100 Years Ago

PRESSURE continued to be put on the owner of Skipton Castle, Lord Hothfield, to relent and allow Jerry Croft (better known to us as the Town Hall car park) to be used for a new Skipton cattle market. The good lord had refused to countenance such a move and a special meeting was called. Hopes that the meeting would be on the site itself were turned down by Lord Hothfield and instead a party consisting of Major Tempest of Broughton Hall, Mr Amcott Wilson, of Eshton Hall and Mr W Farey, chairman of the urban council, was travelling down to London to try to persuade Lord Hothfield to change his mind.

Low rainfall had meant water supplies were dangerously low. Whinnygill Reservoir had only 17 feet nine inches of water; on the corresponding day 12 months previously there was more than 35 feet. The council announced that it would prosecute anyone wasting water by swilling or other means.

In Gargrave there was a disagreeable stench from the public gas supply, so bad that some households had stopped using gas for lighting, turning to petroleum instead. On Saturday evening the service at the parish church was abandoned and the Sunday evensong was held in the afternoon instead of evening because of the smell. The Wesleyan Chapel had extinguished most of its gas lamps.

50 Years Ago

A GALE destroyed the stand at Barnoldswick Football Club's ground. The roof, which had only been put on during the close season, was blown off and the rest of the structure was so damaged that it had to be pulled down. Changing rooms were also out of action. The stand was not insured for storm damage and the club's initial reaction was that it would be the end of their days in the Lancashire Combination but later they said they would launch a public appeal to rebuild the stand.

The district was in the grip of a flu epidemic and many schools had half empty classes, although the situation was much worse in other West Riding Schools, many of which had closed.

Cleaning out the archives at the Town Hall unearthed a Skipton Court Register dating back more than 100 years. Among the more unusual crimes dealt with by the magistrates was bowling stones on the highway (apparently with few greens locals used rounded stones to play bowls), furious riding of horses, failing to limewash the walls of lodging houses and opening inns on Sunday while worship was in progress.

Rev Inglis Evans unveiled and dedicated a war memorial tablet in respect of the last war at Skipton Baptist Church. The names of three men were on the roll of honour: William Dudley Culbert, Walter Brian Overend and Robert Titterington.

25 Years Ago

PLANS were unveiled for a new food store and 13 shopping units in Victoria Street, Skipton. Back to back houses in Albert Street had been knocked down in the 1950s but nothing had been done since. The town council welcomed the plans, not least because it had waited more than 20 years for developments.

Craven's oldest firm was to close after 250 years in business. Slating firm Richard Thornton and Son of Waller Hill, Skipton, was run by brothers Wilfred, 73, who joined the firm in 1922 and Eric, 68, who had followed in 1931but they were to retire and shut the business. Originally started in Bradley it had put the tiles on Christ Church, Skipton, the police station and the town hall, all in Skipton, on Malham Tarn House and several properties of the Duke of Devonshire. Its biggest contract ever was roofing the houses of the new Burnside estate in Skipton just after World War One.

The late 70s was the era of punk and new wave music and one Skipton band of that genre had spent £650 for 1,000 copies of its debut single. Carl Dulling (guitar and vocals), Mick Smith (guitar), Gary Holdsworth (bass) and Andy French (drums) hoped to get their song played by John Peel on Radio One. Muggins's Blight, as they were called where are you now?

10 Years Ago

RESIDENTS in Coniston Cold were rejoicing when the Government announced its preferred route for the Coniston Cold bypass. It would link up with the Gargrave bypass on the A65 by a roundabout and was the route preferred by most people directly affected. The bypass would remove 95 per cent at least of the 8,500 cars and lorries which passed through Coniston Cold every day. Alas, the general rejoicing did not last long. As A65 users know all too well, the Gargrave and Coniston Cold bypasses remain figments of the imagination.

Airedale Hospital was to introduce car parking charges. All money generated would be used to tackle security problems in the parking areas, paying for security guards, better lighting and surveillance cameras.

Debt-ridden Earby Brass Band Club members voted to sign the property over to their main debtors, Tetley's Brewery, which was owed £60,000. The club would not close down but its long term future was unclear. Club officials said it was indicative of the apathy of members that only 52 of 230 members turned up to vote on its future.

Pinder Bridge in Skipton was being repaired, creating long delays for motorists to the fury of local tradesmen and shops.