Archive

  • Mike Priestley's walks

    After the ambitious outing a fortnight ago for a longish walk in North Yorkshire, here's a short stroll on the doorstep. Horton Bank Country Park is ideal for an evening's saunter. Pick a good evening, with clear skies, and the views are superb. This

  • Hooked on panto!

    David Behrens finds Leslie Grantham, the actor famed for his 'heavy' roles, just loves making audiences laugh... Playing villains, says Leslie Grantham, is easy. It's nice guys that take talent. "And I don't play nice guys," he adds with a grin. He has

  • Fiddling family kept busy

    A YEADON family of four is to take part in a prestigious international festival of music to be held at Buxton later this month. Peter Stebbings, his wife Jane and two daughters Nicola, 11 and Alice, 8, are to appear in Fiddler on the Roof to be staged

  • Health care undergoes major shake-up

    HEALTH care provision in Craven is to undergo a major shake-up following the go-ahead for six new primary care groups in North Yorkshire. From April, groups of local family doctors, their primary health care teams and community nurses - working in co-operation

  • Fearless aid volunteer braving soldiers' guns

    Aid worker Geoff Robinson was last night braving gun-toting Serbian paramilitaries as he took a convoy into war-torn Kosovo. The retired Bradford Council employee and fellow volunteers took a week to arrive in the Kosovan capital of Pristina. And last

  • 'His courage was his testament'

    Brave student Simon Wooller's final wish was granted as more than a hundred mourners defied tradition by wearing brightly-coloured clothes. And pop music was played at the service yesterday in line with Simon's request that his funeral should not be a

  • School saved by £1m 'secret' gift

    A £1 million gift from an anonymous wellwisher has saved an Ilkley private school from closure. Ghyll Royd was due to shut its doors for good at the end of summer term after the owners, Michael and Eileen Shepherd, announced their retirement. The move

  • Thug leaves Bulls fan, 5, in tears

    Rugby club bosses have vowed to ban a middle-aged fan for life after he terrorised a five-year-old Bradford Bulls supporter. Little James Goldspink was left in tears after the Hull Sharks' follower snatched a Bulls' hat from his head, tried to rip it

  • I haven't eaten for 11 years

    Brave Terry Bennett hasn't had a square meal for 11 years after a horrific accident which nearly killed him. The cabbie from Shipley is unable to eat after vital nerves in his brain were severed in the road smash. Instead of tucking into a plate of steak

  • Ilkley Harriers

    AN excellent run by Billy Kerr in the Askern 10 mile road race saw him record another fast time at the distance. In hot conditions his 56.30 was most impressive, securing 8th place and runner up in the over 40 veterans category. Ilkley's Malcolm Pickering

  • Disabled driver's car leaves moor road

    A DISABLED driver had a lucky escape when her car left a moor road and careered 60 feet down a steep hill in Ilkley. Fortunately, the Suzuki Vitara's progress was halted by a tree stump, leaving the 70-year-old driver suffering from only shock and minor

  • Crimefighters will oppose merger plans

    CRAVEN Crime Prevention Panel has joined the fight to keep a fully comprehensive locally based police service. Last week, the Herald revealed that the force's current boundary and structure review could result in Craven losing its divisional status, with

  • The Curmudgeon

    NOW that Mean Mike has finally slunk back into the Beggars' Arms after the great Beggarsdale Burger Bar Battle, Maggots Money-Grubber has begun to show his face too. They do not speak to each other, however, in case this would confirm suspicions that

  • Defender opf 'green' issues dies

    AN Ilkley solicitor who was a staunch defender of the countryside for more than 60 years has died aged 91. Roland Wade CBE was born in Ilkley and went to Ghyll Royd School before moving on to Mill Hill in London and Trinity Hall, Cambridge, were he read

  • Why Katy made a big splash

    Talented swimmer and athlete Katy Symonds is our first young sports star of 1998. Our panel of judges has selected Katy as the first of six monthly winners in our 1998 Search For A Star competition, which is sponsored by Taywood Homes. The 13-year-old

  • Chimney gets the Dibnah touch

    STEEPLEJACK Fred Dibnah was scaling the heights in Barnoldswick this week to make sure one of the town's landmarks will last well into the next millennium. Bolton-based Fred - the star of a successive BBC television documentary series chronicling his

  • July was just awful

    IT was astonishing to hear television pundits last week remarking that July's weather had been nothing out of the ordinary. Rainfall was unexceptional and while hours of sunshine were below average, it was not unusual to have a cloudy summer. Then the

  • Cricket: Aire-Wharfe League

    Silsden edged six points closer to promotion with a convincing victory over Otley. Andy Pullen and Mark Akrigg did the damage as Otley were bowled out for 71. After an opening partnership of 30 for Otley it was Pullen who made the breakthrough and he

  • Cricket: Craven League

    The top of the table clash between Embsay and Oakworth at Shires Lane was a close tussle which finally went the way of the home side. On a low slow wicket the Keighley side were reduced to 54-6 before Graham Rankin who finished with 45no and Tim Walsh

  • Laura shows champion style

    Laura Stephenson became the LTC Hauliers Junior Champion after a superb showjumping victory at Driffield. She took on 36 other competitiors before reaching the final jump-off. She was last to go, setting the fastest time to take the title. Laura and her

