The following article was written by a resident of Seaton Ross almost 90 years ago of what was considered could be improved in the village and reasons for and against a weekly half day holiday.
“How Seaton Ross could be improved March 25th 1919”
“Seaton Ross is a long village being a mile long. It is in the East Riding of Yorkshire, fifteen miles from York, the capital of Yorkshire. Although it is a pleasant one, it could be greatly improved. First it could be improved by building a railway station and having a branch from Foggathorpe or Holme. It would be a very good improvement, people could get about better. Next would be to have a drapers shop, we have two grocers shops. It would be nice to have some pleasure place such as a picture house or music hall or some pleasure grounds.
It would be a very nice thing to have a motor garage, either for pleasure or cases of emergency, as no one in the village has a motorcar. It would be a great advantage to have gas or electric light in our houses and also in the street now the air raids are done with.
Another improvement would be to pull down some of the small, low houses, which are not healthy, and build bigger better ones. It would be much handier if we had a butchers shop in the village as our meat has to be got from Melbourne or Pocklington. There is a cart comes round from Pocklington on a Friday but that is inconvenient if you want any meat during the week. There are still more improvements, but these are some of the most necessary ones”.
Reasons for and against the Weekly Half Holiday for Agricultural Workers – March 31st 1919.
For
The farm workers ought to have a half-day holiday at least once a week and Saturday afternoon is most convenient. Some of the workers have fields and gardens of their own, and they could work a little for themselves. Or they could go to Pocklington or York, and have the half-day on pleasure.
Against
It is not nice for the farmer, because if the men are not back to milk and father, the farmer has to do it himself and it make him extra busy.
Malcolm Young