Craven through the years (From Craven Herald)

Craven through the years

5:38pm Saturday 19th July 2008

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100 years ago

Giggleswick School's annual speech day was deprived of much of its attractiveness by the unfortunate weather. Rain fell during the day with the result that a considerable portion of outdoor activities had to be curtailed or abandoned. However, experiments and apparatus made in the laboratory were shown and in the museum, the Victorian Cave collection proved very popular.

The Rev F Vince and Mr E Mumby, who were in charge of the Wycliffe Mission, visited Steeton and held a meeting at the bottom of School Street. Some of their statements did not meet with the approval of several of those present and a lady champion of the Catholic faith promptly challenged the speakers who next day sought fresh fields for their labours.

The late state of the Ribble at Long Preston appeared to have been favourable for certain varieties of fish, as several pike ranging from 4lbs to 12lbs in weight had been caught. But trout were either very wary or scarce, as few had been tempted to take the bait offered.

50 years ago

"What can I plead when I cannot remember a thing about it?" asked a 17-year-old farm labourer from Barnoldswick when he was charged at Skipton Magistrates' Court with driving without due care and attention. The presiding magistrates said it was pretty obvious the labourer was to blame and he was fined £3 with the endorsement of his licence. The court heard that the defendant hit a learner driver on Skipton Road when he was riding his motorbike on the wrong side of the road.

In his annual report for the Barnoldswick area medical officer for health Dr M Hunter said a total of 230 visits were made to rat and mice infested premises. He said that only in one case, however, was the infestation a major problem.

Unsettled weather with frequent showers and little sunshine was the general experience in the first of Skipton's holiday weeks.

25 years ago

A committee was set up to oversee the partial closure of Grassington's 200-bed hospital. That week the Leeds Western Health Authority approved plans to close four of the hospital's eight wards on an emergency basis. While the meeting took place around 150 health workers and members of the Save Grassington Hospital Village Action Committee staged a demonstration outside.

The closure of Hebden's 109-year-old village school was particularly sad for Mrs Gwendoline Hawkins, who retired as the school's longest serving headmistress after 33 years. The 16 pupils leaving the school would go to either Grassington or Burnsall schools after the summer.

A £416,000 facelift transformed Giggleswick's Castleberg Hospital and destroyed its image as the "old workhouse". Thirty patients were set to move back into the 120-bed hospital which, block by block, was being given a brand new look.

10 years ago

A children's home in Skipton was temporarily closed following complaints of alleged riots by youngsters. Social services had moved the residents of Burnside House to other parts of the county after staff were faced with a group of youths with "very challenging behaviour". The move came after the residents of Burnside Avenue drew up a petition to have the home moved permanently.

Sky Television used Skipton to illustrate how drug misuse was largely ignored in rural communities. Skipton was painted as typical of many pretty market towns which created facades behind which lurked drug problems to match most inner cities. The programme was prompted by a Home Office report which showed that rural areas "showed a marked reluctance to acknowledge drugs misuse problems."

A woman believed to be the oldest in Craven celebrated her 106th birthday. Friends and family presented Gladys Shackleton with a cake and toasted her long life with a glass of sherry. Gladys, who lived at Sutton's Royd Hill Nursing Home, had lived in her home until four years before. She believed the secret to a long life was plenty of exercise, a healthy diet and the odd drop of whiskey.

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