As a dyed-in-the-wool northerner, I can't think of many advantages of living in the south. But there is one. The ease by which folk south of Watford can hop on to the Continent is a point of envy. The Channel Tunnel has been a boon for motoring travellers
North Yorkshire police are clamping down on South Craven's underage drinkers. Skipton's licensing officer Sergeant Kevin Wilson, who is launching the initiative throughout Craven, says the area does have a problem. He adds: "We get petty crimes and damage
Extra safety training and advice is planned for Bradford councillors, following the death of a Gloucestershire councillor in his surgery last year. It comes as the Local Government Association brings out its own guidance and says it is unacceptable to
SKIPTON'S recreation grounds are in such a poor state of repair that it could cost half a million pounds to bring them up to scratch. This figure was calculated by the North Yorkshire Playing Field Association during an inspection of the 10 recreation
The parents of a Craven woman killed in the Paddington train crash launched a fierce attack on rail authorities on the first day of the disaster inquiry. Eight months after the crash in which 31 people were killed, the injured and bereaved told the public
A £3 million negligence pay-out to a disabled seven-year-old twin girl, is the biggest damages award that Airedale NHS Trust has ever faced. The award was made by the High Court this week to Hannah Haines, who was born in 1992, and can only move independently
A SKIPTON man has overcome enormous odds to gain a degree from the Open University. Peter Taylor, 56, of Spencer Walk, spent more than a year in hospital following a road accident in Poland which left him with only one leg. Peter also lost the ability
NINE-YEAR-OLD Georgina Metcalfe took gold in the Yorkshire gymnastics championships held at York last weekend. Georgina, who attends Haworth Primary School, was taking part in the advanced section of the White Rose Millennium Championships at York when
A man who robbed the Keighley branch of the Skipton Building Society at gunpoint last February was jailed for eight and a half years on Friday, after pleading guilty to all five charges. Glyn Mosey, 56, a former soldier in the Rhodesian army, was living
Bradford Bulls chairman Chris Caisley is backing City to stay in the Premiership. The city's rugby league club have enjoyed a superb start to the 2000 season and earlier this month clinched their first Challenge Cup for 51 years. That triumph has given
A new railway bridge and road are being proposed to cure a traffic logjam at Kildwick level crossing. Parish councils and district councillors have been demanding action to prevent tailbacks of traffic at the crossing, some stretching as far as Kildwick
SPEED MERCHANT Steven Dunn is back in action this weekend with a double-header of racing action in his Westfield sports car. Steve, of Exley Head, keighley, is taking part in the British Hillclimb Championships at Barbon Manor, near Kirkby Malham and
Dean Windass says he has great respect for Liverpool - but insists City fancy their chances of beating them at Valley Parade. The 31-year-old striker-cum-midfield player said: "We respect Liverpool for what they are and what they have got, but as far
Slater Marchant Challenge Cup final Ingleton 2 Barnoldswick Utd 0 INGLETON were deserved winners of the Craven Cup in a competitive but very clean game played at Settle. They suffered an early blow when midfielder Carl Wood was lost with a back injury
THERE were some excellent batting performances on Saturday as grounds dried out and wickets became firmer. The highest score of the day went to Second Division newcomers Denholme, who plastered Haworth West End's attack for 315-2. In the First Division
North Yorkshire Trophy Final Wharfedale Fourths 36 Whitby Seconds 11 Wharfedale set the seal on a memorable season for the club with this comprehensive victory. The completion of a 'cup double', following the Development XV's lifting of the Aire-Wharfe
WHARFEDALE Rugby Club have set their sights on promotion to rugby union's Premiership Two next season - but an unexpected development means they could be there as soon as this August. Wharfedale missed out on promotion from National League One by one
The television advert which shows a driver failing in his bid to drive through a puddle and soak a pedestrian at a bus stop is aptly titled 'a refreshing change'. The same description applies to the case in which 18-year-old Richard Harker was fined for
Bradford City will have a great escape expert in their side when they play Liverpool in a crucial last match of the Premiership season. Defender-turned-midfielder John Dreyer has escaped relegation in the last match of the season with both Oxford and
A mother who lost her baby to one of the rarest genetic disorders in the world, hopes to train as a nurse in her memory. Tiny Rachel Garforth, of Idle, Bradford, born 18 months ago with a chromosome abnormality unheard of in the UK, has died from a related
A club founded 124 years ago is to admit women as full members for the first time in its history. Keighley Conservative Club is to officially drop its men-only ruling from January next year. At present women are allowed only associate membership, which
Former submariner Tom Topham has died suddenly on the eve of a naval ceremony at which he was one of the special guests. Mr Topham, 68, of Tong, Bradford, was president of the West Yorkshire branch of the Submariners Association. The former quarry director
Investigations were today under way into the circumstances surrounding a police pursuit which ended with the death of a young driver. The 19-year-old, who has not been named, was killed when his car smashed into a wall and flipped over after being followed
A terrified mother today told how her family were driven out of their Bradford home by violent racist thugs. Mary Ward, who has been made homeless by her ordeal, said the final straw came when her young daughter had a brick thrown at her face as she played
