Craven through the years (From Craven Herald)

Craven through the years

9:31am Saturday 23rd August 2008 in

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100 years ago

The Right Reverend Eros Nuttal, Archbishop of Jamaica, and his brother, the Rev Ezra Nuttal, Wesleyan minister of Cape Town, South Africa, were visiting friends in Barnoldswick. Being natives of the town and sons of the late James Nuttal, who was a shopkeeper in Church Street, they were said to be "amazed" at the growth of the once small village.

Each year, Skipton Council was faced with the duty of selecting eight poor spinster women of 50 years or over of good, respectable moral character, resident in Skipton and not receiving alms or parochial relief, for what was known as the Mallineaux bequest. The Herald reported that it was not a pleasant task when the number of applicants exceeded the number of beneficiaries.

Ideal conditions favoured the first show of poultry, pigeons, rabbits, flowers, vegetables, eggs and cottage and allotment gardens which took place at Addingham Cricket Ground.

50 years ago

An unemployed lorry driver from Silsden was fined £10 with two shillings costs after admitting being concerned in the theft of 19 hens, valued at £19, from North Cote Farm, Kilnsey. The defendant was told by presiding magistrate Col F Longden Smith that he had been before the courts far too often and next time he would be treated quite differently.

As torrential rain flooded Barnoldswick, it brought back memories of July 11 1932, the day of a fateful and disastrous flood. The water was taking nearly the same course as it had then, sweeping down from Tubber Hill, swirling through houses and continuing its path of destruction, which could be traced through to the bottom of Gisburn Road. Holes had been drilled in the floor of Westfield Mill to allow the water to get away.

A number of people waited outside Bolton Abbey Hall in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan. He was spending a few days with his nephew, the Duke of Devonshire, and was expected to go grouse shooting with the Duke of Devonshire's party over Hazelwood Moors.

25 years ago

A crowd of over 6,000 people helped make a great success of the 80th annual Gargrave Show, with profits and attendance well up on the disappointing event the previous year. A major attraction was the familiar voice of Eric Halsall, from the BBC's "One Man and his Dog", who commentated on a controlled sheepdog demonstration in the main arena.

There was considerable public outcry at the announcement by British Rail that it was to close a section of the Settle to Carlisle line from Ribblehead to Appleby.

A phenomenon, witnessed by two Craven police officers at Cracoe on a clear morning in March two years previously, was a UFO, experts claimed. And they went so far as to say a photograph taken by one of the policemen was the most concrete proof ever obtained in Britain of an alien from outer space.

10 years ago

Tragedy struck twice on Craven's waterways. Honeymooners Lynne and Barry Collett were feared dead after they disappeared from their holiday cottage near Appletreewick. The newlyweds had last been seen going for a walk near the River Wharfe and it was feared they may have been swept away. In the same week, four Cumbrian people with learning difficulties drowned after their barge sank on the Leeds-Liverpool canal at Priestholme Lock near Gargrave.

Postie Mike Storey was maintaining his stand after being suspended from duty for wearing skimpy shorts. Mike, 61, of New Village, Ingleton, vowed to quit his 12-hour a week job rather than change his short shorts into Bermudas with a six inch longer hem line.

A scheme to build 34 homes on derelict industrial land in Skipton came up against opposition from planning chiefs. Officers recommended refusal of the scheme to convert a 19th century warehouse into 12 flats and build 22 houses at Robert Fells' Works on Keighley Road.