  • Watford is big gap for injured Craig

    When Bradford City's fixture list was printed during the summer, today's clash at Watford was the game that caught Craig Ramage's eye. The 28-year-old joined the Bantams in the summer of 1997 when then-manager Chris Kamara snapped the former England Under

  • Christian Viewpoint

    "They think it's all over... "It is now!" Those famous words could have been used on Monday at Headingley, where the England cricket squad faced South Africa. Tension was high. One side needed only a couple of wickets; the other a handful of runs. Then

  • Dear Reader

    I was privileged earlier this week to be asked to present medals and awards to around 30 boys and girls taking part in a summer literacy scheme. In all honesty, I had no real idea what it was actually about until I got to Greenhead Grammar School where

  • Opinion

    There should be time for quiet reflection over the heartrending case of Penny Roberts who is paralysed and expecting a baby. The obvious knee-jerk reactions must be tempered with the practical difficulties Penny and her baby will face. Bradford council's

  • Society's longest serving member retires

    AFTER totting up 43 years of service, the longest serving member of staff at Skipton Building Society has retired. Ken Oxley, of Hall Croft, Skipton, who has lived in the town all his life, joined the society back in 1955 as an office junior and worked

  • Station refit on track

    Thousands of pounds are to be spent on improvements to Silsden and Steeton railway station. Railtrack will carry out repairs to the platform and improvements to the drainage in the car park. The stone wall adjacent to platform two will also be renewed

  • Skydivers's chute failes to open

    A Stockbridge man who took part in a charity skydive had a terrifying mid-air fright when his main parachute failed to open. Chris Swift was taking part in a freefall tandem parachute jump when the main chute became entangled and didn't open correctly

  • No need for survey into parking woes

    WE wish Skipton's mayor every success as he raises again the thorny question of solving the town's traffic problems. Over the years the issue of Skipton's car parking problem regularly crops up. For a little while the subject comes into the spotlight.

  • Lance shoots double ace

    While most golfers go all their lives without scoring a hole in one, Branshaw member Lance Ferguson has had two in a week! Lance, 39, who plays off 12 handicap, holed out at Branshaw's 159-yard 18th with a five iron for his first-ever 'ace' after seven

  • Landowner puts forward anti-flood scheme

    A SKIPTON landowner wants to help "eliminate the flooding risk" to the town by diverting water around his land into a small reservoir. An old access road to Steve Cuthbert's land above Whinny Gill Reservoir was completely washed away by the Skipton floods

  • Freemasons go public

    The 206-year-old freemasons' Lodge of the Three Graces, of Mill Hey, Haworth, opens its doors to the public again on Saturday, August 22, from 10am to 4pm. The public was last invited to inspect the Masonic Hall premises in December 1994, which proved

  • Community transport faces breakdown

    A COMMUNITY transport group offering cheap travel is urging people to make more use of its service or face losing it completely. The trustee committee of Otley Community Transport fears for the future of its £24,000 bus after usage dropped drastically

  • Dismal summer hits trade

    WHEN a sunflower competition has to be postponed due to lack of sun, you know that Craven has been missing out on its share of summer weather. While figures show that the world has just had the hottest July in history, we have been hidden under almost

  • Firm in row over sacking

    A smouldering 'industrial espionage' row has flared up at the world's largest manufacturer of wicks. The dispute came to a head when Matthew Pickard was sacked from his job with Keighley firm Hattersley Narrow Fabrics Ltd. Mr Pickard, 26, claims he was

  • Golf: Charity hole-in-one

    Window cleaner Brian Barraclough believes Divine intervention played a big part in his first-ever hole in one on Friday. Brian, a 16 handicapper, was playing in the charity tournament he helped organise at Keighley in memory of his best friend Danny McGowan

  • Crciket: Junior cricket

    BRADLEY continued in their winning ways, beating second placed Gargrave with two balls left. W Campbell kept Gargrave's hopes alive with four wickets for four runs. With Cononley's match being conceded by Glusburn in the Southern Section, Haworth needed

  • Cricket: Cowling Cup final

    All the pre-match hype suggested a close contest between U Wharfedale and Haworth at Bradley. What transpired was far from expected as the sun finally shone, the temperature soared -- and Haworth clinched a red-hot victory. Wharfedale, without the services

  • Cricket: Waddilove cup final blow

    STEETON'S cup dreams were shattered by former Somerset slow bowler Steve Booth last weekend. The Summerhill side, playing in their second final, came up against a bowler in sparkling form as he took seven wickets for 53 runs. Earlier things had been going

  • Hat-trick of wins for Clay

    JON Clay made it a hat-trick of wins in the Otley Town Road Race on Tuesday, the Team Brite man leading home the field of 78 riders who lapped the circuit every four minutes in a spectacular race lasting 75 minutes. The race, organised by Otley Cycle

  • Wheelie bin assurances are rubbish says Councillor

    ASSURANCES of a trouble-free switch to a wheelie bin system have been condemned as 'ludicrous' by an Addingham-based councillor. Coun David Harrison (Con, Craven) is furious with the generalised nature of Bradford Council's plan to adopt the wheelie bin