A girl whose intelligent mind is trapped inside a severely disabled body due to a hospital bungle during her birth has been awarded £3 million damages. Twins Hannah and Jennie Haines were born at Airedale Hospital, in July, 1992. Parents Beverley and
This is the .22 bullet that Deanna Contreras will carry inside her until her dying day. She was shot in the chest at point blank range in the Peel Park pub, Undercliffe, Bradford, in December 1998. Surgeons tried to remove the bullet, lodged near her
TREVOR HARGREAVES and Colin Jeffrey kept their stanglehold on the Skipton Spring Doubles event when they once again won the one-day event. The beat Devon's Ben Ridding, who scored both his side's points, and Roy Sanderson 15-2 in their easiest victory
Denholme made the rest of the league sit up and take notice after blasting 315-2 as they ripped Haworth West End's attack apart last weekend. They joined the league during the winter after playing in the Bradford Central League for several seasons. After
THREE clubs are fighting for the only honour left to be decided in the Craven League -- the destination of runners-up spot in Division Two. Silsden FC hold the key with they matches left, but they need to win them all. They clinched a 5-0 victory over
CRAVEN ATHLETIC reached the final of the Jeff hall Memorial Trophy for the third year and this time faced Premier Division champions Standbury park Rangers. Chances were few in an evenly contested first half. Craven started the brighter but Standbury
Yorkshire were looking to Darren Lehmann to press home their advantage against Hampshire today. Lehmann was unbeaten on 37 as Yorkshire held a lead of 43 after Hampshire had been bowled out for 101. Darren Gough and Craig White both warmed up nicely for
A young mother has revealed how she watched a gang of men reversing and crashing cars into each other on a sports ground car park. She claims she also heard the sound of shots being fired at the Marley Stadium car park, near the Aire Valley Trunk Road
Just how much of an anything-goes medium should television become? It took a major shift towards free-for-all with this week's news that the Independent Television Commission is proposing to lift 16 specific advertising bans and relax eight more in its
100 years ago MORE Barnoldswick ambulance men were despatched to the war in South Africa. R Blanshard, J Whiteley, W Lambert, T W Holgate, A H Greenfield and H E Slater received a rousing send-off. They joined a group of their friends at the Drill Hall
Rodney Marsh hopes Bradford City will hang on to their Premiership status tomorrow - even though it means he'll be in for the chop! On the eve of the Bantams' crucial clash with Liverpool at Valley Parade, the controversial Sky TV pundit confirmed he
A Riddlesden man has called on the British media to send undercover reporters into troubled Kashmir. Mohammed Israil has also demanded the British government try to persuade India to grant independence to the region. He has passed his concerns to Keighley
Veronica Burningham would like yoga to be part of all Keighley school timetables. The Oakworth-based instructor has practised yoga for over 30 years and holds the British Wheel of Yoga Teachers' Diploma. She taught the activity at Oakbank School for two
A Keighley teenager is embarking on an adventure of a lifetime next year. Jon Worsnop, 18, of Rose Meadows, off Fell Lane, will be part of a ten-week Operation Raleigh International expedition to Chile in January. Operation Raleigh aims to help youngsters
Councillors in Bracken Bank and Woodhouse are not content with holding surgeries - they're making house calls too! The hit squad of three Keighley South Ward councillors walk the streets looking for residents who need advice or help. Lynne Joyce, John
Strong interest has been shown in an award-winning historic pub which has been put up for sale. Offers of around £165,000 are being sought for the private free-of-tie lease on the Old Silent Inn at Stanbury. The sale follows the decision of owner Mark
Rylstone's famous WI calendar girls, who bared all to boost leukaemia research, will officially open the Manorlands Garden Party this summer. The 11 members of the village Women's Institute shot to international stardom when they shed their clothes for
A Braithwaite mother accuses planners of a new early years centre of keeping residents in the dark. Zena Davis, of Guardhouse Grove, says parents have not had enough consultation on the new Sure Start centre, to be sited at Guard House School. Sure Start
A CALENDAR picturing women who stripped for a charity, has taken the United States by storm. In just three weeks of the launch of the American version of the Rylstone and District WI Calendar, it has sold 100,000 copies. Miss October, 51 year-old Tricia
RESIDENTS on a North Craven road are angry over plans to lift a lorry ban which could see hundreds of heavy goods vehicles pass their homes each week. County council highways bosses want to lift the 7.5 tonne weight limit on roads which join Station Road
When Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married in 1981, the event was commemorated by a mountain-indicator set on Nine Standards Rigg by members of the local Fell Search Team. That day, almost 20 years ago, a Bradfordian with the well-known local
Actor Andrew Dunn is back on the John Godber production line. The star of Victoria Wood's hit sitcom Dinnerladies plays sewage man Sammy in the writer's latest comedy Seasons In The Sun. Andrew, whose family roots are in Pudsey, first made his name as
The cashier who was held up at gunpoint in the raid spoke exclusively to the Keighley News this week about her terrifying ordeal. Jackie Wiseman, 49, was the only cashier working at the building society that morning and says the robbery was carried out
SKIPTON'S oldest sports club is hoping it will be third time lucky in a bid for sports lottery cash after winning an appeal against the refusal of a grant. Skipton Rugby Club applied for £442,000 towards a £700,000 revamp of facilities but its application
