THE decision by Bradford Council to rescind the funding agreement it made with parish councils 30 years ago has quite unnecessarily stirred up a hornet's nest. For one thing, any agreement between two parties should only be torn up after consultation
Bradford has a new world champion - at the ripe old age of 40. Chris Beanland of Wrose, near Shipley, has just returned from Miami where he took gold at the Sixth World Open Taekwondo Championships. Exponents from all different kinds of taekwondo took
GUISELEY AFC's FA Cup exploits seem to have brought them an army of new fans. They marched south on Saturday for the FA Cup first round proper tie with Second Division Luton Town and 'Neil Parsley's Barmy Army' certainly made themselves heard in the Oak
A postal ballot to decide the political future of Burley-in-Wharfedale has been dramatically called off. The vote on whether the village wanted its own parish council, due to be held before Christmas, was cancelled after Bradford councillors realised
A FURTHER public meeting to discuss the implications of an expanded Leeds Bradford International Airport is to be held tomorrow in Otley. Following a meeting held in Horsforth, which was attended by more than 150 residents from across Wharfedale, a meeting
AN action group has been set up in a desperate bid to stop lorries driving through Otley. About 100 people squeezed into a public meeting in Newall Church Hall on Tuesday determined to stop lorries travelling along Newall Carr Road and through the town
Guiseley pram company Silver Cross, which dismissed an employee on the day she handed in her notice, has been found guilty of breach of contract. Heather Hirst, 34, took Silver Cross to an employment tribunal for unpaid wages. At the tribunal yesterday
A HUGE cash legacy will boost care and education in Otley thanks to the generosity of a well-known family. Relatives of former mayor, the late Norman Hindle, have bequeathed £120,000 to Wharfedale Hospital and Prince Henry's Grammar School. Mr Hindle's
Average weekly earnings for full-time workers in Bradford are well below the national average wage, according to a new report. The survey by the GMB, Britain's general union, found the gross average weekly pay for a full-time worker in the city is £402.10
A long-running campaign to create a skateboard park in Addingham has taken a step closer to success. Village councillors met this week with building contractors on the site of the proposed scheme, the Memorial Park below the football pitch, to discuss
Quality international airport is needed SIR, - I am disappointed to read the considerable amount of negative comment in the Wharfedale Observer regarding the proposed expansion of Leeds-Bradford Airport and I welcome your invitation for further comment
Liverpool St Helens 17 Otley Saracens 16 DUE to the ever-lengthening injury list it was a much changed Saracens side again that travelled to Moss Bank with hooker Mike Hallewell having to operate in the second row. In spite of this Saracens made a lively
Otley 25 London Welsh 17 WITH the forwards once more on rampaging form Otley took command of this game early on and, for once, maintained their superiority to the end. This was except for a lapse in the final minute when London Welsh stole a try which
Guiseley pram company Silver Cross, which dismissed an employee on the day she handed in her notice, has been found guilty of breach of contract. Heather Hirst, 34, took Silver Cross to an employment tribunal for unpaid wages. And at the tribunal yesterday
A police officer told a court that he spotted murder suspect Raees Khan driving a stolen Lexus two days after it had been taken. PC Adrian Turner of Bradford Moor Police said he had chased the car less than a month after the death of Halifax dad Kevin
Families have won their fight to stop an Angel of the North-type sculpture from going up on a public green space on a major roundabout. People who want to keep Thornbury roundabout in Bradford as a playground and leisure space objected to the proposal
Local authority employers were today putting the final touches to a surprise last-minute pay package to increase firefighters' salaries to more than £25,000. The move is seen as a desperate bid to avert an eight-day strike due to start at 9am tomorrow
It is quite a drive to the North Yorkshire Moors for a fell race but sometimes the prospect of racing up to 17 miles over Pendle yet again in the wind and the rain makes even the toughest fellrunners look for new pastures, such as the Lordstones race
Warrington 1 Ben Rhydding 2 Ben Rhydding travelled to Warrington last Saturday with high hopes of hitting the top of the league ladder for the first time in three years. The side was strenghened by the return of Craig Tiffany but unfortunately experienced
Burley Trojans 0 Ilkley 1 A thoroughly deserved victory for the Booth's sponsored Ilkley AFC against local rivals Burley that sends them into the semi-finals of the Wharfedale Challenge Cup. Though the margin of victory was slender the Ilkley side dominated
Ilkley Karate Club students were outstanding at the SKU National Karate Championships at the weekend. Successful students from the club, based at Ben Rhydding Methodist Church, won an overwhelming number of trophies at the National Karate Championships
WHAT a glorious day Guiseley AFC had on their trip to Luton in the FA Cup on Saturday. After battling through seven matches non-league Guiseley were pitted against high riding Division Two professional side Luton Town. The Yorkshire side proudly strode
