TWENTY five years ago communities across Craven were busy organising events to celebrate the Queen's silver jubilee in June.

This year the monarch's Golden Jubilee has got off to a slow start - but there are signs of stirring and the Jeremiahs who forecast apathy may well be proved wrong.

Back in 1977, Skipton Castle resounded to the echoes of plays, choral concerts, and historical re-enactments. Streets were closed off as residents celebrated with parties and an It's A Knockout event was organised by Skipton Rugby Club.

The surrounding villages held processions, galas and parties. Giggleswick even built an evergreen jubilee arch in Church Street, something which it hopes to repeat this year near Belle Hill and 20 jubilee queens were crowned.

A quarter of a century later and is the patriotism among the public and businesses still there?

Certainly Skipton's Jubilee Committee thinks so and is confident money will come from businesses to build a commemorative band stand in the canal basin.

Committee member Malcolm Hanson says it has raised around half the £20,000 needed so far. "I'm confident it will go ahead," he declared.

To date few other Skipton events have come to light apart from a family event in the Black Horse Hotel and a handful of street parties. Road closure inquiries include Greatwood Avenue, Heather View and Duckett Street.

Elsewhere, Grassington is planning a series of family events, Hebden is considering an old time dance, a duck race and possibly a street party, and Cracoe wants to hold a children's sports event.

A full programme of celebrations surrounding Bordley, Winterburn, Flasby, Hetton and Rylstone is to be published in the near future and Embsay Parish Council has plans for the weekend of June 8.

Thornton-in-Lonsdale has a ceilidh and family barbecue planned, and Hellifield Parish Council is hoping to light a beacon and put on a fireworks display.

Individual events are also being planned in South Craven

Settle's planned celebrations will coincide with this year's community festival organised by Peter Huby, a former Settle High School teacher. It will include a medieval enactment group, a pavilion in the market place, music and performances.

In West Craven celebrations have yet to be decided with no details of any events being made known to the Herald office.

This has been due mainly to the communities being involved in the Vital Villages initiative, a rural regeneration programme, which has taken up much of the time.

Pat Spenceley, of the Earby Development Group, an off-shoot of the parish council, said that once the Vital Villages work was over, planning would begin for the jubilee.

"We just have not had time to do anything yet although there have been a few ideas tossed around. There will definitely be some things going on."

The Herald also conducted a quick straw poll to test public opinion of the jubilee celebrations.

Out of 20 people of all ages approached at random, only nine knew the jubilee was in June, with only two knowing the correct date.

Of these same 20 people only five had the inclination to join in any planned events within their locality. Eight of the people we spoke to were from Craven.