Part One of our Review of the Year for 2014

A woman who had dedicated her life to dance received a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. Margaret Jaffe founded Skipton’s Northern Dance Centre and retired six years ago at the age of 84.

Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association announced that, for the second year running, it had dealt with a record number of callouts. In 2013, volunteers attended 44 incidents (up from the previous year record of 42).

Embsay with Eastby became an independent parish. And about 100 people attended a morning service at St Mary’s Church to watch priest in charge the Rev Louise Taylor-Kenyon inducted as vicar by the Bishop of Bradford, the Rt Rev Nick Baines.

A Silsden man was appointed the new chairman of the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Edward Boothman, of Howden Park Farm, had been acting chairman since last May and was vice-chairman for six years.

Network Rail completed a £550,000 project to refurbish historic Hellifield Station. It repaired and redecorated the 130-year-old station canopy, made of iron and glass.

Skipton Building Society Camerata marked the start of its 10th anniversary celebrations by providing a free classical concert on the concourse at Leeds Railway Station. The concert was designed to lift the spirits of commuters on Blue Monday - January 20 - supposedly the most depressing day of the year.

Dixon’s Butchers in Addingham closed its doors for the final time after 130 years of trading. Brothers John and Roger Dixon - descendants of the founders - decided that the time had now come to retire.

An apprentice at Rolls-Royce in Barnoldswick won a prestigious national award. Higher technical apprentice Sara Underwood, 21, scooped the Mary George Memorial Award in the Young Woman Engineer of the Year awards. Judges said Sara, from Skipton, made a contribution within her workplace beyond the realms of her normal duties.and demonstrated a dynamic approach to solving engineering problems.

Cross Hills car dealer White Rose won the Volkswagen award for the best after-sales service in the UK and Europe. “It is fantastic,” said managing director Frank Greenway. “It is a credit to everyone who works here and it is great to be recognised.”

Langcliffe skier Emma Lonsdale competed in the Winter Olympics in Russia. The former Settle High School pupil, 29, represented Team GB in the halfpipe event, which was included in the Games for the first time. She said: “I am ecstatic, particularly as this is the first year that my sport has been included.” Emma, who had been British champion nine times and European runner-up twice, finished 18th.

Record-making footballer Oliver Younger lived up to his name by becoming the youngest player ever to sign a football scholarship with Burnley FC. Despite being just 14, Oliver was taken on by the team which was sitting third in the Championship. “I hope to make it as a professional footballer,” he said.

A rare opportunity to buy two acres of land for the community was considered by Sutton-in-Craven Parish Council. The land off Holme Lane, known as Alvic Field, was sold at auction, with a guide price of £10,000. And, after consulting residents, the council put in an offer, but was outbid.

Ten-year-old Lucy-Belle Williamson won a place on the England Fencing Tomorrow’s Achievers programme. Lucy-Belle, who lives in Earby, joined a select group of under-15 fencers from around the country, working with some of the country’s finest coaches in preparation for international fencing careers.

Skipton businesses voted in favour of a second term of the Business Improvement District (BID). The yes vote means an annual pot of at least £150,000 for each of the next five years will be spent on projects aimed at helping the economic prosperity of the town.

A special open day based around the poser ‘Who was Richard Thornton?’ marked the 160th anniversary of a Burton-in-Lonsdale primary school. Richard Thornton CE School opened its doors and invited friends and family in to look around, view old pictures, records and log books, and share in the history of the school.

A replacement minibus was handed over to Earby Community Centre following a fundraising campaign. The community centre paid £30,000 for a 2007 Mercedes 16-seater minibus. “It fits the bill as the other minibus was 14 years old,” said Bob Abel, of the Earby Community Association’s minibus sub-committee.

February Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told staff at a global engineering firm in Silsden they were part of a national recovery in manufacturing. Mr Osborne was a guest of Advanced Actuators, which makes complex hydraulic machinery used in gas oil and nuclear industries around the world.

