100 years ago

THE auction of the 171 acres and buildings of the Aireville estate in Skipton was an anti-climax. It had been built in 1836 by solicitor Henry Alcock and bought by John Bonny Dewhurst in 1873. It was being sold after his death. The auctioneer's request for a bid of £25,000 drew no response and when a second request for £20,000 also attracted no bids, the property was withdrawn and it was announced it would be sold privately.

A committee raising funds for a new public library in Skipton urged the public to support an appeal. American philanthropist Edward Carnegie had offered £3,000 for a library and the committee wanted the public to match it. If less was forthcoming from the town, then a less ambitious scheme would have to be implemented. If the appeal attracted less than £1,700 then the Carnegie offer would be withdrawn.

Long Preston Football Club held a meeting to decide whether it could continue in the new Craven League - but judging by the sparse number in attendance there was no chance of any sort of team, said the Herald. The meeting resolved to withdraw from the league and hold a meeting at a later date to see if there was any strong feeling to run a football team at all in the village.

Meanwhile Threshfield footballers also held a meeting after its best players left the district. But of more concern to the club were the "gentlemen" who preferred to watch the game from the road rather than pay the two pence admission to the field. The club resolved to purchase canvas screens to put up along the roadside to prevent locals watching the match for free.

50 years ago

CONSERVATIVE stalwart George Burnaby Drayson became Skipton's MP for the fourth time. He polled 25,101 votes while his Labour rival Vincent Phipps Richardson got 15,919. Nationally, the Conservatives won, with a majority of 59 seats. In his victory speech, Mr Drayson said the public had shown its confidence in the Conservative administration and in Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden. He added that it had been the cleanest campaign he had experienced.

Careless picnickers were blamed for a fire on Burnsall and Thorp Fell. The Herald reported: "Numerous grouse chicks were roasted alive, eggs were destroyed, adult birds perished and 1,000 acres of gorse and bracken ruined." It took firemen four-and-a-half hours to put out the blaze.

The Herald described Whitsuntide 1955 as one of the sunniest in years. Swimmers, cricketers, golfers and tennis players made the most of the beautiful weather. However, the only cloud was a strike by railway footplatemen, which meant some people could not get up into the Dales.

25 years ago

SKIPTON textile firm Smith Hartley announced it was halving production and making seven people redundant. It blamed the move on a downturn in the textile industry. The firm, which employed 60 people, said another 18 jobs were also at risk.

However there was better news at Kirdray in Barnoldswick. There, a deal with Alfred Barlow (Manchester) Sales Limited had secured most of the 105 jobs. The news came just six weeks after the staff were told that the firm was to close.

It proved an eventful week at The Anchor Inn Zoo, Gargrave. Medics found that a newly-born camel had diabetes and would have to be put on a sugar-free diet. And two female wallabies mysteriously escaped. One was soon recovered, but the other was reportedly still on the loose. This is not the first time a wallaby had escaped from the zoo - a male wallaby had also made a bid for freedom a few weeks earlier.

Barnoldswick runners Terry Calton and David Southern tackled the gruelling Bob Graham Round Challenge. It involved doing a circuit of 42 mountain peaks in the Lake District in 24 hours. Terry made it finishing in 23 hours 18 minutes, but David missed out by 50 minutes after getting lost in the mist.

10 years ago

A LABRADOR collie, called Gemma, was hailed a "real life Lassie". The Addingham dog stayed at the side of her owner, Joan Hardy, after she slipped into a gully on the moors and broke her shoulder in two places. Gemma started barking and her call for help was heard by neighbours. The RSPCA decided to give Gemma a special award.

The BBC's Songs of Praise team descended on Settle to film a "faith in action" service in the Market Place. It coincided with the town council's centenary celebrations and around 2,000 people attended.

Skipton mayor Dennis Hall agreed to become a slave in his spare time. The town's "Man Tuesday", who was a driver with Dalesman Taxis, launched a special dial-a-ride service to raise money for Skipton Hospital Friends and other national charities.

Mechanic Roy Phillip retired after 35 years of working at Bow Bridge Garage, Embsay. He joined the firm after serving an apprenticeship at Isaac Williams, coachbuilders, of Skipton.