SIR - I share Bradford's disappointment in failing to be included on the short list for European Capital of Culture. As a lifelong advocate of the benefit of arts and culture generally to the quality of life, I applaud Bradford for its initiative in applying
TRAGICALLY, Otley Victorian Fayre will not go ahead this year, but at least the daytime events have been saved with schoolchildren singing carols in the streets and businesses and shops being encouraged to at least dress the part. Unfortunately, the event
John Helm, the Baildon-born television sports commentator, has been in La Manga this week for the Sir Steven Redgrave Golden Five pro-celebrity golf tournament which will go out on Channel 5 in the New Year. John, who is president of Baildon Cricket Club
It's official - Keighley Cougars are back in business. The club were unanimously granted full membership of the RFL yesterday. Keighley's voting rights were suspended last year after the club went into administration but after a year on probation full
Park Avenue 2, Spennymoor United 2: Three flying saves from Lutz Pfannenstiel helped Avenue finally kill off Spennymoor United in a tense penalty shoot-out at Horsfall Stadium last night. At 10.33pm the German stopper made his third, and final save, diving
Stephen Warnock could have played his last game for City after becoming the club's latest casualty. Warnock pulled his hamstring in training which is likely to rule him out of action for up to a month. And with only three weeks of his three-month stint
From rock stars to pop idols - one entrepreneur has been given a distinguished award for his contributions to the music industry. Dave Shackleton, from Rawdon, was presented with the prestigious Achievement in Management and Enterprise Award at a glittering
More than a hundred years of heritage and tradition went under the hammer as the last memories of the Silver Cross factory - home of the Rolls-Royce of prams - were sold to the highest bidders. Hundreds travelled from as far away as Bristol to see the
Aireborough youngsters are celebrating after council leaders approved a scheme costing more than £100,000 to extend its leisure centre. Leeds City Council's Executive Committee approved plans to extend Aireborough Leisure Centre to provide new youth facilities
A Yeadon beauty spot could become a centre of excellence for water sports if it is granted £500,000 of lottery money. Council chiefs have forwarded a proposal to grant Yeadon Tarn more than £500,000 to boost its facilities and fund a centre which can
A FRENCH village has paid homage to an Otley man - almost 90 years after he helped preserve the area's unique language. French professor Paul Barbier, who came from a French family but lived in Otley up until his death aged 74 in 1947, served in the French
A LIST of improvements for an Otley housing estate is to form the basis of an action plan. Following discussions with residents of the Weston estate, suggestions have included more policing, better lighting, improved bus services and traffic calming measures
OUR picture tells the story - brave Danielle Skilbeck has finally returned home after months of hospital misery. The plight of the Otley youngster touched the hearts of people across Wharfedale and beyond when she contracted meningitis. The condition
TRADERS are being urged to get into the Christmas spirit and take part in Otley's replacement Victorian Fayre day. Although the event on Friday, December 6 will be vastly scaled down, Victorian dressed children from six schools will sing carols in the
It is a pity that the people of Thornbury have been so strongly opposed to the idea of a tall, impressive structure being built on their local roundabout to let people travelling from Leeds know in no uncertain manner that they are entering Bradford.
In 1551, Francis Xavier, Papal legate, returned from Japan as the first missionary to attempt to convert the inhabitants. In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers balloon made the first untethered flight over Paris. In 1888, the mute Marx brother, Harpo, was
CHILDREN and teenagers in Ilkley thought of youngsters less fortunate than themselves as they supported the BBC Children in Need appeal. The annual appeal, which was launched on Friday, saw all manner of sponsored events take off around the country, to
HIGH Royds Hospital at Menston has officially been sold to a property developer for £26 million. As exclusively revealed by Wharfedale Newspapers last month, London-based The Raven Group has bought the 200 acre National Health Service-owned site. It hopes
Ilkley will mark the start of the festive season in dazzling style this weekend. Anticipation is growing as the town prepares to welcome BBC Look North presenters Paul Hudson and Peter Levy for the official switching on of the Christmas Lights on Saturday
THE battle to save Ilkley's Coronation Hospital has been taken to the Government. Ilkley MP Ann Cryer, Ilkley Parish Council chairman Mike Gibbons, and Dr Geoff Rawlings, of the Springs Medical Centre, met with Health Minister Jacqui Smith at Whitehall
A MILKMAN from Addingham will swap his milk float for a hay cart when he takes the lead role in Oklahoma at The Alhambra next week. The singing milkman-cum-actor, Duncan Hall, will star as Curly in Rodgers and Hammerstein's famous musical. But he'll be
FURIOUS members of Ilkley Parish Council this week demanded Ilkley's assets back from Bradford following the city council's decision to withdraw the town's £25,000-a-year administration grant. Bradford's unpopular move - believed to have been a cost-saving
Are seat belts a priority for the police? SIR, - I notice that Bradford police have announced a 'crackdown' on motorists not wearing seat belts in the same week that the new Chief Constable of West Yorkshire complained about having too few police officers
