Tuesday, April 20, 2004

100 years ago: Messrs Merryweather and Sons, Limited, the well-known manufacturers of fire extinguishing appliances, had recently supplied different types of floating fire engines to various public authorities and private firms at home and abroad. This was thought to be of interest to readers, as there had been a suggestion made a few days ago for the provision of a fire float for York, in order to complete the equipment of the city's brigade. Amongst others the company had just built was a new fire float for Messrs Huntley and Palmer's Biscuit Works at Reading, which was intersected with shallow canals and streams, and as this possessed some novel features, it was thought something of the kind might be suitable for York.

50 years ago: Six York bells that had been silent for a number of years would soon ring again, but from a different church tower. Workmen from a Loughborough firm were busy dismantling the bells from the tower of St Mary's Church, Bishophill Senior, and after removal the bells would be taken to Loughborough to be tuned and provided with a new frame and fittings. They would then be rehung in the tower of St Stephen's Church, Acomb. The peal of six was cast in London in 1770, the tenor bell, which was the largest, weighing more than 11cwt.

10 years ago: Further sightings of a mysterious "big cat" on the prowl in North Yorkshire had come to light following a report of a panther-like creature stalking a village near Scarborough. A creature described as "the size of a lion" was spotted by a man travelling from Malton to Stamford Bridge, just as he reached the turning for the village. Reports of a mysterious puma-type big cat on the prowl near Malton first came to light in February, after it was seen chasing a roe deer in a clearing near Huttons Ambo, and at that time the Flamingo Land zoo curator confirmed that wild cats could well be at large in North Yorkshire.

Updated: 16:14 Monday, April 19, 2004