The official opening of Silsden Town Hall proved an excellent showcase for its £300,000-plus improvements. Coun Andrew Mallinson described the event as “fantastic”, with activities including stage performances, a Valentine’s fair and talks about the Tour de France.

Silsden man Conor Chappell was crowned best retail meat apprentice by the UK’s Meat Training Council. Conor, 21, had worked at Lishman’s of Ilkley for two and a half years and recently completed his level two Certificate for Proficiency in Meat and Poultry Industry Skills at Leeds City College.

Craven was battered by fierce winds and lashing rain which saw some roads flooded. Two people escaped serious injury when a tree fell across the A65 near the Anchor Inn at Gargrave.

A burlesque singer from West Craven wowed millions on The Voice. Jazz and blues songstress Kiki DeVille, from Earby, won over Will-i-am with her rendition of Stone Cold Sober by Paloma Faith on the BBC1 show.

A surprise winner at the Brit Awards was James Newman from Stainforth. James is the older brother of well-known pop star John Newman and both were nominated in the Best British Single category. But it was James’s Waiting all Night, written with the electronic music quartet, Rudimental, that won.

A childhood dream was realised by a Skipton actress when she appeared in the West End. Elaine Glover was starring in The Full Monty, adapted for the stage by Glusburn-born Oscar-winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, at The Noel Coward Theatre.

March Skipton was celebrating after being crowned the most desirable area in the country by The Sunday Times’ 101 Best Places to Live in Britain. The judges put it in top spot for its ideal combination of low crime rates, ‘top-class’ schools, great transport links, ‘buzzing’ high street, pretty and reasonably priced property and beautiful surrounding countryside.

Skipton Mayor John Kerwin-Davey quit in what was believed to be the first mayoral resignation for the town council. Coun John Kerwin-Davey stepped down immediately after the March full council meeting over an apparent disagreement on staffing issues.

St Oswald’s Church at Horton-in-Ribblesdale held a weekend of celebration to mark the arrival of two new bells. Its four existing bells were complemented by two additions, bought from All Saints’ Church, High Wycombe.

A couple who run a Montessori school in Bolton Abbey received a national award. Jane and Graham Lord, of Wharfedale Montessori School and Nursery, were selected for a Montessorians of the Year award at the 2014 Montessori Schools Association annual conference, in recognition of the couple’s determination to deliver the best Montessori has to offer to the children attending their school.

Pennine Motor Services – which ran a fleet of 14 orange and black buses throughout Craven – announced it would cease operating from May 16. The company said it was being forced to close because of losses incurred through free travel passes and more competition on some routes. “It is a very sad day,” said company secretary Maurice Simpson, whose grandfather and two great uncles founded the business in 1925. “Unfortunately it is no longer financially viable.”

April A ‘citizens army’ was recruited to protect motorist from ‘trigger-happy’ traffic wardens. A battalion of parking buddies volunteered to take to Skipton High Street to prevent motorists from being fined for parking on the setts. About 200 people had signed up, joining Skipton businessmen Roger Newhouse and Jason Miller in their campaign to make drivers aware that parking on the setts is not allowed on market days. Mr Miller said: “The parking rules are insane. It’s driving people into other towns which have better parking facilities.”

Workers at Rolls-Royce in Barnoldswick were left in shock after bosses unveiled plans to axe 122 jobs. Workers at the aerospace giant’s two plants in Barnoldswick had been warned in January that around 30 posts could be under threat but company bosses said more job losses were needed due to a reduced workload.

An adult volunteer with the Skipton Air Training Corps, Simon Coates, was awarded the Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate – one of the highest honours in the forces, ranking just below the MBE. Simon was honoured for his outstanding contribution and dedication to the Air Cadet Organisation, giving more than 40 years of voluntary service, initially as a cadet and then as an adult instructor. He was currently Officer Commanding of 264 (Skipton) Squadron.

