IT is not often that we find ourselves in the same corner as the UK Independence Party. But, as a Sunderland greengrocer finds himself in court for the heinous crime of selling bananas by the pound rather than the kilo, our sympathies lie strongly with
Bradford Bulls coach Brian Noble has been thrilled with the response of his players to the rigorous Florida training programme. His 26-man squad have swapped the biting Odsal frosts for the 70 degree Florida heat but Noble insists it's been no holiday
Bobby Vanzie's Commonwealth lightweight title defence against James Armah is back on. It will now be staged at Bowlers, Manchester on Saturday, February 3, and the Bradford boxer is hoping it will be a case of third time lucky. Armah, the Commonwealth
Bradford Bulls sold £20,000 worth of season tickets on the final day of their discount scheme yesterday. Sales at the special rates ended at 7pm and the Bulls reported a late dash from fans. Media manager Stuart Duffy said: "The ticket office was very
CALLS have been made for Leeds to scrap seven years of work and ditch its planning blueprint. The Leeds Unitary Development Plan, which will see Aireborough and Wharfedale through to 2006, could be adopted this summer. Councillor Clive Fox (Con, Otley
PEOPLE from Aireborough could help make a unique tapestry. Images of Rawdon, Yeadon and Guiseley are to be embroidered into the Leeds Tapestry - which was started in 1993. And people from Aireborough could become involved in the project which is due to
A TEENAGER is hoping the Prime Minister will have kept his promise this week - and voted for a ban on fox hunting. Three years ago Roseanne Mills, then 11 years old, interviewed Tony Blair about his views on fox hunting for the RSPCA magazine Animal Action
A GUISELEY vets found fame on national television when it appeared in the hit Vets In Practice show. Millions of viewers tuned in to see how work was done at the White Cross Veterinary group's Guiseley hospital and Eccelshill Centre on BBC 1 last Friday
A FORMER school building in Burley-in-Wharfedale has fall-en prey to vandals. The former Burley C of E School, on Aireville Terrace, has become a magnet for village tearaways, since its closure in June. Many of the windows in the building - sited in Burley's
AIRPORT bosses are thinking of cashing in on the rail crisis - by launching their own flights to London. Leeds-Bradford Airport managers say it costs £40,000 a week to hire a plane to transport train-weary commuters to London. The airport aims to target
TRADERS received a nasty shock this week when clamping signs were mistakenly put up in a village car park. Incensed traders feared the signs could put off villagers from using local shops. Peter Settle, owner of The Corner Shop, on Main Street, said:
THEY say money does not grow on trees but a green-fingered Burley-in-Wharfedale man has found cash sprouting in his compost heap, Les Thornton, 66, was clearing winter debris from his allotment when he overturned a dustbin lid. To his surprise he unearthed
A FORMER councillor and keen voluntary worker from Otley has been given the prestigious title of Honorary Alderman of Leeds. Hilda Morgan, 63, who attended a special ceremony at Leeds Civic Hall yesterday, said she was bemused when found out she was to
A 19-year-old man was killed in Guiseley at the weekend when he was struck by a car while walking home with friends after a night out. Christopher Brown, son of Steve Brown and Patricia Burton, head of Moorfield Girls School, Ilkley, was pinned against
Cleckheaton-based international carding specialist Garnett Wire has launched a new service division offering support to the local textile industry. It provides companies with the chance to buy in expertise to install and maintain their carding machinery
In 1882, children's writer A A Milne was born. In 1887, Manchester Road Baths and Library opened. In 1934, the first arrest with police using pocket radios was made. From the Telegraph & Argus of January 18, 1976... The Youth Hostels Association is
The rising cost of raw materials and the threat of competition are two of the major worries facing companies, the latest survey by the Bradford Chamber of Commerce has revealed. The Quarterly Economic Survey shows that although Bradford firms have been
JUNIOR footballers in Earby should be able to play home matches in their own town next season, instead of having to travel to neighbouring Barnoldswick. It follows the redevelopment of the pitch on the Recreation Ground, off Skipton Road, extending it
DEVASTATED parents, governors, staff and pupils at Rainhall Road School are coming to terms with its almost certain closure. Lancashire County Council had already resolved to close Rainhall Road, dispersing its 65 pupils to other West Craven primary schools
CHILDREN are putting their lives at risk by clambering 50 feet on top of a derelict mill building. Residents living nearby have watched in horror as the youngsters have swung from damaged guttering and hung out of windows after breaking down boarding
