100 Years Ago

GENERAL Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, visited Skipton as part of a nationwide tour. A large crowd saw his entourage of five cars arrive in Broughton Road and the Skipton Salvation Army Band accompanied him to the Temperance Hall for a speech. But the Herald noted that one was struck by the air of weariness which shrouded him and was distinctly unimpressed with his speech. "Many would go away disappointed," said the Herald. "Instead of a rousing address full of fire and 'go' the audience saw in the head of the Salvation Army an old gentleman who spoke in husky and rather rasping tones and whose speech was delivered some what in the nature of a recitation, as it must by this time have become."

Burnsall Sports took place but the fell race attracted just four competitors, a marked contrast to the hundreds who now take part. Perhaps today's organisers should step back in time and reintroduce the washing competition for the good ladies of Burnsall, or on second thoughts, perhaps not. The washing competition was won in 1904 by Mrs Binns, second Mrs Mason and third Mrs Bonser although the report does not say if the competition involved scrubbing clothes in the waters of the Wharfe.

It was a hard life for the Prince of Wales. After opening the grouse shooting season at Bolton Abbey, he then went on to Ripon and then went in pursuit of more grouse at Tulchan Lodge, Scotland, where the pleasure of his visit was marred by an accident to his host, Mr Sassoon, who broke a collar bone.

An auction at the Unicorn Hotel in Skipton sold 61 Castle Street in the town for £237 and next door, number 63, for £1 less. Number 26 Belle Vue Terrace was sold for £525.

50 Years Ago

SKIPTON Horse Fair was on the verge of extinction. In the olden days the setts were thronged with horses for sale every August 23, but times change and in 1954 only one horse, a piebald pony owned by Skipton's Harry Woodward, was present. There was an air of gloom for horse dealer Isaac Miller, of Victoria Street, Skipton. The decline was blamed on mechanisation of farms and it was said that if ever a horse failed to appear on the setts, then the tradition would be abandoned.

If you think this month's rain was out of the ordinary - think again. In 1954 6.15 inches of rain had fallen in the first three weeks of the month and Gargrave Show suffered badly. Normally around 4,000 attended but barely 1,000 turned up, resulting in an inevitable big loss for the organisers. Those who did brave the elements had to wade through a sea of mud and cars were banned from the field.

Burnsall cancelled its sports for the first time ever as the fell was covered in torrents and the green was beginning to flood. In the fields farmers had been unable to gather in the hay because of the almost continual wet weather and grass was lying rotting and ruined in the fields after the wettest August in living memory.

The visit of Gen Booth to Skipton 50 years earlier was commemorated in a special ceremony. A man dressed up as the Salvation Army founder was presented to Miss K Farey, daughter of Coun WG Farey who had welcomed the real General to Skipton in his capacity as council chairman all those years previously.

25 Years Ago

YOUNGSTERS in the Shortbank Road area of Skipton complained that there was nowhere for them to play ball games, and that if they did local people called the police. Asking them to go all the way to Aireville Park was unrealistic. Their cause was backed by Margaret Whitaker, who was returning to the town 10 years after emigrating to Australia as an 11-year-old. She said that the playgrounds had been taken away since her departure.

Bradley Football Club requested a clear the air meeting with the village parish council. The football club complained that showers which had broken due to a burst pipe during a freeze had taken months to repair. Ironically they were repaired the day after the keys to the pavilion were handed over to the cricket club.

A three week strike at Johnson and Johnson's Gargrave factory ended. The workers had demanded a £50 a week wage, the management had offered £47 and eventually they went back for £49 a week.

10 Years Ago

BRADLEY said farewell to its last link with the Industrial Revolution as John Holmes closed down is Rose Shed mill. Once 60 people had worked there but there were only six left on the final day. The mill had started work in 1865 and was one of three textile mills in the village.

An appeal to raise £325,000 to save Settle pool from closure was launched. Essential filtration and heating equipment had to be installed at the 20-year-old pool.

Residents living near the old Fisher doctor's surgery in Otley Street raised a petition against YMCA plans to turn the building into a hostel for the homeless. The residents said they already had problems with a youth club run from the next door property.