100 years ago

A Grassington butcher sued a dentist for the price of a pig. The court was told that the defendant was in the habit of attending Grassington professionally and, in November, he had ordered a pig. The question before the court was whether the price of the pig had been 5s 1/4d per lb or 6s 1/4d per lb. The action was to recover the £1 5s 8d that the butcher said the defendant still owed. The butcher said that although the defendant was almost deaf, he fully understood the terms of the sale. It was agreed that the price of the pig was 6s 1/4d per lb and the dentist was ordered to pay the outstanding cost.

Mr Reid, a professional rat catcher, wrote that hours after using Rodine Rat poison in an old farm building near Cowling, he found 275 dead rats. He said: "I have been a rat catcher for 45 years and never seen anything so deadly."

A report from three different inspectors of the Local Government Board stated that the condition of nearly all of the cow sheds in the area was extremely unsatisfactory.

50 years ago

A Skipton housewife said she was sure she had many of the housewives in the eastern part of Skipton behind her when she wrote to express her disbelief and regret that the County Planning Committee had refused to allow Simpsons the greengrocers to reopen a shop on Newmarket Street. She asked whether the authorities realised what an effort it was for mothers with small children to walk all the way to the town centre to do their shopping.

One of the worst blizzards in West Craven for years caused chaotic road conditions. There were a number of accidents and many people found themselves stranded miles from home. Some dancers at the annual ball held by Earby police could also not get home.

25 years ago

Grassington held its first Pancake Day races. There were more than 1,000 people at the event, which was organised by the Chamber of Trade. The winner of each race received a frying pan.

A Gargrave mother was planning to set up a twins club to offer help and practical advice to harassed mothers. Sally Freytag had three-year-old twin sons and had run the Leeds twins club. She decided to start the group after receiving phone calls from other Craven mothers asking for advice. Mrs Freytag said: "The problems we have are much the same as any other mum - the difference is we have them two times over."

10 years ago

The parents of Glusburn writer Simon Beaufoy were besieged by telephone calls following news that their son's hit film had been nominated for four Oscars. Simon himself was on the shortlist for best screenplay for The Full Monty.

Beekeepers were hoping to launch a full-scale assault against a tiny mite that threatened to engulf hives in Craven. The Wharfedale Beekeepers Society was hoping to locate all the hives infected with varroa jacobsoni.

A former Ingleton school pupil was in the running to take on a key position at Italian fashion house Versace. The word in the fashion world was that Antony Price, who had dressed stars like Mick Jagger and Annie Lennox, was going to take over the job of Gianni Versace, who had been shot the year before.

10:11am Friday 15th February 2008

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