100 years ago

IN Victorian times truancy from school was frowned upon just as much as it is today, though the punishment for offenders was much more severe. One youngster who repeatedly failed to turn up to school in Skipton was ordered to attend an industrial school in Cockermouth, Cumbria, for five years!

A stained glass window was placed in Skipton Parish Church by the Misses Annie and Emily Paget and their sister, Ada Wright, in memory of their father, William, and mother and sister, both named Eliza. The window was situated at the south side of the church and incorporated three lights and a central illustration of the Ascension. It was commissioned by a company in Brussels and had been exhibited in an exhibition of Sacred Art.

Skipton and District Hospital wrote to the War Office offering at least two of its beds for the use of wounded soldiers from the Boer War. The War Office replied thanking the hospital for its offer and noting that it wished for Yorkshire men to be sent there.

Grassington Parish Council was investigating the appearance of "no trespassing" signs on a right of way across the moor. Complaints were made to the highways authority and it was discovered that a man from Brighouse, who was in dispute about the route being a right of way, had erected them

50 years ago

A LARGE group of followers met in Skipton when the Salvation Army came to town. The group, conducted by Cadet Leslie Warne, was taking part in a special youth festival of music and song. It was touring the area in a special bus.

Barnoldswick Allotments Association was concerned about the practice of tenants sub-letting their allotments. The clerk to the association, RW Fenton, wrote to the tenants saying it was not to be tolerated and if they no longer wanted their allotment they should write and let the association know.

Also in Barnoldswick the entertainments committee made a recommendation to the Urban District Council that a penny rate be levied in the town for entertainment purposes during the next financial year. Such a levy would yield around £240.

Was Settle beautiful? The poet Gray (one assumes the famous Thomas Gray) who had passed through the town in the 1700s likened it to a "shabby French town." According to a report in the Herald, he said it didn't have a dozen good-looking houses in it!

25 years ago

A WELL-KNOWN local landmark, Steeton Tower, was up for grabs on the property market for a modest £21,000. The building, which dominated the skyline between Keighley and Skipton, was built in 1887 by Henry Isaac Butterfield to commemorate the jubilee of Queen Victoria. It formed an outpost on his vast estate and was extended in the '50s. For your money you could get a family residence with central heating, four bedrooms, a hall, sitting room, dining room, bathroom, kitchen, cellar, entrance to the parapets and almost seven acres of woodland and paddock.

The very latest in modern technology had arrived at Skipton library - a photocopier. Between October and January the machine had dealt with almost 400 copies.

The annual cross-country run by pupils at Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton, saw two records broken. T Lovett, in the junior event, took two minutes off the previous record while D Cleaver broke the previous record in the preliminary event.

10 years ago

CRAVEN District Council was seeking to have a food caravan removed from a notorious accident spot. The caravan was standing in a lay-by near Cononley Lane Ends. Also, residents of Farnhill said the canal bank was being used as a toilet. The owner of the caravan disputed the claims saying she was a "godsend" to motorists who needed to refresh themselves or ask for directions. She said she had also helped one diabetic motorist and a cyclist who had an epileptic fit. She added that her caravan also had toilet facilities. It was sited on land part owned by the Department of Transport and its advice was sought on the matter.

A debate was ongoing on whether to change the name of the Airedale Manic Depression Fellowship to Pendulum. Some members of the group felt a less "startling" name was more appropriate whilst others felt it should remain and be immediately recognisable to other sufferers.

Whitbread breweries had applied to build a 37 bedroomed Travel Inn hotel block at the Anchor Inn, Gargrave. As well as a hotel there would be additional car parking. The concept was to built budget priced accommodation onto an existing restaurant facility. Each room was to be capable of accommodating either a single person or a small family.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.