to get out of the army, smashed a window, and stole some articles for the purpose of the offence being scored up against him, and was brazen enough to threaten a repetition. It struck TT that "a touch of the cat would do that gentleman no harm."

50 years ago: A York man who travelled to King's Cross station recently was surprised on his arrival to find a commotion among the crowd gathered in the station entrance, and a group of police officers threading their way through "on duty bound." Inquiring the cause of the disturbance, the man was told that the train announcer had vacated the cabin for a few moments, leaving the microphone switched on, and a student had taken the opportunity of making an announcement. The announcement informed the public that "the next space ship for Mars will depart from Platform 11 at 2.30pm." The student was escorted from the station at a speed "approaching that of sound!"

10 years ago: A unique penny dating back to the time of Offa which was found in North Yorkshire had been bought by the Yorkshire Museum in what it described as "an incredible coup." The penny was one of three extremely rare eight century silver coins from the time when Offa ruled Mercia, found last year on farmland near Bedale. The coins, two of which represented the most northerly find of Offa's coins ever, had been bought for £7,000 and it was only made possible as a result of grants. Experts weren't sure how they came to be so far north, although it was possible they were dropped by a religious traveller.

Updated: 11:30 Saturday, May 15, 2004