A plumber who worked in the restoration of York’s Bootham Bar five decades ago has been reunited with objects he left behind at the time.
Sixty-two-year-old Mick Colley was presented with a Park Drive cigarette packet, a 10p coin and playing cards that he placed under the lead roofing while working as an apprentice for the council in 1979.
Colley, who now works for Network Rail, said that he and his colleague Jack Summerville secreted the items as a “nod to the future”.
“I was just a [16-year-old] lad back then, working with Jack, a lovely bloke, on my first proper job,” Colley recalled.
“The main roof was done quite a few years before and we were doing the turrets. Jack had just finished his fag packet and wrote our names on it and said, ‘let’s leave them this and see if it ever comes back’.”
The objects were discovered by a team of in-house council stonemasons currently restoring Bootham Bar.
Colley added: “We were proud of what we were doing, and it wasn’t unusual to leave a little something behind – like that 10p piece – as a nod to the future.
“Seeing it again after all these years brings back memories I hadn’t thought about in decades. The cards were in a really good condition, so it shows we did a good job!”
The ongoing £300,000 restoration project includes repairing leaks and preserving the ancient gateway and the medieval walls.
The work is expected to be completed by mid-March 2026.
Councillor Pete Kilbane, deputy leader of City of York Council, said: “This is more than just a historical curiosity – it’s a tribute to the generations of skilled workers who’ve cared for our city’s heritage.
“We’re proud of the craftsmanship that’s kept York’s walls standing, and grateful to those who continue that legacy today.”
The 1979 items will be returned to the spot where they were found, alongside a team photo of the crew working on the current restoration.
