Tuesday, April 27, 2004

100 years ago: An Evening Press columnist told of "horribly mixed" telephone wires in York, the possible result of severe gales. The writer of the "Northern Gossip" column said he was rung up by four people, all mistaking him for the Exchange operator. Confusion reigned all morning, as one caller was put through to the Yorkshire Herald office instead of the Exchange, and a further man phoned the writer asking him to give a price for some potatoes. Even ringing the Exchange itself brought no improvement on the situation, said the writer, after doing so put him in touch with the railway by mistake. Speaking of his irritation at the morning's crossed wires, the writer said: "I had Northern Gossip to write, and I must have been kept fooling for a good half hour in odd minutes over the wretched instrument, with the hungry-eyed printer's devil waiting at my elbow for copy. It is enough to rile any man."

50 years ago: A swan and a goose produced a "unique" offspring - a "swoose". The young goose and swan cross was a result of a love affair between Charlie, the lovelorn swan from the River Ouse, and Janey, the brown goose he flew miles to see. Three chicks were born to the pair, one with the yellow feathers, beak and leg of a gosling, another with a darker bill, and a third with the long neck, bigger bill and grey colouring of a cygnet. Ida Richardson, of Low Roans Farm, Strensall, told the paper: "It looks a real cross between a swan and a goose." After Charlie had been flying to see Janey for two years, the pair were brought together by a York parks superintendent, who bought the goose from the farm, allowing her to live happily with Charlie in a York park. The birth came days after a reader wrote in to say that the courtship would never result in any offspring, due to differing egg incubation times for goose and swan eggs. The correspondent also thought there would be problems in the long term, as geese are polygamous, whereas swan stick with one mate, taking their turn incubating the eggs.

10 years ago: A replica Viking ship sailed triumphantly down the River Thames in London to mark the tenth anniversary of the Jorvik Viking Centre. The ceremonial journey marked an estimated thousand years since warriors tore down London Bridge to help the English king repel Danish invaders to the country. London's Tower Bridge was opened especially for the 50ft long Norwegian oak ship, as part of a river expedition to honour York's pioneering centre. During the anniversary celebrations, the ship also sailed down the Humber and the Ouse. MPs from the Commons' Select Committee on National Heritage met the boat's crew, along with Peter Addyman, director of the York Archaeological Trust, and supporters of the famous York museum. The crew, which included Norwegian captain and Jorvik Viking Centre enthusiast Trond Svensson, were presented with specially made replica Viking coins.

Updated: 09:51 Tuesday, April 27, 2004