A PIONEERING new scheme to save thousands of pounds in wasted medicines at Steeton's Airedale Hospital was launched this week. Pharmacists are to pilot an idea whereby patients are given their own lockable bedside medicine cabinets to keep their drugs
A FIVE-year battle to safeguard two pieces of village life in Sutton looks like coming to an end this week. West Craven-based furniture giant Silentnight has owned the village's allotments and its cricket ground since it bought the former Bairstow's mill
STAFF, parents and governors at the Parish Church School, in Brougham Street, Skipton, are celebrating a glowing Ofsted report. Inspectors said: "This is a very good school which is constantly developing because of its excellent management. It is a very
PEOPLE who live or work in Skipton are likely to have to bear the burden of spiralling parking charges. Craven District Council's car parking panel this week proposed to increase non-residents' parking permits from £200 to £250 and residents' unlimited
CRAVEN'S Community Safety Partnership is backing a bid for funding to set up an accommodation project, aimed at local people struggling with drug or alcohol problems. Representatives from various groups including the probation service, the Craven Organisation
A CATTLE grid placed in a picturesque spot above Langcliffe has turned the area into a "builder's site", claim parish councillors. The grid was placed at Winskill Stones, by the charity Plantlife. The cattle grid, installed by county council contractors
PATIENTS are in safe hands at Steeton's Airedale Hospital according to a major survey published this week. The hospital has come top of the pile of Northern and Yorkshire hospitals with the lowest mortality rate - and seventh best in the country. Airedale
PATIENTS and friends are standing by Dr Tom White, the Skipton doctor arrested last week in connection with the death of a female patient. Dr White, who has practised at the town's Fisher Medical Centre for 10 years, was arrested by detectives last Thursday
Patients from Ilkley have less chance of dying in their local hospital than anywhere else in the Northern and Yorkshire regions. Airedale Hospital, Steeton, near Keighley, has the lowest mortality rate, despite having one of the lowest staffing levels
AN Ilkley girl is to take on the heavyweight challenge of monitoring the breeding of rhinoceroses on the other side of the world. Katja Armstrong, of Westwood Rise, is setting her sights on a youth trip to South Africa. The 16-year-old will study a rhinoceros
LINKS between Ilkley and its Norman twin town are stronger than ever, says the chairman of the Ilkley Coutances Twinning Committee. Following a call for more parish council involvement in the twinning arrangement, Gordon Hamflett said he was worried that
A COUPLE could find themselves homeless after being forced out of their business. John and Barbara Hubberstey say they are devastated after losing their livelihood and their home in one fell swoop. Days before Christmas the couple were informed by United
SIR, - Colin Speakman's letter (headlined 'Council plea') in the Wharfedale and Airedale Observer on January 4 expresses precisely the importance of maintaining good planning standards in Ilkley, and yearns for a town council like those serving neighbouring
SIR - I am writing in support of Dr Tom Gibson's excellent letter concerning the proposed moves that are going to affect the health care of the residents of Craven and Airedale. I was born in Skipton and worked for 30 years as a GP in the town. I have
Calderdale and Kirklees have been chosen to take part in a pilot project to renew neighbourhoods in need. The £45 million Govern-ment Neighbourhood Management scheme, which involves 83 councils, will give areas the money to employ people to tackle the
Staff at cash-strapped Bingley Voluntary Action (BVA) were celebrating today after a bank stepped in with a massive donation after reading of its financial plight in the Telegraph & Argus. And the £25,000 grant from the Bradford & Bingley - thought
WHARFEDALE'S latest billiards and snooker match saw them travel to Huddersfield to take on the town's number one squad. The snooker team carved out an excellent 3-3 draw against a powerful home side although Richard Brooke's disappointing season continued
OTLEY Athletic Club hosted the final race of the 2000/1 West Yorkshire Cross-Country League series on Sunday and were delighted when their own runner Ian Fisher not only won the race but also lifted the overall series title. Club members started marking
After a long mid-season break Guiseley Gremlins Under-14s got back to winning ways at Cowling with a comfortable Craven League win. The scoreline did not flatter the Gremlins and they could have scored more but for some great goalkeeping. Chris Davey
Otley Town..................2 Ovenden WR..................0 Otley Town gained a valuable three points against the bottom side in the West Riding County Amateur League Premier Division before going into a match which produced a victory that was equally
Spa Athletic..........5 Pool.........................2 THE only saving grace on a day when a catalogue of errors saw Pool's first league defeat since August was the fact that fellow title-contenders Kirkby Malzeard also lost at Ilkley, thus keeping the