THE owners of a Dales farmhouse heaved a sigh of relief this week with the news they would not be taken to court for renovating their grade II listed building without planning consent. The decision not to take action against Michael and Mary Myers for
A SCHEME urging Skipton Town Council to reclaim the town hall and run it as a community hall for the benefit of Skipton residents was put to members last week. County Coun Mike Doyle suggested that instead of allowing the hall to deteriorate any further
SHOPKEEPERS in one of Skipton's quiet backwaters have vowed to shout about the area's hidden treasures. Business people in Coach Street and the surrounding area are fed up of visitors making a beeline for the market bargains and multi-nationals on the
A MAN brandishing what appeared to be a gun entered the post office on Skipton's Broughton Road on Wednesday and demanded money from the counter assistant. He pointed the gun at cashier Helen Green, and waved an open bag, telling her to "hand it over.
A young mother has told how she watched a gang of men reversing and crashing cars into each other on a sports ground car park. The woman is certain she also heard the sound of repeated shots being fired at the Marley Stadium car park, near the Aire Valley
Extra safety measures are needed at several pedestrian crossings in Bradford city centre following a fatal accident last year, an inquest was told. John Mayes, 55, of Woodlesford, Leeds, died from a head injury four days after being struck by a slow-moving
SCHOOLGIRLS Helen Glover and Laura Greenham clinched a Keighley double at the Yorkshire Fell Running championships last weekend. Running in high temperatures they secured a one-two in the Under-16 section as they raced through Last of the Summer Wine
An engineering apprentice from Thwaites Brow was killed on Wednesday when his motorbike hit a lamp post. Samuel Pickard, 19, of Meadowcroft, Long Lee Lane, was killed when he failed to negotiate a right hand bend at the junction of Harden Road and Long
Bradford hospitals' top doctors have reassured the city's public that they have never kept organs for research or education. Dr Brian Naylor, head of the pathology department at Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust, said organs needing to be removed during post-mortem
A group of dedicated Bradford City fans are to appear on Slky TV's Soccer AM show -- 24 hours before their team's relegation battle with Liverpool. Friends Simon Jowitt from Silsden, James Christian from Long Lee, Matthew Sugden from Steeton, Michael
CHRIS MELLING is taking on the world's top pool players this week -- on their home ground. Chris, the area's top snooker and pool player, has already travelled to China this year to take part in a major televised international tournament and is now in
EARBY were the only side to taste victory on a dismal "double header" weekend for Craven clubs in the Ribblesdale League. The sole victory came on the Sunday at Edenfield, when Earby restricted the home side to 111 for nine thanks to a solid all round
THE local elections took place last week amid scenes of jubilation and excitement last seen at Queen Victoria's funeral. The tension was as tangible as a pineapple jelly, and the interest shown by the voters was just a little greater than an orange's
By Keith Miller - Christian aid organiser for keighley Churches Together - THE first Christian Aid week in the new millennium is next week, Sunday to Saturday May 14-20 and the theme is 'Children make our Future'. Christian Aid focuses on children in
Doesn't time fly when you are enjoying yourself. It hardly seems five minutes since I went to the Airedale Writers' Circle children's writing competition presentation evening. It was in fact a year ago. This week I went to the event again, and it was
Haworth folk will be in the mood this weekend as the village stages its annual Forties Weekend. People from near and far will throng the bunting-lined streets in forties fashions and army uniforms for the festival that is now in its sixth year. Ensuring
Material has been seized from a Keighley works premises as part of a police investigation into a major pornography scandal, we can reveal. Officers removed items - believed to include indecent photographs - from the site, the identity and location of
Oldham 14, Cougars 24 - JASON LEE added the final flourish to a masterpiece of rugby league as Cougars raced to second place in the Northern Ford Premiership -- just one point behind the leaders. Wednesday night's game at Oldham was a classic battle with
Matthew Elliott had described his side as vulnerable in the build-up to the game but if that's the case you can only fear for the opposition when they are in the mood. Their fourth game in 14 days, including a physically and mentally exhausting cup final
Success continues to bloom as Cliffe Castle Nursery enters its third year of helping people with learning disabilities. The nursery and its shop is packed with customers on spring weekends and busy the rest of the week. And its handicapped trainees are
Vulnerable people in Airedale are at risk of losing oral health care if more community dentists cannot be recruited to the area. An acute shortage of community dentists, especially trained to treat patients with medical, physical, behavioural or learning
Thousands of good luck messages are flooding into Bradford as the city anxiously awaits tomorrow's make or break Premiership survival battle against Liverpool at Valley Parade. As the city holds its breath, wellwishers from all four corners of the world
There was a real ding-dong finish to the Under-12's event in the Lothersdale Fell race when Cowling's Caleb Wetherell was edged out by just one second by Pendle's Jack Chew. First girl was Keighley & Craven's Gill Harrison. First home in the other
Young golfer Simon Jowitt, 19, has passed his PGA administrative review programme examination with an excellent 26 marks out of a possible 27. His next examination on the way to becoming a golf professional is a playing ability test at Bolton in June.