Keith Moorby was named as a regional community champion. The 36-year-old, who works for Tesco in Skipton, said: “It was so unexpected.” Keith had led camping expeditions with residents of the YMCA and Foundation Housing and had been involved helping with after-school functions and other community activities as part of his role as Tesco’s community champion.

Objectors to a planned superstore on the outskirts of Skipton welcomed a unanimous decision to turn it down. Craven planners agreed that allowing the Sainsbury’s superstore and industrial park would mean ‘selling the soul’ of Skipton and would destroy the very uniqueness that made it the best place in the UK to live.

Former transport minister Michael Portillo took part in celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the saving of the Settle-Carlisle railway line, as a special locomotive travelled from Leeds to Carlisle, via Settle. Aboard its nine carriages were hundreds of people, including many who campaigned to keep the railway open.

A Skipton skate park was closed temporarily over the Easter holiday because of safety fears. The closure of the facility at Aireville Park followed the annual inspection by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

The quality of care provided by Airedale staff impressed the Shadow Health Secretary during his visit to the Steeton hospital. Andy Burnham toured Airedale NHS Foundation Trust alongside John Grogan, Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Keighley. MP. The pair saw the hospital’s temporary accident and emergency unit and also visited Airedale’s Telemedicine Hub.

The Mayor of Pendle, Coun Smith Benson, visited an Earby company to see the grand opening of its new office building. Wardle Storeys, which manufactures polymer films and coated fabrics, also announced a £1.25 million investment in new equipment.

The Duke of Gloucester, patron of Cancer Research UK, thanked Skipton-based charity Petal for raising £1 million over 14 years for the cause. He was guest of honour at a special celebration lunch at the town’s Rendezvous Hotel. Petal raises funds specifically for research into childhood cancers.

When Mary Harrington was digging in her garden in Bracewell she found what she thought was a crisp packet, but turned out to be a signet ring and the start of an investigation which led to Scotland, the First World War and the tragic story of a young soldier. Dr Harrington eventually discovered the gold ring had belonged to John Badenock, of Sentosa, Banff, Scotland. Engraved inside was the name Ian and the date 19.3.1917. Further investigation revealed that Ian was the son of John and he had died heroically on the Western Front.

Giggleswick School student Edward Percival joined the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain. Sixteen-year-old Edward, who plays the tenor trombone, successfully auditioned to become a member of the UK’s leading brass band for teenagers and one of the world’s finest brass ensembles.

Tributes poured in for former Skipton mayor and district and county councillor Polly English, who died on Good Friday. Coun English, who six years ago battled breast cancer, was diagnosed with secondary cancer in February, had undergone treatment, but died in hospital following complications. She was 71.

History was made on Easter Sunday when the first new diocese in the Church of England for 85 years – the Diocese of West Yorkshire and the Dales – came into being, led by Bishop of Leeds the Right Rev Nick Baines.

May Skipton Building Society announced it was to increase the size of its telephone service centre based in the town by almost 50 per cent. It would mean 71 new jobs in Skipton Direct – based at The Bailey – taking the number of workers at the centre to 225.

Veronica James made history at Skipton’s Holy Trinity Church by becoming the first woman rector in the church’s 800-year history. Mrs James was previously rector of Guitings and six surrounding parishes and Area Dean of the North Cotswolds.

Skipton Girls’ High School was awarded a £1 million grant from the Academies Capital Maintenance to build a two-storey extension block, including eight new classrooms and two specialist science laboratories with a preparation room. The new block should be in use by September next year.

A Barnoldswick band was aiming high after being snapped up by a London record label. Stilts – made up of Sam Curran, 21, Jonny Dickin, 21, and his brother Chris, 22 – were given their big chance by label SnakeTown.

Bride-to-be Stephanie French got to the church on time – despite having taken part in a fell race earlier in the day. Stef and fiancé Andrew Kitts – both runners with Keighley and Craven Athletics Club – held a fancy-dress fell race to the top of Beamsley Beacon and back before their wedding at St Peter’s Church, Addingham.