  • 'No worries over mink'

    Wild mink seen close to Silsden beck present no danger to the public, say experts. silsden parish council expressed concerns that the the mink could be dangerous and damage people's health. But Bradford council's en-vironmental health officials have consulted

  • Viewpoint

    Sarah Cochrane, 16, a pupil at Skipton Girls' High School, questions why some blockbuster movies have received the success they have. Sarah, who is studying A-levels in biology, English language, history and general studies, has been on work experience

  • Simply Smith

    with Tom Smith I enjoy living in Keighley. The town has most things one could ask for: a more than adequate shopping complex, a town centre in which tired shoppers can sit and relax for a few minutes, train and bus stations, and a host of other facilities

  • Readers' Letters

    SIR - It was with some surprise that I read in the Keighley News Midweek the reaction of Claire Jackson, the local drinking water inspector, to the report by the Drinking Water Inspectorate and also to local criticisms about chlorine in Silsden water.

  • Following in the footsteps of town's most famous resident

    IF you've got a spare thousand pounds or several hanging around, you could do worse than invest in a Jim Norris chair. The name might not be instantly recognisable, but the man behind it is fast following in the footsteps of another, fairly well-known

  • Mike Priestley North of Watford

    There are circumstances which excuse a pay-rise bonanza: if the country is booming, companies are thriving, and lots of wealth is being produced. At present, though, Britain's mini-boom (such as it was) is fading fast. Manufacturing orders are falling

  • Ben Rhydding Golf Club

    CONDITIONS were perfect at Ben Rhydding Golf Club's Invitation Day. Ninety two players took part on a course in magnificent condition. The winning score was nine under par. The winners were: 1 M Chew (Ben Rhydding), M Elsworth (Shipley) 56 nett; 2 B Piper

  • A star studded night at Nethermoor

    THE crowd flocked to Nethermoor Park last Thursday night to see Guiseley take on a Leeds United X1 and were delighted to find that the Premier League side had paid the UniBond League club the highest compliment possible by sending a star studded team.

  • Doug captures world crown

    DOUGIE LAMPKIN retained the World Trial title after the first round of last weekend's competition in Finland. Lampkin, who is currently World, World Indoor and British trials champion and he held onto the world crown with a superb ride in the village

  • Double conservation delight

    A Sutton man has been appointed to the board of the North York Moors National Park Authority. Stephen Jenkinson's role is to represent national interests alongside other members from county, district and parish councils. Stephen, 33, who is also Bradford

  • 'Wronged' customers challenge car dealer

    Angry car owners are deman-ding reparation after being sold allegedly 'unroadworthy' vehicles from a former Keighley car dealer. Maureen Malone, of Heath-cliffe, Haworth, and Simon Lynch, of Laburnum Grove, Cross Roads, spent Saturday afternoon protesting

  • Penny fights on to keep baby

    Pregnant Penny Roberts, who was paralysed in a skydiving accident, has vowed to continue the fight to keep her baby when it is born. Bradford council social services department has said the baby could be taken into care because the state's bill to care

  • Beth back from African mission

    Keighley teenager Beth McPhail returns home on Friday, August 21, after a year in Africa. Beth has been working with orphaned and abandoned children in an SOS children's village in Zimbabwe. Beth, 19, whose year as a volunteer was arranged through Project

  • Jo sails back into town

    Globe-trotting Keighley woman Jo Pagdin has abandoned a life on the ocean wave - to join dad Dennis at the town's Rotherwood Recruit-ment employment agency. Jo, 27, has spent virtually all the last eight years travelling. She has back-packed once round

  • Double take as film crews descend

    Bront country is to feature Down Under on Australia's leading travel show. Film crews from Getaway - Australia's version of our own 'Wish You Were Here?' - shot scenes in the famous cobbled Main Street, at the Parsonage Museum and at Weavers restaurant

  • National praise for landlord

    Timothy Taylor's famous bottled Landlord beer is soon to become more widely available in off licences and supermarkets across the country. The Keighley-based award-winning brewer of traditional cask ales has secured a major supply deal with the country's

  • Paralysed woman faces new anguish

    A PARALYSED Steeton woman who could have her baby taken away at birth is blaming red tape for her anguish. Penny Roberts, 35, is confined to a wheelchair after falling on to a concrete runway in a parachuting accident in 1995. She is looked after by a

  • Shoppers not worried by milk scare

    Milk suppliers in Keighley have reacted with caution to a government statement this week linking milk to an incurable stomach disease. Supermarkets and dairies will be taking precautionary measures to prevent the risk of milk causing Crohn's disease which

  • Woman searches for her mother

    A Keighley woman hopes people will help her adopted daughter track down members of her original family. Lorraine Greenwood was ad-opted at the age of 17 months. Now that she has reached 30, she is keen to find out more about her background. Her mother

  • New venue for farmers' show

    Aire Valley Young Farmers Club will be holding its annual show at a new venue for the first time in 30 years. The association has held its annual show at Bingley Auction for the last 30 years, but now the auction has been sold, organisers have had to

  • 'Study opened up a whole new world'