Birkenshaw................42 Guiseley Rangers....12 This was never going to be an easy game for Guiseley, between the two sides promoted last year from Division One to the Premier League. Birkenshaw have settled the better at this higher level and are
BRAMLEY...................15 OTLIENSIANS............21 OTLIENSIANS gained revenge for their Yorkshire Shield defeat by Bramley in December when they deservedly beat them at The Warrels on Saturday by two tries, a conversion and three penalties to two
Sheffield Thirds.............0 Otliensians..................2 OTLIENSIANS travelled to Sheffield for a top-of-the-table clash. After the long Christmas break Otley began as if they had never been away. Playing on a frosty pitch with the sun in their eyes
NEIL Parsley's Guiseley side is starting to show signs of improvement and they followed up their league point at Kendal with a victory in the West Riding County Cup on Tuesday. Parsley is hoping to improve his squad even further with two new strikers
Volunteer student crimebusters are hoping to go west in search of help from Canada's Mounties to boost Shipley's pioneering anti-crime partnership. And the multi-agency Shipley Constituency Anti-Crime Partnership is calling on Bradford's business community
Residents are being invited to bid for funding and set up their own anti-crime initiatives as part a multi-agency action plan. Individuals or groups living in the Bradford North area can apply for grants of up to £500 to help improve quality of life and
Teaching packs to prevent girls as young as 12 being drawn into prostitution are being offered to secondary schools across Bradford. The initiative is a result of pioneering work in the city by Barnardo's Streets and Lanes project. Aimed at girls aged
Woodwork classes at special workshops are to close - despite several offers of financial help from benefactors. Campaigners made an impassioned plea to keep the DIAL woodwork sessions at Dockfield Road, Shipley, but the management committee has decided
More than 80 businesses were told today their premises would be razed to the ground to pave the way for a vast £200 million shopping scheme in Bradford. Bradford Council announced the long-awaited development agreement had been signed with the Forster
Children hurled stones at firefighters yesterday afternoon as they returned from a false alarm call. The Odsal crew was travelling along Southfield Lane, Bradford, when the children in school uniforms threw the missiles. One hit a fire engine window but
Families of young Asian women who run away from home are reluctant to contact police for fear they will never be reunited, it was claimed today. Concerns about how incidents in Bradford are dealt with by police were raised at a community meeting in Thornbury
City boss Geoffrey Richmond came to the rescue of a fan accused of battling with a Manchester United supporter - and saved him from a criminal record. The Bradford City chairman put his own reputation on the line to plead supporter Ian Carr's innocence
SIR - I read with interest your editorial comment on the litter problem we have in Bradford (T&A, January 12). I hardly think we need the Audit Commission to tell us what we are doing right or wrong. To put a few things right, perhaps we could start
100 years ago A NEW infirmary was opened at Skipton workhouse. Officially opened by Mr J A Slingsby, chairman of the Board of Guardians, the infirmary was located in a "splendidly elevated" position above the workhouse premises. Although it was "nothing
LOSING your job is a devastating blow for anyone, but John and Barbara Hubberstey faced the double whammy of losing their home as well as their source of income. Through no fault of their own that they can identify, the couple face the twin nightmare
Keighley coach Steve Deakin has allowed summer signing Lee Maher to go on loan to Hunslet - even though he has yet to make his debut for the Cougars. Maher was snapped up by former boss Karl Harrison, now assistant coach with Bradford Bulls, from Rochdale
Richard Brooke, Bradford champion in 1999, has found out about the highs and lows of snooker. Days after making a 123 clearance in the Bradford Pairs event, the Lilycroft WMC member was beaten 4-0 by Darren Milner (East ward Labour Club) in the second
Bradford City boss Jim Jefferies today cooled suggestions that troubled striker Stan Collymore's move to Celtic is rubber-stamped. Jefferies played down claims that the Scottish giants want Collymore in exchange for Tommy Johnson - although he refused
THE environmental health of the river Wharfe is the subject of a new educational 'game' which will be launched by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust next week. 'We Have a River for Everyone' has been devised by primary schools in upper Wharfedale and
A 111-year-old has been told to dig out her birth certificate in a bid to prove she is Britain's oldest person. Nellie Bradley, who for the past 16 years has lived at the Gables nursing home in Skipton Road, Silsden, was born during the reign of Queen
