Thursday Flashback

Aerial view of the NALGO holiday camp at Knipe Point, Cayton Bay. Originally the first trade union camp in the north of England, it opened its doors in 1933. It had 124 wooden bungalows, accommodating 252 visitors. The camp closed in 1974 and some of the buildings became permanent residential back, and Mrs Hansom admitted having served her. Mrs Hansom said: “Yes, I served her, but I did not know I was doing wrong. I thought I could serve minerals after 9pm.”

That was the case, said the chief. It was not a serious case, but it was regarded as an unfair thing for shopkeepers to have to close at a certain time, when certain other people could sell similar things after the closing hour. There was no offence against public order, or public morals.

PC Taylor corroborated.

Mrs Hansom went into the box and, in answer to her solicitor said she had been licencee of the premises for six years, and previous to that her late husband was the licencee for nine years. Two years ago she was fined a guinea for selling a bottle of beer under a similar sort of order. She then did not know she was doing wrong, it was sold about four minutes past nine, the closing hour being nine o’clock. No copy of the order under which the present homes in 1985.

Photo reproduced courtesy of the Max Payne collection.

Reprints can be ordered with proceeds going to local charities. Telephone 0330 1230203 and quote reference number YRN-170307103515050. case had been taken had been served upon her.

Mr Hart, addressing the bench, admitted a purely technical offence. Mrs Hansom had erred entirely in ignorance.

The statement of the Chief Constable had shown what an extremely absurd order that was. There was the Sunday Observance Act, which apparently was not put into force at Scarborough at all, and under these regulations Mrs Hansom might keep open for the sale of intoxicants on and off the premises, but after a certain hour non-intoxicants could not be sold and taken off the premises.

Mr WS Rowntree: Is that correct that intoxicants can be sold off the premises after eight o’clock?

Mr Hart said that was so. Non-intoxicants, however, could not be so sold, although non-intoxicants could be consumed on the premises.

Mr Rowntree: Then if this had been a bottle of beer it would have been all right?

Mr Hart: Yes. He added it seemed absurd.

He suggested that no conviction should be recorded against Mrs Hansom in view of the safeguarding of her licence in the future, but that the case should be dismissed, and that Mrs Hansom should pay the costs.

The magistrates dismissed the case, the first of its kind at Scarborough, on the payment of 4s costs.