    Life has been transformed for two students following A-level successes at Keighley College. Five years ago single mum Gillian Burgess, by her own admission, had no real purpose or future. But on the advice of a friend she went along to the college, and

  • Bev shines at 'something new'

    Beechcliffe mother-of-two Beverley Barr has made academic history. She has become the first Keighley College student to receive the prestigious new Stage 3 RSA diploma, the highest level of secretarial award. Bev started at the college, on the secretarial

  • Pensioner OK after cliff plunge

    A teenager who saw a car plunge down a 140-foot rock face has told how the elderly woman driver rang her husband to tell her she was alright. Andy Hutchings, 18, was with four friends climbing the Cow and Calf Rock in Ilkley when a Suzuki Vitara being

  • youngsters rewarded for working holiday

    A summer school to improve local children's literacy levels has been a success. The summer literacy scheme at Keighley's Greenhead Grammar School has been helping youngsters improve their reading and writing skills. Greenhead liaised with its feeder middle

  • Historic workings uncovered

    Howden Colliery was Keighley's last working mine and one of Britain's smallest. Here we recall its short but fascinating existence. Work to establish the viability of obtaining coal at Rivock, above Riddlesden, began in 1921. The existence of coal in

  • Village hall under threat

    Cowling residents fear for the future of their village hall which is in urgent need of extensive repairs. At a meeting on Tuesday, Cowling village hall managers agreed that the parish council - the hall's trustees - would be looking at a bill of around

  • Big visit for Cadets

    Keighley Sea Cadets are on the crest of a wave. They are to be visited next month by the chairman of the Sea Cadet Association, Vice-Admiral Sir Jonathan Tod. He will be at the unit's Waddington Street headquarters on September 7. He will be accompanied

  • Man burned in car blaze

    A fire officer has praised the efforts of a man who tried to tackle a blaze in his car. Keighley fire station sub-officer Eddie Presland says Kevin Brooke and his father acted quickly after Kevin noticed his Audi 80 car was on fire in Canberra Drive,

  • smashing welcome for children of Chernobyl

    Youngsters from Chernobyl arrived in Keighley - and were immediately bowled over. The 11 children sent the pins crashing during games at the town's Hollywood Bowl, which proved to be right up the youngsters' alley. It was the perfect end to the day for

  • Burglar beats heroin

    A burglar had a shock when the owner of a house he was attempting to steal from retur-ned unexpectedly. Bingley magistrates heard that Andrew Cramp, 26, a father of four young children, needed to steal in order to feed his heroin addiction. Michael Wrigglesworth

  • Firm's fury at council U-turn

    Twenty-five men will be laid off and work will stop on a building site because planning bosses say new houses cannot be built in artificial stone. Skipton Properties wanted to build 25 houses on land at Victoria Road and Brow Road in Haworth. Planning

  • Inspector nabs a Freelander

    Keighley police inspector Bob Herbert has captured top prize in a 'What Car' magazine national Land Rover Freelander competition. Insp Herbert, a policeman for 30 years, has won the free use of a Freelander for a year after completing a car questionnaire

  • Baths come clean with hidden news

    Contractors carrying out a £3 million redevelopment scheme in Bradford city centre have uncovered a fascinating bit of history. Copies of the Bradford Daily Telegraph, Bradford Daily Argus and Yorkshire Daily Observer were found in a 95-year-old 'time

  • Police winning crime battle

    Police appear to be winning the battle against crime in Silsden. Keighley police Inspector Bob Robinson told the parish council that although figures may appear to have increased, this was because of the government's new rules of counting 'one crime -

  • Santa launches festive fun

    Santa took a break from his hectic Lapland lifestyle to officially launch the Manorlands Christmas draw. The launch was held at the Crossflatts base of the Brad-ford and Bingley Building Society, which is sponsoring the annual draw for the 10th year.

  • Woman calls for better access

    A disabled pensioner is calling on Bradford council to improve the access to her home. Edith Clark, 63, of West Lane, Keighley, suffered a stroke two years ago. She spent 14 weeks in hospital after a blood vessel burst and bled into her brain. She is

  • Accident blackspot to be improved

    A NOTORIOUS accident blackspot is to be made safer in a series of improvements including an anti-skid road surface. Bosses at the Highways Agency have pledged to upgrade the A660 at Old Pool Bank - known as the infamous 'Bar House corner' - following

  • Call for speed trap for thoughtless motorists

    MOTORISTS hammering along Bolling Road at great speed were this week condemned as 'utterly thoughtless'. Barbara Davy, of Parklands, Ben Rhydding, has spent 30 years watching the traffic situation deteriorate and believes action is urgently needed to

  • Woman invented robbery

    A young woman who wasted police time by inventing a fictitious robbery has been fined £150. Bingley magistrates' court heard that Adele Coggill, 20, of Nightingale Street, Lawkholme, made up a story of having been mugged in order to claim an emergency

  • MP presses for better rail service

    News of Keighley's first direct rail link to London has been welcomed by local MP Ann Cryer. Last week we revealed how a service to Kings Cross is being launched on September 28. The Great North Eastern Railway high-speed diesel train will leave Skipton

  • Catholics dig deep to pay for well

    An anonymous donation of £2,000 surprised local Catholics on Sunday and doubled the total raised in July for projects in Kenya. The money will pay the remaining debt on the drilling of a well which provides clean water for 7,000 families in the Kenyan

