Archive

  • Please support your neighbour

    THE foot and mouth epidemic continues to cast its long shadow over our local farms and businesses with few immune from its deadly tentacles. For the first time there appears to be a glimmer of hope that the end is in sight. While in comparison with Cumbria

  • Foundations laid?

    AT long last it seems that the provision of affordable housing in Ilkley is becoming a priority for those who can most influence its generation. The former International Wool Secretariat site on Valley Drive will see the provision of around 12 affordable

  • Park Avenue clinch promotion

    Bradford Park Avenue won promotion to the UniBond Premier Division last night with a thrilling 4-1 win. Now they need just one more point from their last three matches to be crowned champions. A joyous manager Trevor Storton praised players and supporters

  • Spruce cup heartache

    Full-back Stuart Spruce appears to have lost his fight to join the Bulls' bid for successive Challenge Cup crowns at Twickenham on Saturday. The former Great Britain star was part of the 19-man squad which arrived at their training base in Slough last

  • Further mast plan sparks anger

    ANGER has erupted in Horsforth after yet another planning application for a mobile phone mast for the town was submitted - the second in seven days. Plans for three antennae and an equipment cabin on top of Victoria Wine in Long Row were submitted - and

  • Otley author tries to woo Hollywood stars

    A FIRST-TIME author has been nominated for a prestigious literary award - and is hoping that Hollywood success is just around the corner. Colin Campbell had his first book, a horror story called Darkwater Towers, published last year and has been nominated

  • Do the Kell Beck Walk - and learn!

    EVER wondered where the Spite pub in Otley got its name? Or why the Otley Bridge was built in two halves? Both these questions and a whole lot more have now been answered - in a soon to be published booklet. Put together by John Morgan, the Kell Beck

  • Councillor claims villages will lack proper policing

    VILLAGES in the Wharfe Valley could become 'neglected' after new police boundaries were adopted, an Ilkley Parish Councillor has warned. Coun Mike Exley, of Burley-in-Wharfedale, says he fears police presence in the villages will reach an all-time low

  • CCTV is still town priority

    CALLS for closed circuit television cameras to make Otley town centre safer have been backed by the new Chamber of Trade president. Jonathan Rutter said that CCTV was one of his three main priorities for his year as president and that getting cameras

  • Church's refurbishment prayers are answered

    PARISHIONERS' prayers for a safe church have been answered after years of fundraising and campaigning in a small Wharfedale village. Several years ago, St Peter's Parish Church in Arthington was found to have serious structural faults. A survey showed

  • Landlord prepares for sign battle as council backs down

    A PUB landlord has been left geared up for battle - but apparently with no war to fight. Trevor Wallis, of The Bowling Green in Otley, prepared himself to take on the might of Leeds City Council - after being ordered to take down an offending sign. Signed

  • Protester attacked over swan outrage

    A GOOD Samaritan who tried to stop four youths throwing stones at a nesting swan was subjected to a terrifying attack when the youths turned on her. The woman, who is in her 60s, was walking both her dog and a friend's dog around Top Back Pond, on the

  • Crisis forces carnival organisers to cancel

    OTLEY suffered a second major blow when the organisers of the town's annual carnival decided to cancel the event because of the foot and mouth crisis. The decision to scrap the June 16 event, which last year attracted almost 35,000 people from all over

  • Businesses are fighting back over Foot and Mouth

    Most businesses in the region have escaped any negative knock-on effects from the ongoing Foot and Mouth crisis. The surprising statistics are the result of a study commissioned by national recruitment and human resources consultancy, Eden Brown, which

  • Medics attacked on mercy mission

    A 30-year-old man who abused and attacked two Barnoldswick paramedics as they tended his epileptic girlfriend has walked free from court. Burnley Magistrates had heard that one victim, David Mitchell, was kicked in the kidney, but carried on his duties

  • School is ready for new era

    IT'S out with the old and in with the new at Embsay Primary School. Staff and pupils saw the removal of a "temporary" portable classroom this week, which had been there for over 30 years. The removal of the portable classroom is the end of an era for

  • Craven towns move out of infected area

    FARMS around Settle and Grassington have been moved out of the infected area for foot and mouth disease. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has agreed to reduce the area where strict restrictions apply. Exclusion areas still remain north

  • Church embarks on £200,000 hall project

    CHURCH officials are putting their faith in the public to come up with £200,000 needed for a new hall at St Margaret's, Ilkley. And they have already had a generous donation of land from a housing developer working on the former Ilkley College site. The

