100 years ago

The Gateshead and District Tramways Company had inaugurated a new system of collecting fares. It was known as the “pay-as-you-enter” method, and it was claimed that it ensured greater safety, comfort, and saving of time for the travelling public.

A very convenient feature of the system was that there were separate entrances and exits, and this obviated jostling and confusion when there was heavy traffic.

The conductor collected the fares on the rear platform, and therefore there was no passing and re-passing of passengers inside the tramcar. He had no need to move from the rear platform, and thus he had more efficient control over the starting and stopping of the tramcar.

To facilitate the smooth working of the new arrangement, it would be necessary that passengers had the exact amount of the fare ready before boarding the tramcar.

When they had handed the fare to the conductor and received a ticket, they would pass into the body of the tramcar, and to notify the conductor when they wanted to leave they would use a bell.

50 years ago

Britain's car production had reached its highest level since June, 1960. In a four-week period, 110,669 cars were made - an average of 27,667 weekly.

Exports were slightly down on the record level achieved in April, but continued to run at a high rate and well over the 1961 level.

There was a big increase in imports of food, beverages and tobacco, said the Board of Trade.

An important element in this was the increase in imports of animal feeding-stuffs, mainly because the prolonged cool weather delayed spring growth of grass.

Larger imports of new potatoes contributed to the rise. Exports to Western Europe continued to grow strongly, there was a six per cent increase.

There was a small increase in exports to the United States, increases in exports to Latin America, and to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

25 years ago

Storm cones were hoisted at Westminster as Mrs Thatcher plunged the new Parliament into a war over domestic rates.

Her plan to replace rates with a new community charge on all adults angered Opposition MPs and scared some on her own side.

A number of Tories would rebel if the charge - expected to average £250 a person - seemed likely to be as unpopular as the current system.

For the average two-adult household in York the community charge was likely to be about 25 per cent higher than current rate demands.

The charge, which its opponents called a poll tax, was about to be introduced in Scotland and would start in England from 1990.