25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, March 8, 1973

THE Labour Group on Bolton Town Council last night took the Mayoralty for the third year in succession, nominating Ald Henry Devenish as the borough's final Mayor. Members of the minority Tory Group were so upset by this 'hat trick' that they deliberately stayed away from the mayoral invitation meeting which, according to tradition, followed the meeting of the Town Council.

COMMENT: The Mayoralty used to be allocated by gentleman's agreement. But now we see fewer gentlemen and absolutely no agreement. Perhaps future controversies involving precedence or etiquette should be sent to arbitration. The Marquess of Queensberry would be the right man for the job.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, March 9, 1948

NOT so very long ago many a woman would have felt an intruder if she had gone upstairs on a bus, particularly if she was there without a male escort. Downstairs it was the other way round. Few men ventured into that sanctuary, monopolized by women and children, unless his female companion requested it. Even then woe betide the man who refused to stand.

Nowadays as women are running neck and neck with men to claim the last seat upstairs, in order to smoke, more and more men are appearing downstairs. Is it something of a resentment that prevents a proportion of them from offering a seat to any woman under 40, and sometimes over? Or - let's look facts in the face - is old-style courtesy dying out?

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, March 8, 1873

SIR,- Permit me to express my pleasure at seeing the New Town Hall clock with a light behind it, an indication that it is soon to be of some public service, and supply (if it goes correctly) a long-felt want.

I am rather surprised to see that our committee have adopted the old system of lighting, which will not permit the time indicated to be seen at even a moderate distance, especially in our murky (and consequently 'healthy') atmosphere. I would suggest the propriety of lighting in such a way that the time indicated could be read as far as the light could be seen. This could be done in many ways. The top part of the hands might be made into a frame for the reception of glass, and inside the clock-room a pair of duplicate hands, made of tube, and carrying a pair of gas bull's-eye lanterns, which would shine through the outer fingers and indicate their position clearly; or these lamps might be made to shine above the fingers instead of through them; or the top of the pointers might be made into gas lamps, and be lit without in any way interfering with the working of the clock. In each case the fingers could be distinguished by different coloured glasses, and their unequal distances from the centre. Yours &c.,

John H. Galloway, Bolton Brass Works.

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