  • Lawrence helps maintain Bosnia peace

    Maintaining the huge supply trucks that deliver goods to the British Forces serving in Bosnia is the vital mission for Keighley soldier Lance Corporal Lawrence Devanney. Lawrence, 28, is a class 1 vehicle mechanic in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical

  • With pride in his job

    Alan Massie, site manager for Skipton Properties' flagship Long Acres development in Haworth, has been judged one of the best site managers in the north by the National House-Building Council (NHBC). He has been chosen as a Quality Award winner in the

  • Rifle charges withdrawn

    A Wild West fan charged with illegal possession of a rifle believed to have been used by British officers fighting the Zulus in 1879 has won his case. In a sensational twist at Bingley magistrates' court on Wednesday, the prosecution dropped all charges

  • Digging deep into a mine of information

    Research this week has shed new light on Keighley's historic coal mining industry. The town - better known for its engineering and textile roots - also boasted many pits in the early part of the last century. And Keighley's final working mine - Howden

  • Hospital thanks Jeff for marathon effort

    Eye patients at Airedale Hospital are to benefit from the efforts of a London Marathon runner. It was the first marathon that Jeff Noon, of Skipton Road, Utley, has ever run and he says it will probably be his last! The 37-year-old was not sure that he

  • Magistrates court lists

    THE following were convicted for not having a TV licence. The amount they were ordered to pay is in brackets. Tina Bradley, of 123 Upper Hird Street, Keighley (£140); Joe Browne, of 51 Woodend Crescent, Shipley (£90); Aman-da J Hewitt, of 29 Elmwood Terrace

  • UNO who you are

    Winners in our UNO competition were: Henry Scattergood, Upwood Park, Oxenhope; Peter Williams, St James Vicarage, Cross Roads; Michael O'Keeffe, Bradford Road, Riddlesden; Hamim Azam, Surrey Street, Stockbridge; Paul Moore, Haincliffe Road, Ingrow; Mark

  • Like father like daighter

    Former Bront Middle School student Amy Williams hits the stage next week to help celebrate an international music and theatre festival. Amy, 12, of Brook Row, Oakworth, has been invited to star in Fiddler on the Roof on Monday at Buxton Opera House which

  • Villagers in paper chase

    Cullingworth parish councillors are seeing red over posters. They are demanding an end to the posters which have started appearing around the village. The posters, made on bright card and carrying slogans about money-spinning opportunities, have been

  • Keith collects lucky Yamaha

    Motorbiking enthusiast Keith Grainger has won his dream machine in a nationwide competition. He received the brand new £10,000 Yamaha R1 motorbike from Keighley main dealer Colin Appleyard last Friday. Keith, 42, from Utley, won the machine in a contest

  • Ex-serviceman fights for charity

    A former serviceman from Cross Hills has returned home to try to recruit more support for a national children's charity. Falklands veteran Alan Elrick returned to his roots this week to spread the word about the Whizz-kidz charity, which helps youngsters

  • Ilkley Ladies Golf

    ILKLEY Golf Club ladies played a stableford competition for ther Captain's Charity - this year supporting the Stroke Association. The event was won in the Silver Division by Ann Gillon (19) 33 with Liz Ireson second with (20) 28 and Sue Hatfield third

  • Letter from the Dales

    A daleswoman with a hi-tech kitchen had placed her old black kettles on a wall outside the house and was using them - as my picture on the right shows - as plant pots. Years ago, when visiting a Dales home, whether it be a rambling farmhouse or a lile

  • Survey

    This week is RSPCA week. The RSPCA has centres all over the country and they play an important part in the protection of needy animals. But could school also help? Sarah Cochrane asked the young people of Keighley their views on how school can help with

  • Ilkley is litter free capital of Yorkshire

    ILKLEY is celebrating its status as the most litter-free place in Yorkshire following a prestigious award. The town finished second in the 1998 Yorkshire In Bloom competition, narrowly missing out to Wetherby in the town category. Second place is becoming

  • town wins praise in Yorkshire in Bloom

    Keighley is now the holder of three prestigious awards after gaining high marks in this year's Yorkshire in Bloom competition. The town was voted: joint winner for the Most Improved in Large Towns third in the Ilam Town Centre Award category fourth in

  • Doctor relives battle to free driver

    A doctor who helped free a Skipton man trapped under his 45-ton upturned crane, has spoken about the fight to free him. Doctors, paramedics, firemen, police and ambulance crews battled for four hours to release David Worthington, 58, who was trapped by

  • Did I do that? Bill plays a blinder for old pal

    Bill Barraclough's first hole-in-one in 27 years of golfing was memorable by any measure. But the bonus for Bill was that the feat came on the day he helped to organise a fundraising day in memory of a lifelong friend, Danny McGowan who died of cancer

  • Retire? No, this is just the job for Philip, 68

    In the autumn the Government is to unveil a voluntary code of practice against age discrimination in the workplace. JIM GREENHALF reports on the situation in Bradford About three years ago, at the age of 65, Philip Johnson retired from his job as a joiner

