From our archives:

85 years ago

Sir Malcolm Campbell, holder of the world land speed record, was down with influenza at his home at Povey Cross, near Horley, Surrey.

“It is very worrying,” Lady Campbell said to a reporter, “because my husband is due to leave for Daytona, USA. He is going there to attempt again to break the world land speed record in his new Bluebird.”

Sir Malcolm, who was due to spend the night in London and leave by train for Southampton in the morning, was determined to go even if he had to be taken by stretcher and driven by ambulance to the ship.

A private dance in York had managed to raise the sum of £6 13s for the Yorkshire Herald and Evening Press Malton Fund which now stood at a grand total of £2,759.

And the Earl of Chesterfield, of Beningbrough Hall, York, had died at his London residence in Grosvenor Square.

A great dog lover, he enjoyed following hounds and was at many of the York and Ainsty meets.

50 years ago

A late 15th or early 16th century room with one of the finest examples of period oak panelling in Yorkshire, had been uncovered and restored in Stonegate, York.

The room above optician’s Rayner and Keeler Ltd, 58 Stonegate, was believed to have been empty for about a century and would be used as a consulting room once the work was completed.

They say all Yorkshiremen are fond of brass and Joe Benson from Little Ouseburn was no exception.

His delight was however, the metallic type, rather than hard cash.

Adorning his home was more than 400 items that he had collected over a period of 14 years.

And from April 1, people who failed to return books borrowed from West Riding libraries would have to pay the postage involved in sending out reminders.

20 years ago

The Queen and Princess Anne were backing a North Yorkshire campaign for a national monument to the women of the Second World War.

The Queen, herself a former ATS girl, told organisers she would welcome the chance to unveil such a memorial, and Princess Anne had agreed to be vice patron of the York-based campaign.

Greg Rusedski’s Grand Slam dreams were in tatters as he slumped out of the Australian Open in Melbourne, beaten by Australia’s Todd Woodbridge in the third-round match.