50 years ago, December 4, 1965

"IT will be a long time before the north forgets the last nine days for over two feet of snow fell blocking all main roads and paralysing communications," said the D&S Times. So many villages were cut off that the army at Catterick was launching Operation Reindeer, with soldiers on skis delivering food parcels. It was, everyone agreed, worse than the great freeze of 1947.

Robert Donald, 74, died at his home in Gayles, near Richmond, on the Thursday. His funeral was due to have been held one-and-a-half miles away at Kirby Hill, but the hearse got stuck in a drift 300 yards from the churchyard and had to be abandoned, a tractor being despatched to rescue the coffin.

"On Monday, 11 volunteers set off to take Mr Donald's body to Kirby Hill," said the D&S. "The coffin was carried on a sledge but because it was impossible to use the road, it was taken across fields, being manhandled over walls and fences." A short service was conducted at the graveside while "a blizzard raged" and Mr Donald was finally popped into the ground.

Elsewhere, cricketer "Mr Freddie Trueman was one of the many who were halted on the Hawes to Moorcock road by a lorry which had become stuck in the snow. Mr Trueman, who was on his way to Carlisle, was recognised by a lorry driver who asked for his autograph, which was willingly given." Yes, Freddie bowled him over...

100 years ago, December 4, 1915

THE army camp, which had been under construction at Hipswell for nearly a year, was causing all sorts of difficulties in the Richmond area. "As is customary with all works of this kind, they have attracted all classes of men, many of them of the lowest strata of society," said the D&S Times. "In consequence, there have been many admissions of destitute ne'er-do-wells to the Richmond Workhouse, and abnormal number of day casuals, some of whom have met with accidents." Richmond ratepayers, said the paper, were footing the bill for 100 camp followers, and they had "even been put to the cost of burying 22 or 23 of these men". The Richmond MP was appealing to the Government for help with these unwanted bills.

150 years ago, December 2, 1865

UNDER the headline "Petroleum in Yorkshire", the D&S Times reported: "It has recently been found that the shales of unctuous clay overlying the ironstone deposits of the Yorkshire moors in the North Riding can be made to produce a mineral oil, similar to petroleum, at a cost of 6d a gallon.

"The discovery is expected to impart a wonderful degree of life and activity to those hitherto unpeopled hills."

Land on the moors which had only been worth £5 per acre for grouse shooting was now selling for £60.

The report concluded: "It is stated that Yorkshire oil will soon be on the market."

Perhaps 150 years after oil was discovered in them thar moors, fracking will get it out of the ground.