  • Crackdown as tenants endure drugs menace

    Drugs, violence and harassment are the biggest menace to tenants on Bradford district's housing estates. A pioneering enforcement team, which was the first set up in Britain last year, unearthed drug problems in 81 homes. Many of the homes were being

  • Celebrations for a first-class couple

    Keighley-born Robert Fergus-on-Caissie has proved he can juggle love and study brilliantly. Robert, 33, met the woman of his dreams and married her while studying for his degree at Warrington Collegiate Institute. Not only did he wed his true love - Tracey

  • Lontex closes for business

    ALMOST a hundred workers were due to clock off for the last time today (Friday) at Barnoldswick's Lontex Industries. The factory, which manufactures speciality and high quality carpet yarns, has struggled against a depressed British market and cheaper

  • Buy a house on the Net

    Keighley independent estate agents McManus & Poole are leading the way when it comes to selling property on the Internet. The high-tech firm has launched its own web page, giving potential customers from far afield the chance to look at what it has

  • the rise of Sir james

    The life of 54-year-old industrialist Sir James Hill reads more like a roll of honours than a biography of a Keighley capitalist. Born in Bradford in December 1943, the 6ft 4in textile giant spent his early years in Yorkshire before going on to Wrekin

  • Going Japanese

    The Stirrup Restaurant at Haworth has won a major contract from a French travel company to provide gourmet lunches for its parties of Japanese visitors to the Bronte shrine. Tourists on the Wagon Lits Travel tours of Britain will be dropping in to enjoy

  • New offer to help cut waste

    Keighley firms are being invited to take out free registration on an innovative waste exchange scheme. The scheme is designed to match their surplus stock and waste materials with other companies and organisations that can make use of it. The Pennine

  • Vauxhall benefits all round

    New developments at Keighley's Sunwin Vauxhall dealership in Worth Way have meant benefits all round. Over the last six months the company has demolished a series of derelict old buildings in adjacent Longcroft, including a barn, houses, a shop and former

  • Driving to improe profits

    Managers of companies with sign-written vehicles can find out how to improve the public's perception of their companies at a special seminar being organised by Keighley Business Forum. The seminar features Safe Drive - a service set up by Riddlesden businessman

  • Foundry finds pollution solution

    A Keighley foundry's efforts to stamp out pollution have been rewarded. Triplex has received a national industry award - BS EN ISO 14001 accreditation, a high environmental management standard. The award was presented by Keighley MP Ann Cryer when she

  • Another Larkspeed triumph for Ilkley

    ILKLEY and District Motor Club has won the Larkspeed League championship for an unprecedented fourth successive year and there are still two rounds of the championship to go. The ten round competition is contested by over 20 clubs in Yorkshire and ilkley

  • Station upgrading dashed

    HOPES that work would start on upgrading Menston railway station this month have been dashed by transport chiefs. A meeting of Menston Neighbourhood Forum heard in June how rail bosses were planning a series of improvements costing £30,000 including repairs

  • Rescuers praise trapped crane driver

    A BRAVE crane driver, who was trapped in his cab by his legs after his 45 tonne crane overturned, joked with rescuers who battled for three and a half hours to free him. Despite being pinned down, David Worthington, from Skipton, shrugged off his pain

  • Why the ads don't add up..

    THE recent celebrations surrounding Yorkshire Day recently reminded me of the most annoying advert I have ever seen on television. It starts off in an old farmhouse kitchen with a grey-haired stereotyped wrinkly explaining to a doe-eyed eight-year-old

  • Cricket: Bradford League

    Keighley's recent revival was brought to an abrupt halt by league newcomers Morley -- when they suffered a crushing 79-run defeat. The Lawkholme outfit must have fancied their chances after bowling the home side out for 150 with eight overs to spare.

  • Crooks on the inside

    I HAD some real mixed feelings after last Friday's draw with Swinton Lions. I was proud of the lads for having come back from what looked like a lost situation to snatch a draw, but also I was very disappointed that we had put ourselves in that situation

  • Gough targets Trueman's 307

    Not only did Darren Gough scale new heights for England at Headingley, but he also assured himself of a prominent place in Yorkshire's Hall of Fame. His dismissal of Jonty Rhodes in South Africa's second innings swung the game inexorably England's way

  • Psychological points to be won and lost

    Bradford Bulls will aim to strike an important psychological blow when they take on St Helens in a potential play-off dress rehearsal tomorrow night. With a six-point gap separating them both from third-placed Halifax, they are favourites to claim the

  • I'm going to quit

    Bradford Bulls skipper Graeme Bradley is to retire as a player at the end of the current Super League season. Weeks of speculation over the future of the 34-year-old Aussie ended today when Bradley revealed exclusively in his weekly Yorkshire Sports column

  • Off The Cuff

    with Katie Frearson The Internet is a young person's ticket to the world and now it's come to our very doorstep - the Keighley News. With the chance to sign up to the paper's very own internet service, Keighley is sure to become a hub of up-to-date info

  • Opinion

    by Joni Whaites, 15, of Oakbank School Throughout the world, there are debates on whether terminally ill patients should have the right to choose when they die. Should they continue to suffer, knowing that their pain can only get worse? Or should they