A SELF-PRONOUNCED 'car-man' is to don his walking boots and hit the trail to raise cash for charity. Graham Smith, of Burley-in-Wharfedale - who hitherto travelled only on four wheels - is to tackle a 16-day trek to the Everest Base Camp. The company
DISABLED rail passengers are being told to switch trains at Ilkley - instead of tackling an impossible bridge at Menston. At the moment wheelchair users find it impossible to cross from one side of Menston Station to the other. And parents with pushchairs
A CONSTRUCTION site is being used to lay the foundations of a greater understanding of design for school children. Developers CALA have been encouraging pupils at Ghyll Royd school to keep up to date with their former school building in Ilkley, since
CAMPAIGNERS have won their fight to preserve an historic link to Guiseley's past. Residents had been hoping to retain the names Marsden and Claughton in the new Saxon Wells housing development on part of the Silver Cross and former Claughton's Boot Factory
A WOMAN claims people's safety is being put at risk by broken street lights which have been out for the last six weeks - and may not work for another two months. Sheila Dickenson, of Horsforth, claims about a dozen street lights in the Woodside roundabout
RESIDENTS of a tiny hamlet say their lives are being put at risk every time they step outside their homes because of speeding motorists. Doreen Wetzel, 72, whose disabled husband Leonard, at 86, is the oldest resident in Burley Woodhead, said she fears
VILLAGERS have been angered by plans to build a three-storey block of flats on a popular green area of Bramhope. Residents were horrified to see plans by Cala Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd for a part three storey and part single storey block of 21 flats off Wynmore
OTLEY finally has a tourist information office again - after the shock closure of the Boroughgate office almost a year ago. But the service - which will be run in the library - has been criticised as not being enough for the town. And there are fears
AN ADVENTUROUS couple are taking part in an Indiana Jones-type adventure at the other side of the world. Tom and Meg Morton's charity trek starts in Peru near the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco, the oldest inhabited city in the Western Hemisphere, and
A FAMILIAR face has returned to the area as head of Weetwood Police. Superintendent Francis Habgood, who began his police service as a constable at Weetwood in 1987 has been appointed divisional commander, covering areas including Wharfedale, Aireborough
SINGING in smoky bars until 4am and playing in front of 75,000 people has made a Wharfedale singer one of the hottest folk properties in Denmark. Andrew Huddlestone left his home town of Ilkley after university more than 30 years ago to follow his then
WITNESSES to violent crime hold the key to stamping it out forever, it has been claimed. This week national figures revealed an increase in violent crime and in an illustration of the problem locally, a court heard how a 17 year old beat a teenager senseless
There could well be some criticism of the plan to pay individuals or groups up to £500 in grants to fund community-based projects aimed at reducing crime and the fear of crime in Bradford North. It might seem, on the face of it, to be something which
Not getting paid for exports can be a major headache but a workshop in Skipton next month aims to minimise the risk. The half-day workshop, Guaranteeing Payment, will be held at the Hanover International Hotel, Skipton, on February 7 at 8am. Roland Harris
WELL-KNOWN local businessman John Broughton is the newest member of Barnoldswick Town Council. He was co-opted at the council's full meeting this week to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of James Wilson, due to work commitments. Mr Broughton
YOUNG lives are being put at risk by Earby's outdated and unreliable street lighting, according to a worried parent. Ian Tavendale, of High Bank Farm, Earby, told Pendle Council's West Craven Committee that he dare not let his daughter walk to school
BROWNIE leader Sheila Davison is stepping down after nearly 50 years of "being prepared". Sheila, of Brookacre, joined Ingleton Guides in 1948 and began helping the Brownies as a pack leader in 1952. Five years later she gained her warrant as Guider,
SETTLE Tourist Information Centre Limited will be looking back on a busy year when it holds its first annual general meeting later this month. The non-profit making centre is now organised with a paid manager and a board of directors - a structure which
THE fate of King's Mill in Settle lies in the hands of Government planning inspector John Gray, after a public inquiry closed on Friday. Residents and business people told the inspector he should veto plans to build 33 houses on land next to the grade
HUBBERHOLME'S annual land letting event has taken place, with bidding at the George Inn. The annual letting of the 16-acre Kirkgill field, widely known as the Poor Pasture, has become a tradition in the small parish. Otherwise known as the "Dales Parliament
