A SPECIAL event to mark the 170th anniversary of the consecration of the Raikes Road Burial Ground in Skipton saw some of those buried there brought back to life.

'Skiptonians of Raikes Road' saw ten people - including the chief officer of the town council and the town centre manager - dress in Victorian costume to recreate the lives of some of those buried there.

They ranged from a Crimean War victim of cholera, to the landladies of the Devonshire Hotel and the Red Lion and included the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths, who also happened to produce one of the first travel books for the area, “Pearls of Craven”. The then Parish Clerk, James Hall, who doubled as a schoolmaster, was represented by Dave Parker, chief officer of Skipton Town Council, while town centre manager, Brett Butler, played the part of the Rev Philip Kidd, and Les Chandler played the registrar, Benson Bailey.

More than a hundred people visited the open day, held on an unexpectedly warm and sunny Saturday, including descendants of Thomas Wade, Sexton of both the Parish Church graveyard and Raikes Road.

The open day also included two performances to help explain more about the lives and characters being recreated.

Ian Wade, his cousin Stuart Banks and his daughter Paula had travelled to Skipton from Bedford and Manchester especially for the occasion.

Jean Robinson, chairman of the Friends of Raikes Road, said: “It was a very successful day with many positive comments about the event. We were particularly pleased that the Wade family were able to join us. Contacts such as these are invaluable as not only do they provide mutual information on families to help our research but they give a living link to those buried in Raikes Road”.

Dave Parker, chief officer of Skipton Town Council, said: “The friends’ group has done a fantastic job over the last few years and this most recent event was something the council was very keen to support. Town council staff had a great time as part of the team helping to bring some of Skipton’s long-gone characters back to life and I very much hope that similar events can be run in the future – although I’m not entirely sure I want to be typecast as a parish clerk and schoolmaster who likes his drink a bit too much."

Pictures by Judy Probst, Jude Kershaw and Bryan Hume