  • Simply Smith

    with Tom Smith Those very clever scientists are coming up with all sorts of possibilities concerning the human body. Some of these, I suppose, will be more acceptable than others. On the one side of the coin we are perhaps getting used to heart transplants

  • Opinion1

    What have Cleethorpes and Keighley got in common? Ask that of any cynic or a comedian not many miles away from here who is currently specialising in 'Did you hear about the Keighley man..?' and the answer would be less than favourable. Keighley is a joint

  • Dutch success for Ilkley

    IT is not often these days that we hear of British tennis success on clay courts but at the HET Spieghel Tournament in Holland a squad of junior and student players from Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club put that right. In temperatures approaching 40C

  • Fans vote for winter move

    COUGAR fans have given a massive thumbs-up for a return to winter rugby -- but it could already be too late for next season. Fans were given the chance to vote during a poll at last Friday night's game against Swinton Lions, and the result of the ballot

  • Garden plan uprooted by yob fears

    A COMMUNITY garden celebrating the millennium has been axed in the face of fierce criticism from Otley residents. Plans to create the landmark behind Newall Church Hall have been dropped following a public meeting where people living nearby opposed the

  • New venue for adult classes

    THE announcement of a new venue for further and adult education classes in Ilkley has been met with resignation rather than celebration by a parish councillor. "It is not ideal but it is the only building of any size that is available," said Coun Barbara

  • By-pass key element in hospital future

    THE completion of the Otley bypass may be an important element in the future of a new hospital for the area, says the town's MP. Speaking to the Wharfedale Observer this week, Harold Best (Lab, Leeds North West) said there was a powerful argument in favour

  • Exam pupils 'left in lurch' claim

    EXAM hopefuls have been left high and dry by the decision by an Ilkley independent school to shut its doors to senior pupils from next year, claim angry parents. The announcement caused shock and disappointment for parents of 14-year-olds about to begin

  • Town tries to solve traffic problems

    A RESIDENTIAL parking scheme for Skipton was just one of several traffic issues thrashed out by the town council. Members gathered at a special meeting at which questions were asked of representatives from North Yorkshire Council's Highways Department

  • Parks should be ruled by people power

    PEOPLE power has been put forward as vital to the successful maintenance of council-owned parks in Aireborough and Wharfedale. Horsforth councillor Chris Townsley (Lib Dem) wants to see all Leeds City Council owned parks have their own committee made

  • A lasting legacy bites the dust

    HOPES of creating a lasting legacy to the community spirit of Otley have this week bitten the dust - through a lack of the very thing it aimed to enshrine. A Millennium Garden had been vaunted as the perfect solution to the endless quest for a suitable

  • Wheelie bins cause a stink

    THE issue of rubbish is causing quite a stink in Ilkley with a row brewing over the introduction of wheelie bins. A popular sport in Ilkley is Bradford Council bashing. The prospect of wheelie bins has led to the usual condemnation of 'them at Bradford

  • Booth spins Knaresborough to cup success

    KNARESBOROUGH showed their cup pedigree when they disposed of Steeton in Sunday's Airedale and Wharfedale League Waddilove Cup final at Bilton. A splendid effort by the Bilton club was well rewarded with a brilliant, sunny day. Knaresborough won the toss

  • Couple fly back in time

    FIFTY years-ago a Yeadon couple spent their honeymoon on the Isle of Man and now, after all these years, they have been back to the island to retrace their steps on the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary, writes Barry Pennett. George and Jean

  • Agadoo back with a mission

    IF you can remember a song from the 1980s about pushing pineapples, shaking trees and grinding coffee - shame on you! Ilkley's Ardenlea Marie Curie Centre wants Gazette readers to support National Agadoo Day on Saturday, August 15. The 1980s song we all

  • Man loses eye for just £2.30

    AN Otley man lost his left eye after being viciously mugged for just £2.30. Stephen Johnson, of Shirley Close, says he does not know how he will begin to come to terms with the loss of his eye. And his brother yesterday revealed how his sight was already

  • Oliver is a family affair

    AN Ilkley family's success on the stage has led to a cry of: "Please sir, can we have some more?" Clare and Steven Fitton, of Grange Avenue, have been plucked from almost 1,000 hopeful youngsters to star in a production of Oliver at Manchester's Opera

  • Villagers must seek end to parking problems

    BURLEY-in-Wharfedale's parking crisis will not be solved by villagers simply snubbing proposals out of hand, it has been claimed. Community Council member Tom Sumner is unhappy that a simple show of hands at a village public meeting was enough to thwart

  • Residents vote in favour of new village hall

    COWLING looks like getting a brand new village hall following a meeting this week to discuss the future of the existing premises. Thousands of pounds need to be spent on bringing the hall up to European standards. And the people of the village have come

  • Cougars 18, Swinton 18

    Was this a point lost or a point saved -- it's a bit hard to say. Certainly with the amount of possession the Cougars had they should have won at a stroll. Certainly with the number of second half penalties they were awarded they should have at least

  • Bowls: Colin leads way on the green

    COLIN WORTLEY has led the way as local bowlers have pulled off a string of successes. Colin, a member of Keighley Bowling Club won the Colwyn Bay Classic, taking the George Davis Trophy. He beat J Bradbourne of Sale in Cheshire 21-12. His wife, Winnie

