From the archives (From Craven Herald)

From the archives

9:30am Saturday 13th February 2010 in

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100 years ago

Owing to the severe weather, a soup kitchen was opened in Skipton Town Hall in connection with the Guild of Help Movement. The relief work had been carried out thanks to special subscriptions collected by a band of lady keepers. One day, the number who received soup was 160.

The rural district council decided to make an application to the Public Works Loans Board for £400 to carry out the Conistone Water scheme. It would be repayable in 30 years. In due course, an application would be made to the local government board for an order fixing a scale for water charges for the township and also for Appletreewick and Hebden. The tender, from Mr H Spencer of Silsden, of £300 was accepted.

The opening ceremony of Skipton’s public library would take place on February 19. Lord Hothfield, who was expected to officiate, was abroad and Sir Mathew Wilson had consented to perform the important ceremony. It was suggested that all places of residence or business on High Street should be decorated with flags to mark the occasion.

50 years ago

A record year for investments was reported by Skipton Building Society at its 107th annual meeting. The assets of the society had increased by well over £1 million and now stood at £16,500,000. New investments of £2,670,000 represented a record in the society’s long history, although withdrawals at £2,111,000 were higher than the society would like them to be. Money had been coming in not only from the areas where they had a branch, but from far off places where they currently had no representation.

There were nine convictions for drunkenness in Skipton during 1959, a decrease of four compared to the previous year. Proceedings were taken against five persons for driving whilst under the influence of drink and four were convicted. Proceedings were taken against three licensees and two were convicted. Permission to install a juke box at the Cavendish Café, Belmont Bridge, Skipton, was granted at Skipton Brewster Sessions when the proprietor, Thomas Parkinson, applied for a new music and singing licence. The hours would be from 10am to 11pm on weekdays and 6pm to 10pm on Sundays. Mr Parkinson said he had just bought the premises and he had not met with any objection from residents in the locality.

25 years ago

Nine-year-old Carol Dix vaulted her way into the North West Under-10s gymnastics squad. The youngster, who was a pupil at Gisburn Road School, Barnoldswick, had only taken up the sport seriously 18 months ago. She was the first member of Craven Gymnastics Club to be picked for the regional squad.

Grassington Parish Council was to get its own private office for the first time in 100 years. Until now the nine councillors and clerk had had to share their meeting room with other organisations in the district. But councillors were now claiming the town hall reading room as their own and had spent months restoring it to its former glory. There was just one problem – they had no chairs!

Former Skipton Girls’ High School pupil Myra Roper, 72, was awarded the Order of Australia – one of the country’s top honours. The award, announced on Australia Day, was in recognition of Miss Roper’s education work and her efforts to improve Australian-Chinese relationships. She was principal of Melbourne University Women’s College and a member of the Melbourne Council and the Melbourne State College Council. She also served on the boards of the Australian National Theatre Trust and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Commission.

10 years ago

Travel agent Sue Ray had just returned from her first Atlantic yacht crossing. Sue, 48, who ran Travelray in Cross Hills, decided to take on the challenge as a millennium goal. She answered an advert in a yachting magazine to join the crew of the 60-foot schooner Floryn, but had not expected to face swollen seas for the entire 31 days afloat.

A hostel for homeless people in Skipton was to close, apparently because it was not used enough. The hostel, on Belle Vue Terrace, had become rundown and was not making any money. Craven District Council had agreed to negotiate leasing the building to other organisations. But Mary Russell, development officer for the Craven Housing Scheme, said: “We do not want people to think that there is no need for emergency accommodation because of this.”