Saturday, July 30, 2005

100 years ago

Largely because of his bad spelling, a wealthy retired draper was ordered to pay £150 damages for breach of promise of marriage. The lady involved declared that he made violent love to her, and in 1902 asked her to be his wife. Subsequently a child was born, and the woman pressed the man to keep his promise to marry her, but he refused. Several letters alleged to be from the man were put in evidence. They were signed "Uno," and the woman said that he had told her that this meant: "You know that I love you." He suggested that she should sign her letters to him "Ino," which it was explained meant: "I know that you love me." The man declared that the letters were forgeries, and seemed to treat the whole affair as a huge joke. "How do you spell 'bike'?" the judge suddenly asked. "Byke," said the man. "Never 'bike'?" asked the judge. "Certainly not," was the reply. "How do you spell 'awful'?" the judge continued. "Awfull," was the reply. "Well, so does the person who wrote these letters," said the judge. Subsequently, the judge required both of the parties to furnish him with samples of their handwriting, and he pointed out to the jury several striking similarities between the man's writing and that of the letters in evidence.

50 years ago

In the week ended July 23, 1955, 177 cases of acute poliomyelitis were notified in England and Wales. This compared with 120 cases notified in the previous week, 99 cases in the week ended July 9, 91 notified in the week ended July 23, 1954, and 266 in the week ended July 23, 1953.

25 years ago

Heavy lorries might have to pay up to £8 to cross the Humber bridge when it opened the following year. For cars the crossing toll would be limited to no more than £1.50 until at least 1984. Suggestions that the bridge should be toll-free had been firmly rejected by the Government. Transport Minister Mr Norman Fowler said: "The Humber bridge is an extremely expensive project. It will bring benefits to those who use it. It is right that the user and not the taxpayer should pay for these benefits." Mr Fowler had approved all of the Humber bridge board's proposals for maximum toll levies up to 1984. The maximum tolls would range upwards from 70p for a motorcycle, £1.50 for a car, £5.20 for a bus or coach, and up to a maximum of £8 for the heaviest lorry. Mr Fowler said the Humber bridge board had told him that when the bridge opened early the next year they might charge lower tolls and then raise them in line with inflation.

Updated: 16:39 Friday, July 29, 2005