Gargrave DJ Luke Pompey was filmed for a new TV documentary series. Campus Crashers followed six young Brits on a three-month road trip across the United States.

David Cameron visited West Craven – delivering a surprise birthday card for an 18-year-old factory worker. The Prime Minister visited Silentnight’s Barnoldswick factory and took questions from staff. He started by presenting a surprised Robert Harrison, of Earby, with a card.

Airedale was judged as one of the 40 top-performing hospitals in the country. It achieved the accolade in the annual CHKS Top Hospitals programme, which celebrates excellence in the NHS Awards are based on an evaluation of 22 key performance indicators covering safety, clinical effectiveness, health outcomes, efficiency, patient experience and also quality of care.

Work was completed on a new £3 million health centre in Silsden. The state-of-the-art facility was built on the site of the old premises in Elliott Street.

Skipton’s Rendezvous Hotel was named as Accommodation Provider of the Year – Individual Hotel in the National Coach Tourism Awards 2014. The judges said the family-owned hotel was one of the most proactive hotels in the north of England and operated its own Hospitality Charter to ensure all guests were treated to the best Yorkshire hospitality at all times.

A trucker dragged a fellow lorry driver from his burning cab on a motorway. Mark Hancock, from Steeton, led rescue efforts and helped to haul the injured driver through a window as part of the cargo exploded just feet away.

June A family launched an appeal to pay for treatment which they desperately hoped would help their blind baby to see. Tiny Connor Wrighton was just over six months old, but fluid on his brain and subsequent damage to his optic nerves soon after birth had left him completely without sight. His parents, Lisa and Nathan Wrighton, of Branch Road, Skipton, had located possible treatment overseas, but needed to raise at least £13,000. In the autumn Connor flew to New Delhi, where he had two courses of pioneering stem cell treatment. Initial feedback was positive.

A Barnoldswick woman who formed a cancer support group was recognised with a national award. Mary Brennan, the founder and trustee of Barnoldswick and Earby Bosom Friends, received The Vicky Clement-Jones Award from Macmillan Cancer Support. It was given to volunteers who have, or have had cancer themselves, and make a significant difference to the lives of people with cancer.

A ten-year-old Addingham girl returned from the Dwarf Sports Association UK competition with a haul of medals. Savannah Troughton-Webb, a pupil at Addingham Primary School, received a gold for athletics (throwing a cricket ball), and bronze for hockey, basketball and football. She also swam 25 metres, coming fourth in her heat, completing a full length of the pool without help for the first time.

Ben Crick, artistic director of Skipton Building Society Camerata, set out to scale more than 40 Lake District peaks in 24 hours. Ben tackled the Bob Graham Round to raise money for the orchestra’s community outreach programme.

England’s World Cup campaign may not have been great – but Embsay had a football World Cup winner. Stephen Carling was part of a side representing England that lifted the trophy in the Seniors World Cup tournament in Thailand, featuring teams from across the globe.

A long-serving North Yorkshire county councillor from Embsay was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Shelagh Marshall, Conservative councillor for Mid-Craven and North Yorkshire County Council’s Older People’s Champion, was awarded the OBE for services to the elderly.

A Craven war veteran who took part in the D-Day landings went back to the beaches. Bernard Rush, 91, from Silsden, travelled to Normandy with his wife Catherine and their two daughters for the 70th anniversary of the battle.

A brave Dales schoolgirl who had had two bone marrow transplants was hailed as ‘an inspiration’. Fourteen-year-old Rebecca Alton, of Grassington, who was first diagnosed with leukaemia aged five, received a special award. She received the John Baker award, named after the late husband of original Calendar Girl Angela Baker.

A group of archaeology students discovered the remains of the oldest wooden house so far found in the Dales at Yarnbury Henge near Grassington, dating from almost 6,000 years ago.