Saturday, April 17, 2004

100 years ago: The comments on young men not starting families sparked more correspondence, this time from "A Working Man's Wife". She agreed with the original letter, but didn't agree with columnist TT's comments that bad housekeeping was to blame. She pointed out that sensible young men noticed what a few years of married life could do to the once happy, merry girl he knew. "For this bitter struggle to make ends meet (for the proud honest wife would not ask for credit) tells a tale on the health of the young inexperienced mother, whose mind is nearly all the days dwelling on how best to spend the money, and when she finds there is another little stranger coming what heartaches she has, for she knows so well there are now so many mouths to fill, and so many things want replacing." The wife told of how these women were on their feet long before they felt strong enough, leaving many with "awful internal complaints", but they couldn't afford to stay in bed longer.

50 years ago: The private slaughterhouses in Easingwold and district would come into use again in July, when meat was decontrolled. The rural council had decided that the slaughterhouses would be reopened on licence, and so applications for permission to use private slaughterhouses should be made to the council as soon as possible. The premises would be inspected by health department officials before being brought into use again, mostly for the first time since meat rationing was introduced.

10 years ago: A cover-up was alleged in the "Peacockgate" scandal, as new evidence was found in the expanding tale of Pete the peacock. He had been keeping residents of Clifton awake with his dawn chorus, who were all anxious to see him returned to the Museum Gardens. The Yorkshire Museum was denying responsibility, calling Peter a wild bird. But a resident had now come forward to say that she lived near the gardens in Marygate during the 1950s, when peacocks were bought as tourist attractions. In light of this, staff from the Museum Gardens admitted that they owned peacocks, and in fact "parvones" were listed as assets when the gardens changed hands. This was a joke on the part of the solicitor, as it was Latin for peacock.

Updated: 11:48 Saturday, April 17, 2004