100 Years Ago

THE committee looking into establishing a cattle market on what we now know as the Town Hall car park reported back. If progress was slow then it was due to the infinity of details to be arranged. The works would cost £5,600 and the good news for bowlers was that the Craven Bowling Club would not be removed from its site. The committee was now raising the funds by issuing shares.

A public meeting heard the West Riding Education Committee outline its aim to build a secondary school for girls combined with a training centre for pupil teachers in Settle. The school was necessary because the committee was spending too much money sending scholarship girls from all corners of north Craven to Keighley for their education. The school would cost £4,500 and the West Riding Council would meet £1,500 of the cost but the rest would have to come from north Craven ratepayers. But Bentham representatives, including the rector of the village, stood up at the meeting and said the new school should be built in Bentham.

William Clough, the Liberal candidate for Skipton at the forthcoming general election, was touring villages and there was a lengthy report of his visit to the Buck Hotel in Malham. There he spoke on the iniquities of the Conservative Government which had reduced income tax from one shilling and 3d (6p) in the pound to one shilling (5p) but not reduced duty on tea, sugar, tobacco and other goods which weighed heavily on the working classes. He was heckled about the 10d (4p) on the rates for education imposed by what presumably was the Liberal administration of West Riding County Council and responded by saying he would be happy to see the rate go up to two shillings (10p) if required to provide children's education. The Herald, a Conservative supporting newspaper, tartly noted that a resolution that Mr Clough was a fit and proper person to represent the Skipton division in Parliament was voted on and three hands went up in favour.

50 Years Ago

THE outbreak of myxomatosis was in full swing after arriving in Craven. All across the Dales farmers were humanely killing rabbits struck down by the disease. Blind, deaf and unable to move, a broken neck was a quick relief to their suffering. The rabbit population was, however a scourge, with farmers relating how much damage they did to grazing land.

Settle Rural District Council was to press for land at Bond Lane, currently held by the county council as a site for a new primary school, to be used for housing. The councillors said that Bond Lane was the only reasonable sized site for new housing to replace houses demolished as part of a slum clearance programme.

Both Skipton cinemas, the Plaza and the Odeon, were having new wide screens installed. It would enable them to show films in new technology such as Cinemascope and Vista Vision. The first films to be shown on the bigger screens were The Robe (Cinemascope) at the Plaza and White Christmas (Vista Vision) at the Odeon.

Two Barnoldswick shopkeepers died. Arthur Newbould owned a general store in Albert Road and had carried on his business despite going blind. Richard Jenkinson, a grocer on Rainhall Road for 30 years, also passed away in the same week.

25 Years Ago

A WELL was discovered behind the premises of Ledgard and Wynn in Skipton when buildings were demolished. The well dated back to the late 17th century and several pieces of pottery from the 19th century were found. The well had been well preserved and had water to a depth of about 20 feet.

A suggestion by the Craven Herald that Skipton should twin with its namesake in Australia met with favour. Skipton, Australia, had a population of 35,000 said the Herald - 34,500 sheep and 500 humans. Nigel Tankard, who worked for the Wool Secretariat, who lived in Skipton UK and had visited Skipton Australia, said it was a good idea but warned that the Australian Skipton was a "one pub town".

A petition signed by 628 Skipton men was presented to the town's MP. The petition protested against increases imposed in the Budget by the Chancellor and was organised by Richard Lee and David Owen. Mr Lee said that reports suggested the Chancellor was thinking of a 6p rise on beer in the Budget. "It is always the same things - beer, cigarettes and petrol," said Mr Lee.

10 Years Ago

KEVIN Lycett, steward at the British Legion Club in Skipton bought a pork pie from Stanforth's. In time honoured fashion he tipped his head back to ensure the warm juices went into his mouth rather than down his front. Unfortunately he was walking along the towpath and, with head tipped back, walked straight into the canal. Mr Lycett saw the funny side and posed for a picture, while Robert Hart, Stanforth's owner gave him a complimentary tray of pies as compensation.

Yorwaste won an appeal which would allow it to tip waste from anywhere in Britain in Skibeden tip, outside Skipton. North Yorkshire's condition that only locally-produced waste could be dumped there was overturned. Coun Beth Graham warned that the life of Skibeden tip would be much reduced and a new tip would have to be found somewhere else.