100 years ago

The latest example of creative science was afforded in the announcement which had been made by Professor Perkin that the secret of “making” rubber had been discovered.

So dependent were we upon this material in almost every branch of manufacture that this triumph of chemical research was certain to command very general attention, especially as the claim was put forward that the method of producing it upon a commercial scale would eventually enable it to compete with the natural product.

That eminent scientist, Sir William Ramsay, who had been engaged with Professor Perkin and Dr FE Matthews in this newest research, was confident that, eventually synthetic rubber would oust natural rubber from the market, although he guardedly added that it would be a long time before it had such an effect.

50 years ago

On the BBC this evening there would be the highly successful partnership of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann, whose two-man review, At the Drop of a Hat, had been one of the big theatrical hits of recent years, received as enthusiastically in New York as it was in London.

This evening's programme had in fact been made for American television. It had been seen in America the previous month in the Festival of Performing Arts and had been praised by the critics. Some of the dialogue had been aimed at its American audience. For example: “... an imaginary country. You know - like Red China.” But there were several old favourites among the songs, including A Gnu, The Hippopotamus Song, The Reluctant Cannibal and Tried by the Centre Court.

Currently the partnership was in abeyance while Michael Flanders was appearing in The Chalk Garden. Donald Swann was busy composing music, but it seemed they had ideas for future joint shows.

25 years ago

Yorkshire Railway staff could take pride in being voted the nation's best when it came to customer service.

A national competition to find BR's most helpful staff had resulted in Yorkshire winning the lion's share of the prizes. York Station's travel centre was voted one of the country's best, and staff there would share a Magnum of champagne, while a York ticket collector and a Harrogate station chargeman were among individual winners.

Railway staff came in for their share of criticism, some of it justified - coping with the public was not always easy - but the great majority did their job with patience and courtesy. There were no grounds for complacency, but it was nice to see virtue winning its reward - especially when the reward was a bottle of bubbly.