From this newspaper 100 years ago. - There was only a moderate attendance at Bedale Hirings on Tuesday, but a good attendance of masters and mistresses. There was a great demand for female servants, which were very scarce, and many mistresses complained that the servants would not accept "good pennies" for farm service. The female servants were hired in the Assembly Rooms, where refreshments were served. The male servants were engaged near the Market Cross. The wages were as follows:- Married hands, who had milk and potatoes, up to £32 a year; managing ploughmen, to £30; first-class ploughmen, £23 10s to £24; second ploughmen, £15 to £16; and lads, £9 to £10 a year. Good managing women, £19 to £21 10s; first-class women, £15 to £16; farm girls, £13 to £15; and girls, first time out, £8 to £10 a year.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. - The Teesside Flying Club received delivery of its first aircraft, an Auster Taylorcraft dual-control two-seater, on Tuesday. The machine was flown from an airport near London to West Hartlepool Airport by the club's president, Mr Tom Hayhow, the business man who has collected many light aircraft records for England and whose help has been of the greatest value in reconstituting the club to enable it to carry on after Mr Frank Elliott gives up his tenancy of the airport.

From this newspaper 20 years ago. - A Ripon hang-glider pilot had a miraculous escape last weekend when he crashed while attempting to loop the loop. Mr Trevor Birbeck, a 39-year-old electronics engineer of Clotherholme Road, walked away unhurt after falling upside down for 1,000 feet. The accident happened on Saturday when Mr Birbeck took off from a hillside at Hawes in a dangerous looping the loop attempt. The glider turned over on its back and spiralled down like a sycamore seed. "I landed on my head in some soft peat," said Mr Birbeck who is a member of the Dales Hang Gliding Club. "The glider was damaged but there's not a mark on me."