I find it hard to understand why the City of York Council, custodians of York City history, could even contemplate selling DN1 at auction. It would appear such an ungrateful and mercenary act; profiting from a generous gift for the Lord Mayor's car from a Mr Myton in the 1960s.

Labour members claim 'it would be missed by few city residents who have little knowledge of it'. The same could be said of many items not seen regularly, for instance the Lord Mayor's chain of office, the gift of Sir Robert Watter, Knight 1612. The Lady Mayoress also has a gold chain, the gift of Marmaduke Rawdon in 1665.

We are fortunate that previous council officers did not share the same lack of civic pride as was evident by this inept proposal, otherwise we would have been left with very little history at all.

D J Flower,

Station Road,

Haxby,

York.

...First we read of the proposal to close well-used swimming pools then to sell the DN1 number plate only for Coun Hills to bend to the apparent public will. Is there a chance that Mr Blair and York council tax payers might smack Mr Hill's leg for his wretched gesture politics?

Ian Wormald,

Main Street,

Elvington, York.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.