100 years ago

The marriage had taken place at St Clement’s Church, York, of Mr Cecil Aubrey Allan, third son of Mr Charles Allan, and Miss Louisa Elsie Burn, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs RW Burn, of York.

The Rev F Richardson officiated, and the bride, who was given away by her father, wore a charming ivory satin dress with train, trimmed with net and rose, a tulle veil mounted on a cream satin band and orange blossom; she carried a shower bouquet of lilies of the valley, white roses, sweet peas, stephanotis and asparagus fern.

The bridesmaids wore tunic dresses of striped pink silk with fichues and silk trimmings and net, with white crinoline hats, and carried bouquets of pink carnations and white sweet peas and asparagus fern.

The bride's mother wore a tunic dress of Amethyst, trimmed with satin and silk insertions and cream net, and she wore a floral hat to match and an ostrich feather boa.

A reception followed at the Davy Hall, York, at which there was a large number present, after which the bride and bridegroom left for London, Torquay, and the Devonshire coast.

50 years ago

Changes in medical and surgical treatment were cutting the time patients had to spend in hospital, stated Mr Enoch Powell, Minister of Health, in his annual report for 1961 on the Health and Welfare Services.

The average length of stay the previous year declined from 26 days to 24.4 for medical cases, and from 12.9 to 12.4 for surgical cases.

Changes in medical and surgical treatment, such as the use of new drugs and getting patients up and about sooner, had helped cut the time spent in hospital.

Other measures, such as providing better out-patient and diagnostic facilities, were clearly having the effect, the report stated.

Attendances at out-patient departments during the year, 42,400,000, rose by 650,000 on the previous year. The increase was general throughout the country.

25 years ago

Richard Branson's parents made an emotional mid-air link-up with their son as his hot-air balloon was buzzed by a Virgin jumbo jet over the Atlantic.

Their 747, travelling from Newark, New Jersey, to Gatwick, dropped 4000ft to salute the Virgin chief's Atlantic Flyer balloon on its record-breaking trip. The jumbo's captain was given permission for the manoeuvres by air traffic controllers.

Passengers clapped and cheered in admiration as they caught spectacular views of the balloon at 27,000ft while the jet flew a figure of eight around the craft, the silver and black canopy standing out clearly against the white cloud base below.

Among passengers travelling to Gatwick were the balloon's ground crew, who supervised its take-off from Maine in the US, and Branson's parents, Ted, aged 69, and Eve, aged 63.