  • Doubts cast over money for dog dirt scheme

    THE problem of dog mess left on the parks and pavements in Ilkley could be solved by the introduction of new street wardens as part of a special Government plan. This week Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a new £50 million plan to crack down on neighbourhood

  • Pupils may join 'walking bus'

    AN Ilkley school is to launch a scheme to get children to school safely - and at the same time help the environment. Parents of pupils at All Saints School, on Leeds Road, are being invited to form a Walking Bus group, to cut down on unnecessary car journeys

  • All set for Ilkley Carnival - Otley forced to cancel

    ILKLEY will be thronged with thousands of people on Carnival Day - but Otley will be the opposite on the day of its event. In the week that Otley cancelled its carnival because of the foot and mouth outbreak, organisers of the Ilkley showpiece forecasted

  • 'Help me spend £440,000 on affordable houses in Ilkley'

    THE man charged with providing cheaper homes for young people in Ilkley made a plea to residents this week to help him spend almost half a million pounds. "I want you to help me find a site for the provision of social housing or affordable homes," said

  • Champion times for blind bowler

    When Christine Woodcock competes in the World Visually Handicapped Bowls Championships her name will go down in Yorkshire sporting history, The 61-year-old former mill worker became the first player from the county to qualify for the competition after

  • Tod hat-trick as Ilkley lift cup

    Ilkley Juniors U-16s..3 Otley Town..................0 Having secured the Harrogate and District Junior League B Under-16s title, Ilkley Juniors looked forward to a Wharfedale FA Junior Cup final against neighbours Otley Town. The league season saw Ilkley

  • Otliensians into semi-final on try count

    OTLIENSIANS.........21 YARNBURY..............21 (Otliensians go through on try count) Otliensians effectively won their Aire-Wharfe Cup quarter-final against old rivals Yarnbury on Tuesday by way of their two tries scored by winger Ady Fawell. The teams

  • Around the bowling greens

    THE Airedale and Wharfedale Bowling Association Leagues have got underway and early season results include: Monday Singles, Division One - Farsley A 174 (14) Rawdon A 178 (16), Guiseley Nuffield 205 (29) Rufford B 108 (1), Wharfemeadows A 190 (19) Pudsey

  • Flying cricket balls will bring foot and mouth problems

    SPECIAL arrangements have been made to retrieve cricket balls hit into neighbouring farmland when the Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket League gets into full swing on Saturday. At some grounds only a nominated, disinfected person may retrieve balls

  • Trojans still on course for title

    TROJANS.....5 SPA ATHLETIC....1 BURLEY Trojans overcame both the conditions and a battling Spa Athletic side to consolidate their lead at the top of the Premier Division. Despite conceding a second minute goal, Trojans fought back to net five times which

  • Rally round and cheer Otley survival battle

    COVENTRY........38 OTLEY...............27 OTLEY secured a vital bonus point, scoring four tries, in a most entertaining game but the spectre of relegation still hangs over them and they face a vital home game with Bedford on Saturday. Orrell's victory

  • Housing battles are drawn

    Campaigners who want to keep Bradford's Council houses in the control of the local authority have stepped up their campaign with the launch of a manifesto based on the protection of tenants. The launch comes at the height of a consultation exercise involving

  • Mystery man is vital to probe

    Detectives today urged a key witness of Bradford's Easter Sunday disturbances to speak out - believing he could be the lynchpin to uncovering how the violence erupted. They are trying to trace a man who was chased from the Coach House pub moments after

  • 'Vicious' robbers in daylight jewel raid

    Masked men robbed jewellery salesmen in a busy Bradford street in broad daylight - smashing the windows of their car and escaping with a large amount of Asian gold. One man was hurt in the attack yesterday and treated for facial wounds at Bradford Royal

  • 'Abandoned cars need to be moved'

    A growing spate of car fires has led a senior firefighter to urge Bradford Council to remove abandoned vehicles more quickly. Leading firefighter Trevor Wainwright said action was needed to allow crews to focus on more urgent incidents. He was speaking

  • Victim 'shot as he escaped from mob'

    A man was shot in the back as he ran away from a rampaging mob in Bradford, a court heard yesterday. Destor Coleman, 27, known as Dextor, was shot in the back by a bullet from a .45-calibre pistol which was - according to prosecutor Michael Smith - fired

  • Letters to the Editor

    Old solutions are not the answer SIR - Congratulations to Mike Priestley for saying all the wrong things in his article "The challenge facing decent Bradfordians" (North of Watford, April 21). The first nine paragraphs invite the reader to "slate" Bradford