Kirklees Council's Community Work Team has proved a huge success in its first year after helping residents secure £500,000 funding for projects. A total of 41 successful bids for funding of between £100 and £100,000 were made with the help of community
A Bingley woman will tomorrow night launch the first overseas branch of the Yorkshire Society ... in Jersey. Cathy Luis, 25, will join around 25 Yorkshiremen and women at the Royal Hotel in St Helier - 300 miles away - for the inaugural meeting. An accountant
Castleford 29 Otliensians 8 DESPITE absentees again including skipper Richard Smith and strong tacklers David Smith and Ady Fawell Otliensians put on a determined show at Castleford on Saturday. The match was played in atrocious conditions throughout
Burley Trojans 0 Ilkley AFC 1 Ilkley took the honours in an intriguing Wharfedale Cup tie to progress into the semi-finals at the expense of their local rivals Burley Trojans. In a tight encounter one goal always looked likely to be enough and it was
Luton Town 4 Guiseley 0 NOT so long ago Chris Hill was kicking his heels unable to get into the Harrogate Town side. His transfer to neighbours Guiseley soon brought its reward and he emerged from Saturday's FA Cup tie at Luton Town a real hero. It was
WHAT a glorious day Guiseley AFC had on their trip to Luton in the FA Cup on Saturday. After battling through seven matches non-league Guiseley were pitted against high riding Division Two professional side Luton Town. The Yorkshire side proudly strode
A peace group from the 1980s has borrowed its banner back from display at a museum so it can campaign against war on Iraq. Baildon Peace Group, which disbanded in the mid-90s after the Cold War, presented its colourful banner to Bradford Peace Museum
Teachers at a Bradford primary school have given up their free time to learn sign language so they can offer more help to deaf children. Girlington Primary is a mainstream school but also acts as a designated centre for youngsters with a hearing impairment
Plans for a Low Moor railway station could soon be on track if funds are granted to draw up designs. The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority is seeking £100,000 from Bradford Council's Local Transport Plan to cover the cost of the designs. The
Two commercial companies have made approaches to take over the running of Bradford's Alhambra Theatre. The companies have come forward during market testing of options for the service. John Botteley, head of theatres, arts and festivals, says the Alhambra
An Ilkley artist who brought a national art exhibition to the district is appealing to Bradford people to support his efforts to keep it going. In 1985 Leslie Simpson brought the Society of Miniaturists, the Royal Watercolour Society Art Club and the
Young blood is taking over on the footplate at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. At the age of 27, Paul Brown has been elected chairman of the society that runs the steam railway and is the youngest person to take the top-ranking post in 40 years
Wildlife workers are being urged to get immunised against rabies after fears that a man bitten by a bat has contracted the deadly disease. Doctors say the critically ill man, in Dundee, is likely to die and, if rabies is confirmed, will become the first
A judge ruled a builder and the father of a disabled boy had made "an arrangement to defraud Bradford Council". Judge Peter Benson found in favour of Ashley Deacon, of building contractor JA McCon-ville, at Bradford County Court. Lawrence Pickering was
Schools chiefs faced a hostile barrage of questions about ambitious plans to rebuild ageing schools through a controversial private-finance initiative. Bradford Council officers are drawing up a huge bid to build new secondary and special schools in Bradford
A teenage boy told a jury how he was subjected to the "worst night ever" by a married couple in a mobile home. Bradford Crown Court heard how the 15-year-old was punched, kicked, stamped on and hit with a piece of wood during the ordeal in Brighouse in
A husband today spoke of his devastation as his wife lost her long battle against cancer. Stuart Andrews was by his wife Barbara's side during her final moments at Bradford's Marie Curie Cancer Care Unit where she was being cared for during her fight
Ben Rhydding Ladies 4 St Neots Ladies 0 On Sunday the ladies first team travelled down to Cambridgeshire to play the third round of the National Hockey Association Cup. Rhydding started well with Jo Ellis scoring the first goal within a minute of the
HORSFORTH-based John Convery of Bingley Harriers took part in his first ever international veterans' race in Ireland at the weekend. The 40 year-old contested the British Masters Cross-Country International at Ballymena and came home in silver medal position
Ilkley A 76 Malton and Norton A 0 This was undoubtedly one of the better second team performances of the year, characterised by powerful forward play, excellent lines of running, speed of foot and of mind, and support play that was second to none - this
Eccleshill U-17s 8 Baildon Trinity U-17s 2 With five players missing for various reasons, a much-changed Baildon Trinity were no match for their opponents. On a very heavy pitch, Eccleshill put the visitors under pressure but it was not until the 26th
Malton and Norton 13 Ilkley 10 In incessant driving rain and playing throughout the match under floodlights Ilkley were unlucky not to return to West Yorkshire without two points. At kick-off had floodlights not been available it would have barely been
