100 years ago

The Herald became involved in the ongoing discussion about the need for a public swimming place in Skipton, following the recent spate of unfortunate accidents in the area. It suggested the cheapest scheme may be to get permission to set apart a portion of the River Aire where conditions were fairly safe and throw it open to bathers for so many hours per day. The Herald argued it would be no use building an elaborate swimming baths and expecting people to pay when there was a river, a canal and other streams in the neighbourhood.

Bentham was the source of gossip when it came to light that a young girl of 22 had eloped with a man of 40. They had both worked in the mill but one morning both were discovered to be missing, with letters to indicate their intention. Unfortunately, the spirit of romance was somewhat dampened by the knowledge that the man was already married. The police were said to be on his track for wife desertion.

An argument over working men's clubs lead to an assault in Barnoldswick. One man declared the clubs were the "ruination of the country" while another took the opposite view, pointing out that Barnoldswick's working men's club had given £11 to the war fund. He received some blows for his words and lost four teeth in the ensuring fight.

The annual Skipton Horse Fair was a great success with the High Street and other main thoroughfares full and much business conducted. According to the Herald, there was "a numerous collection of horse flesh of varying degrees of quality", with the better class of animal selling for up to £45.

50 years ago

AFTER the success of half a century before, just one horse attended Skipton Horse Fair this year. It was about noon before the horse appeared, ridden by a young girl. But to the four men who had gathered to attend the fair, this meant it could continue again the following year. One man recalled the days when the stone setts in the High Street were thick with horses and ponies. "Even if they came now", he said, "it would be a bit of a job finding anywhere for them with all these cars about."

Four Skipton Girls' High School pupils were working in one of the town's major department stores to cover their expenses for another year at school. The girls were Misses Rosemary Bean, Jean Thompson, Christine Dobson and Greta Burgess. All the girls were competing for nylon stockings, which the manager would be giving to the most efficient assistants.

The Herald received news that Skipton was to have its own crematorium at Waltonwrays Cemetery to serve Skipton, Barnoldswick, Earby, Silsden.

25 years ago

Barnoldswick Gala was opened by Mike and Bernie Winters. The stars of stage and television went through a comedy routine after opening the show and then crowned the town's new gala queen, Julie Pickles.

Plans were afoot to establish who would be the World Cream Cracker Eating Champion. The championships, organised by the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association, were to be held during "an afternoon of frolics" alongside the River Wharfe at Burnsall.

Students from throughout Europe returned home after spending two weeks looking after children with learning disabilities on holiday in Settle. Parties of 14 children each spent a week under the students' care at Settle High School, where beds were erected in the classrooms. The children were taken on coach tours and on the Friday of each week were given a party at the school by the Settle branch of the National Society for Mentally Handicapped Children.

10 years ago

Over 100 gallons of oil, spilled into the Leeds and Liverpool canal, was recovered from Barnoldswick's Greenberfield Locks. The waterways authorities did not know where the oil had come from, but they were fairly certain it had not come from a boat.

Craven Fell runners returned triumphant after forming part of the England team that wrestled the Innerleithen Challenge Shield back from Scotland. Kevin Wright and his brother Stephen, from Silsden, were the first Craven athletes to cross the line, fourth and fifth respectively. Mike McKenzie, of Arncliffe, was seventh and Roger Gibson, of Long Preston, eighth. This put six English men in the first 10 runners and was enough to ensure the shield crossed the border.

Engineers would soon be starting work to repair stretches of the Aire Valley Trunk Road at Steeton that sunk within weeks of it being open. The problem was thought to be due to the fact that the road was built on weak ground in the flood plains of the River Aire.

Air hostess, Samantha Whitham, from Draughton, returned home after a daring escape from occupied Kuwait. Samantha was part of a ten car off-road convoy that drove through the desert, avoiding tanks and troops and across the border into Saudi Arabia.