  • Cricket: Wynn Cup Preview

    Oakworth take on Carleton at Gargrave in the Wynn Cup final, on Sunday. Last year's runners-up, Oakworth are hoping to go one better this time. Since joining the League they have appeared in four finals, winning once in 1995. A talented team lead by Michael

  • Haworth win cup

    All the pre-match hype for the Craven Cricket League's Cowling Cup Final at Bradley on Sunday suggested a close contest between Upper Wharfedale and Haworth. But what happened was far from expected as the sun finally shone in all its glory and the temperature

  • Robin back on the attack

    A RECORD crowd for a Scottish motorcycle event saw robin Appleyard shoot up the rankins after recording a strong second place in the Knockhill round of the 125cc British championship. The good result at Knockhill, a tight twisty ttrack just outside fife

  • Village celebrates floral success

    HAWKSWORTH has once again proved it's top of the pots by winning the coveted title of best small village in the Yorkshire in Bloom competition for the second year running. The village repeated its feat of 1997 by beating the opposition with a clear five-point

  • Fed-up couple put their house on the market

    A FRUSTRATED couple, who are selling their house because they are fed up with not being able to park near it, received a further blow this week. National Park planning committee members unanimously voted against an application submitted by the Rev Colin

  • Garden is pick of the bunch

    WORKERS at a Yeadon residential home for the elderly are blooming delighted after getting a highly commended in a gardening contest for their revamped grounds. And residents of Kirkland House are also delighted and are spending more time outdoors enjoying

  • Wine bar hours 'will not cause distuirbance'

    THE owner of a wine bar in Ilkley will today try to convince Bradford planners that extending its opening hours will not cause disturbance to nearby residents. Luther Jackson, the co-licensee of Tubby Wadlow's wine bar on The Grove, told the Gazette:

  • Residents win battle to get advert banned

    RESIDENTS battling against speeding motorbikes zooming through their village have won a victory over an offensive advertisement. Selside man Robin Goodman spotted the advert for the Yamaha Fazer motorbike in the BBC's Top Gear Magazine, and he wrote to

  • Wedding 8

    Married at Haworth Parish Church were Gary Robert Flannery and Michelle O'Brien. Gary, a sales rep, is the only son of David and Mavis Barker, of Ovenden. Michelle, a sales assistant, is the younger daughter of Michael and Ann O'Brien, of Victoria Avenue

  • Craven across the years

    100 years ago THE "glorious twelfth" turned out to be so hot a century ago that it made the first day of grouse shooting difficult. There was a report that birds were plentiful and well fed, though the weather was better for picnics. The West Riding County

  • Dream dashed

    Steeton's dream of winning the Aire-Wharfe Cricket League's Waddilove Cup for the first time was dashed in the final at Bilton on Sunday when they were beaten by 55 runs by Knaresborough, being all out for 101 in reply to 156-8. It was the eighth time

  • Wedding 7

    Married at Keighley register office were Katherine Elizabeth Moseley and Graham Paul Lowndes. Graham, an injection moulder, is the eldest son of Joyce and Peter Lowndes of Bracken Bank Avenue, Keighley. Katherine, a care assistant, is the only daughter

  • Wedding 6

    Broughton's All Saints' Church was the setting for the wedding of Margaret Gill and Jamie Cranston Holmes. The bride, an assistant at the Express Laundry, is the only daughter of Ernest and Joyce Gill, of Skipton, and her bridegroom, a laminator at Brooksbank

  • Wedding 5

    Married at St Michael and All Angels Church, Haworth, were Paul Edward Carroll and Carol Hodgson. The bride is the youngest daughter of Michael and Joan Hodgson, of West Shaw Lane, Oxenhope. The bridegroom is the youngest son of Bill and Joanne Carroll

  • Wedding 4

    Married at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight were Rupert Paul Atkinson and Alice Clare Pardey. Rupert, a research and development director, is the elder son of Paul Atkinson, of Baden Street, Haworth, and Mollie Atkinson, of Baxter Wood, Cross Hills. Alice

  • Wedding 3

    Married at Our Lady of Lourdes, Haworth, were Andrew James Lohan and Donna Louise Fletcher. Andrew is the younger son of Patrick and Mary Lohan, of Cackleshaw Farm, Oakworth, and Donna is the elder daughter of Kevin O'Dwyer and Kate Medd, of Windsor Crescent

  • Wedding 2

    Married at the Craiglands Hotel, Ilkley, were Paul Stewart Crossley and Beverley Anne Muldoon. Paul, production manager for Dixon Target at Cross Hills, is the only son of Alec and Edith Crossley, of Hawber Cote Drive, Silsden. Beverley, area sales manager

  • Wedding 1

    Married at St Mark's Church, Utley, were David John Green and Hannah Mary Davies. David, a modern languages student at Newcastle University, is the younger son of Bill and Agnes Green, formerly of Keighley and now of Scarborough. Hannah, a primary school

  • UN passes on homes complaint

    The United Nations will not step in to stop massive housing development in Silsden. The UN's Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) in New York has told parish councillor and environmentalist Keith Norris it has no power to deal with complaints.