A GARGRAVE resident has complained about vehicles speeding past his home despite traffic-calming measures being in place. The Highways Agency introduced a £200,000 traffic-calming scheme into the village two years ago with gateways at each approach to
WHARFEDALE Rugby Club is to re-submit plans for a new pitch at its Threshfield ground to help cope with its growing number of players - despite the scheme being refused once before. In November 1999, Yorkshire Dales National Park planners applied for
A LEADER of one of the oldest pack of hounds in the country said the fight was still on to save fox hunting. Michael Bannister, of Coniston Hall, Coniston Cold, who is joint master of the Pendle Forest and Craven Hunt, said: "We still have a battle on
THE housing crisis affecting young people in Ilkley has been taken to the Houses of Parliament by the town's Labour MP, Ann Cryer. Mrs Cryer has backed the Gazette's campaign for more affordable housing in the area to prevent the exodus of young people
ACCORDING to a "futurologist" - whatever that is - quoted in one of the posh Sunday papers recently, the youth craze that began in the 1960s is over. The coming thing, he said, will be the era of "the more mature person" - in other words, old folk. Now
DEBATE nights at Beggarsdale WI are getting livelier by the month these days: I think the lasses are trying to compete in notoriety with those Rylstone ladies who stripped off for a calendar and became world famous. So to stir up a bit of controversy,
SIR, - Regarding your main story on Page One, of January 11: I believe stagnation is not an option for Ilkley Parish Council in this 21st century and that some changes from 'past ways' are inevitable. The parish council and its constitutional working
Baildon Trinity..............1 Methley............................2 Hopes of Baildon Trinity Athletic joining the promotion chase from Division One of the West Yorkshire League took a major knock with this defeat. All the old failings came to the fore
Keighley U-16s........... 0 Yarnbury U-16s.........36 This was Yarnbury Under-16's first game since December 10 due to District commitments and the Christmas holidays. Fortunately the Keighley pitch had escaped the heavy overnight frost and was decidedly
Ossett..............10 Aireborough...........9 IN a game where the result has serious league implications an Aireborough weakened through unavailabilities can have no complaints following an inept display. Although opening the scoring with a Gwyn Jones
Sedgeley Park...22 Saracens.........18 WHEN these teams met at Cross Green earlier in the season Park gained a narrow victory with a late penalty and Saracens were anxious to turn the tables in the return fixture. They made a bright start and Simon Hawkins
Hull................7 Yarnbury......13 THE fingernails of Yarnbury coach Bob Hood have been bitten well down in recent weeks. Not since the start of November has more than one score decided a Yarnbury league game and this encounter proved to be no exception
Roseberry...........2 Ben Rhydding....3 Ben Rhydding Ladies were relieved to claim victory in this first friendly match following a lengthy Christmas break. In an otherwise sluggish game, Jo Ellis celebrated with a hat-trick in her final match before
Otley Wharfeside..4 FC Commercial........2 REGULAR readers of this report may wish to sit down before reading. Top v Bottom few could predict what was to follow and the result to shock the football world! A delayed start led to tension building on the
Otley..........................19 Worcester...............31 OTLEY could count themselves unfortunate not to have secured a couple of bonus points when taking on the league leaders. Twice they were in fingertip length of a try and they were unlucky to
Researchers from Bradford University are aiming to help millions of headache sufferers across the world by discovering the cause of migraine. A team from the School of Pharmacy has been granted £60,000 from the Migraine Trust to investigate the "aura"
Bradford should take a leaf out of Leeds' booming book of economic success if it is to get ahead, says Bank of England Governor Sir Edward George. He was in the city to talk to Bradford's business leaders and said he had been impressed by the way in which
Ilkley Youth.......5 Bradley................2 FOLLOWING their hard-earned point at Barrowford United the Guyson-sponsored Ilkley Youth team returned to winning ways with this comfortable victory over Bradley Reserves. At the outset this was potentially
Ilkley U-16s......................... 5 Wetherby..............................1 As Ilkley Under-16s enter the second half of the season unbeaten, the visit of lowly Wetherby may well have been on paper a banker home win if the pools panel was required
Maccabi A..1 Ilkley U-10 A..0 On a frosty morning Ilkley Under-10s A were unlucky in their opening encounter losing by the narrowest of margins. Callum Bettison, captaining the team for the first time, had a solid game and was unlucky not to get a hand
AS recent national crime figures show, it is an unfortunate aspect of society that violent crime is all too common throughout the country. Explanations for such actions are all too readily available, from poverty and a poor upbringing, to drugs and the
