FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - Thursday was red letter day for the small village of Exelby near Bedale and particularly for the Wesleyans who assembled from far and near to participate in the ceremony of laying the foundation stones of the new Wesleyan Chapel to replace the old one, the roof of which was blown off in the destructive gale about two years ago. It is an ill wind which blows nobody good, and the new chapel is to be spiritually of greater beauty and ampler dimensions than the old. It is wonderful what is effected in these small villages for the house of sacred feeling. The new chapel is to cost £625, in addition to the heating apparatus, and already £440 had been collected or promised; and no less than £70 was raised by the stone laying, besides what was realised by the tea and collections.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. - The village of Sawley, near Ripon, was directly in the path of a freak thunderstorm which killed a heifer, struck a chimney and several trees and inundated roads. At Sawley Hall, where a children's sports meeting had been held, people were marooned until the roads ran clear enough for traffic. Sir John Barran of Sawley Hall said: "It was torrential. The children's sports had just been completed when the storm broke and people were having tea in the open. They had to run for shelter and many could not get home for some time because of flooded roads."

From this newspaper 25 years ago. - A builder's pick-up vehicle was destroyed by fire as it carted rubbish from Easingwold town centre last weekend after a "bedstead derby" organised by the town's Lions Club. The derby, which raised about £800 for local charities, went off without a hitch. The fire started on Sunday, when Lions member Alan Smith offered the use of his firm's vehicle to help with the clearing up of the operation after a disco and barbecue in the centre of the town. He was driving the pick-up loaded with waste paper and straw to a local tip, when the load caught fire, gutting the vehicle. The blaze is thought to have been started by a lighted cigarette end among the rubbish. Mr Smith said: "We were driving to the tip when the cab started to get very warm. We looked behind, to see a mass of flames, so I slammed the brakes on and we got out quickly - just before the back window shattered. A farmer helped us fight the fire, and we kept throwing water over the petrol tank, until the fire brigade arrived."