  • CCTV - a new plea

    THE new president of Otley Chamber of Trade has certainly been making the right noises since coming into office. Jonathan Rutter rightly speaks of the need to encourage new small businesses to be set up in Otley and the need for more active members in

  • Theatre school expands its classes

    SHIPLEY-BASED Debut Theatre School has grown so successful over the last three years that it is to expand. Principals Jacqui Drake and David Kirk have decided to open a second branch, which is to be based at St Chad's Parish Church in Headingley. The

  • Traditional celebration planned for May Day

    MAY Day will be greeted in the traditional way in Otley - at sunrise on the Chevin. The town's two Morris sides - the Buttercross Belles and Otley Wayzgoose - will start the dancing season off on Tuesday, May 1 with a traditional dance at Surprise View

  • 'Horesback ambulance man' hangs up saddle

    THE EVENTFUL 21-year career of a commended ambulanceman - which included riding on horseback to rescue a woman from Ilkley Moor - has finally drawn to a close. Menston station officer Derek McMurrough, of St Richard's Road, was presented with a long service

  • Villagers favour the idea of a separate parish council

    COMMUNITY-minded villagers turned out to have their say over the way Burley-in-Wharfedale is run. More than 40 people crammed into Burley Oaks Primary School for a public meeting to discuss how the changes sweeping local government could affect them.

  • Elizabeth is on track for Costa Rican trek

    AN INTREPID cyclist is hard at work preparing for a 250-mile charity ride in Costa Rica. Elizabeth Loy, 69, of Fairfax Gardens, Menston, is already training for the trek next February - and raising money for the trip. Mrs Loy, a former head of biology

  • Village could get new sports facilities

    MUCH-NEEDED sports facilities could be on their way to Pool-in-Wharfedale. The village Recreation Ground Management Committee (RGMC) has submitted ambitious plans for single storey side and rear extension to the changing rooms at the back of the village

  • Road fears prompt parents petition

    RESIDENTS in Guiseley are being urged to back a campaign and sign a petition to get a pelican crossing on a notorious stretch of road before a youngster is killed. The group of parents from Tranmere Park Primary School are so concerned about speeding

  • Theatre groups merge

    TWO theatre groups are to merge in a bid to cut down on shows - and increase audiences. Horsforth Grove MAOS and Rawdon Amateur Operatic Society both perform at Yeadon Town Hall and Guiseley Theatre - usually to the same audiences. But from January next

  • Prevention is better than cure

    The Prime Minister's stated determination to clear up communities blighted by abandoned cars, announced as part of his attack on the "yob culture", will no doubt have been welcomed by many people in Bradford. Cars are being burned out around the city

  • Park facelift planned to improve sports facilities

    OPTIONS to revitalise Barnoldswick's Victory Park and improve its facilities for more local users were unveiled this week. Four options have been announced, costing as much as £1 million and mostly centred on redesigning the underused pitch and putt area

  • Club offers reward to catch vandals

    REWARDS have been offered to try to rid Cross Hills Football Club of vandals. A group of vandals, believed to be teenagers, have consistently targeted the club's modern changing room facilities, which were built in 1997 with the help of lottery funding

  • Protest over speed hump 'danger'

    A CAMPAIGN has been launched to demand the removal of Settle's controversial speed humps. Businesswoman Sandra Price has put together a petition, which she says has already been signed by over 300 people. It has been placed in several shops in Settle

  • Rare orchids 'may be lost forever'

    CONCERN has been raised over the long-term damage being caused to a botanical site containing wild orchids. The Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Railway spoke this week of their fears for a conservation area alongside the line at Selside, where pigs were

  • Residents fight against new houses

    A GROUP of Skipton residents is fighting plans to build new houses right on their doorstep. An application has been lodged with Craven District Council to build four, three bedroom houses on land up Otley Road. Krystina White described it as "speculative

  • One runner drop out - but others complete marathon challenge

    Runner Rob Grillo is thanking his lucky stars he did not take part in the London marathon. The day before he was due to travel to the capital, he received a hand-delivered letter which stopped him in his tracks. The message was that if he ran, he could

  • Local shops are put on the market because of lack of support

    CRAVEN Tuck Shop might have been voted the Shop of the Year in the Herald but even it cannot survive the competition from the multi-national giants. Andrew Midgley is being forced to sell his business and is blaming it on local people who will not support

  • Pupils' names travel in space

    YOUNGSTERS at an Ilkley school will be making their mark on space travel. Pupils at Westville House School will see their signatures travel aboard a US Space Shuttle mission. The school is one of only 500 worldwide, selected to take part in the Student

