100 years ago

At the Glusburn education sub-committee, it was recommended that negotiations be opened with a view to procuring half an acre of land for a new school site in Steeton. Sketch plans of the new school were presented and unanimously approved.

Meanwhile, a favourable report was submitted by the swimming teachers at Glusburn and Sutton Mill baths, with a good percentage of scholars having successfully learned to swim.

Skipton magistrates expressed the need for a room where witnesses could be isolated. At the time, the only means of accommodation for witnesses was a draughty and cold corridor. The alternative was to let them remain in the court room where they could hear all that the preceding witnesses said.

50 years ago

Well-known local artist Gordon Yates told a public meeting that in a few years time, Skipton would merely become a centre of shops surrounded by suburban housing estates. He asked the council what was being done to preserve the historic and picturesque features of the town and said he objected to any alteration to the ginnels, which he said would be like "ripping the heart out of the town". The surveyor of Skipton Urban District Council told Mr Yates that all effort would be made to control the appearance of the town, but to leave the ginnels untouched would be unhealthy and costly in the future.

A meeting of Settle Rural District Council received a complaint about the bad time keeping of some members of staff. Mr T. Kay, the council's accountant, said it was unfair to those members of staff who followed the rules, and he thought it should be the job of the heads of department to ensure all staff arrived on time. Coun Harrison said department heads already had enough to do without policing members of staff. It was decided the best way forward would be to get a time book that members of staff wrote in on arrival and departure.

25 years ago

The proposal of a new roundabout at Kildwick Bridge upset the residents of Cross Hills and Glusburn. Residents said they would fight to try and protect the communities from what was seen as a potential deathblow to the quality of their lives and the high level of traffic the roundabout would bring. Coun Harold Gresswell said in a letter to the North Yorkshire Area Surveyor that they had paid "scant attention" to the wishes of residents.

Jockey Willie Carson was chief guest at a Great Moments in Sport' evening in Skipton Town Hall to mark 10 years' service to the motoring community by Peter Clarke Autos. Questions were put to the jockey in a talk show style, in which he said he thought betting on horses was a "mugs game".

Settle widow Dorothy Clay was doing a sponsored starve for Christian Aid week. Mrs Clay was going to eat only a three-ounce bowl of rice every day for a week. .

10 years ago

Skipton's vegetarian and Muslim communities branded the use of carbonised cattle bones to treat Craven water supplies as "disgusting". It was reported that Yorkshire Water used charcoal made from the bones to clear and remove waste material from rural water supplies. Yorkshire Water said the charcoal, called Brimac, posed no risk of BSE and it ensured a constantly high standard of water quality and was environmentally friendly. Vegetarians and Muslims in the town were angered at the use of an animal by-product on ethical and religious grounds, however.

Crime-fighting traders in Skipton hoped to stay one step ahead of shoplifters by getting on the airwaves with a radio link to the police. The groundbreaking Skipton Radio Link equipped each shop owner with a walkie-talkie to communicate instantly with the police and other traders if they saw anything suspicious. It was the brainchild of PC Wayne Smith who realised shoplifters were travelling to Skipton from other areas because they saw the town as an easy target.

One of the founding members of Barnoldswick Town Council, Dorothy Carthy, said she would take happy memories with her as she retired from public office. She said one of her proudest memories was being involved in the creation of the Town Square.

9:06am Friday 30th November 2007

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