PHOENIX face a nail-biting end of season before they will know if they have taken the West Riding County Amateur Championsip. After going down 3-0 to Hemsworth Miners Welfare on Saturday - in a home match which could have secured the title - the championship
Cougars 54, Whorkington 8 - Cougars made it ten out of ten with another super show in front of a disappointing crowd. Calls from the club for 5000 fans to pack the ground in celebration of recent success fell flat as fans preferred to enjoy the sun elsewhere
New driver Richard Harker landed himself in hot water when he tried to soak his friends by driving through a puddle ... but missed and drenched an elderly lady. Harker, 18, pleaded guilty on Friday to driving without consideration for other road users
The Hermit, in location at least, lives up to its name. Perched on the edge of Ilkley Moor, the pub sits huddled in the tiny village of Burley Woodhead - a remote but welcome surprise after the deserted moorland roads. But entering the traditional inn
Health chiefs at Airedale Hospital are being urged to tighten their belts in a bid to save nearly £750,000. Cash set aside to cope with inflation and contingency plans is to be frozen as bosses look at ways of saving money. Airedale NHS Trust's finance
A Bradford businessman caught leaving Portsmouth for Spain with more than £13,000 was ordered to forfeit the cash after customs officials claimed he was using it for drug smuggling. Shaun Brear, owner of Sean Brear Motors based at Thornton Road, Bradford
DANNY SEAL is set to stay at Cougars at least until the end of the season after the club completed a new loan deal with Halifax Blue Sox. Seal, who has become an increasingly powerful influence in the first team, was with the Cougars on a week-by-week
It's been billed as the nation's biggest ever birthday party. From schoolchildren to war heroes, from Sydney to London, thousands are preparing to line up and pay tribute to the longest living member of the royal family. The build-up, of course, is for
A Denholme woman is appealing for help in raising funds to buy vital medical supplies for the treatment of Romanian youngsters with Aids. Chris Thomas, 55, from Main Road, is encouraging as many people as possible to support a charity auction on May 19
WHAT another great week for the club -- Last Sunday's game against Workington was never going to be easy, but we came through with flying colours. I really thought Town would give us a bigger fight but once we had eased ahead there was no looking back
South Craven School has scooped a share of a £1.55m cash windfall. North Yorkshire council has borrowed the Government money to extend its schools for a growing influx of pupils from primary schools. South Craven can now start drawing up plans for a £230,000
Keighley political stalwart Councillor Barry Thorne is the new deputy leader of Bradford council's Labour group. His appointment was made at a group meeting in City Hall on Monday night. Councillor Ian Greenwood was re-elected group leader, but the leadership
COUNCILLOR Robert Heseltine who currently faces six charges of false accounting has lost his Craven District Council seat in this year's local elections. Standing on an Independent platform, Coun Heseltine lost out by 30 votes to newcomer Christopher
PLANS to bypass communities along the A56 in West Craven were defeated this week to the dismay of residents. The decision not to proceed with the scheme was made by Lancashire highways chiefs at a meeting on Wednesday, despite overwhelming support for
NORTH Craven communities have scooped almost £10,000 to help them celebrate the millennium. Millennium Festival Awards for All grants have been awarded to Settle's millennium festival and Langcliffe's various activities to mark the year 2000. A book on
A BRIDGE over the railway line at Cross Hills could cost between £2 million and £6.7 million pounds. But finding the money to build one could be a problem. These are the conclusions of a report by highways bosses looking into schemes to rid the area of
SILSDEN, Steeton and Eastburn will have a new constable pounding the beat from next month. And police chiefs have promised increased cover for the three areas when he arrives. The new officer will be PC Richard Leonard, who is at the moment stationed