  • Lorries pose a real safety threat

    SIR, - As a cyclist, I can say that heavy goods vehicles pose a real threat, often tail-gating up Billams Hill about 40 to 50 miles per hour. Whilst going up towards Clifton on Wednesday morning I was not only passed by many lorries, including one bunch

  • The Curmudgeon

    WHATEVER happened to "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells?" Or even, "Horrified of Harrogate." They used to get right up my nose but now that they have gone - probably to the great Readers' Letters Column in the Sky - I miss them terribly. Now I am not knocking

  • Tradition is no enemy of the church

    SIR - I venture to reply to John Fidler (Letters, April 20), who confidently tells the Rev Adrian Botwright, rector of Holy Trinity, Skipton, that that reason for the Church's apparent decline is "tradition". As a Methodist local preacher of over 43 years

  • Vital role played by parish councils

    Sir, - Further to Andrew Dundas's letter in the Ilkley Gazette of April 19. In his letter Mr Dundas poses a number of questions regarding the funding of the parish council and the ability of the present council to run services, but I think he misses several

  • Bethany is the UK indoor champion

    The climax of the Norwich Union/Reebok Sports Hall Athletics 2001 season was reached on Saturday at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham. Teams from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the nine regional districts of England came together in the UK

  • Yeadon feel the force of South African

    YEADON felt the force of Cleckheaton's new overseas player South African Derek Brand when the Bradford League season opened on Saturday. Cleckhetaon batted first at Dam Lane and clocked up 170-8 with Brand hitting 68 from the number four spot. Yeadon

  • Yarnbury win with last gasp try

    Yarnbury..........19 Ripon..................15 Yarnbury cashed in one of their 'get out of jail free' cards when they scored a converted try in the dying seconds to snatch 19-15 home league victory over visitors Ripon. Chasing victories in their last

  • Pool share spoils with Ilkley AFC

    POOL....................3 ILKLEY.................3 Pool went into this game with a hangover from their cup final defeat the previous Monday and with a couple of late changes because of work commitments. Consequently, they never got going in the first-half

  • Dawn wins Hull singles title

    GUISELEY'S Dawn Johnson won the singles title at the Hull 68th Badminton Tournament on the Badminton Association Satellite Circuit. Dawn lifted the title at the Hull and East Riding Sports Club. Seeded No 1 the Guiseley School pupil first defeated Claire

  • Battling Guiseley on the up

    SOME battling displays of late by beleagured Guiseley have seen them improve their league standing and with three games left to play they now look as if they will escape the threat of a second successive relegation. Neil Parsley's men have suddenly found

  • 'Outbreak that shattered my mum and dad'

    A pensioner has donated money to help farmers hit by the foot and mouth crisis - in memory of her parents whose lives were shattered by an outbreak in 1940. Barbara Sanders, a grandmother-of-three from Shipley, has dedicated her contribution to the Yorkshire

  • Louts' litter makes garden a hazard

    A mother of two young children says late-night drinkers using her garden as a shortcut have turned it into a hazardous waste ground. The syringes, beer bottles and empty cans which litter the back garden of Debborah Roe, of Lower Grange, have imprisoned

  • Union blazing over plans for fire chiefs

    A plan to replace fire station officers with non-uniformed inspectors has been met with outrage by union officials. West Yorkshire Fire Authority's personnel and training committee will meet tomorrow to consider the proposals. But members of the Fire

  • Dance crazy 'Billy Elliotts' head for stardom

    Two ballet dancing brothers are celebrating a double success after winning scholarships to a prestigious dance school. Bradford's own Billy Elliotts - teenagers Christopher and Michael Longstaff, of Otley Road - have set their sights on stardom after

  • Mum's fear that son won't wake up

    Every morning Alison Box is filled with dread as she creeps into her teenage son's bedroom to check whether he has survived the night. Christopher, 13, has been diagnosed with an irregular heart rhythm leading it to stop beating while he sleeps. The life-threatening

  • Parker seals Addingham win

    Clitheroe.............3 Addingham............4 Addingham travelled to Colne to play Clitheroe in a re-run of last years epic battle for the Division One championship which saw both teams promoted to the Premier League. The two sides appear to have adapted

  • A good point for Ilkley

    Ilkley.............12 Tigers.............12 IN response to referee Garth Dawkins' enquiry whether the match he was about to officiate had any major end of season significance both skipper Ben MacDonald and his Sheffield counterpart were quick to alert

  • Craven through the years

    100 years ago A HERALD columnist was lamenting the rural exodus. According to the writer, the countryside was being depopulated while the towns were becoming more congested despite dear rents and excessive taxation. Lured by the prospect of money, workers