100 years ago: THOMAS Palmer, proprietor of the Alhambra Palace, Barnoldswick, was summoned for permitting a ten-year-old child to be in a place of public entertainment without licence. A police officer had visited the theatre and had seen four children on the stage singing and dancing.

A Skipton gunsmith was summoned for selling a pistol to someone without a gun licence and for failing to keep a record of the transaction. Charles Griffiths said he had been acting on patriotic motives and that he had been pestered by a man who had wanted to be ready for “when the Germans came”. He was fined 2s 6d.

Buckden had looked forward to hearing Charles Gibney in its new town hall and the desire was realised when to a large audience he gave a minstrel performance comprising two hours of refined and rollicking fun.

50 years ago: A REUNION party for old members of Tosside Youth Club included a tramps’ fashion parade. The tramps walked, hobbled or minced, according to the dictates of their apparel. The progress of one six footer was greatly impeded by toddlers’ trews, and ladies’ size four court shoes. Joan Sutcliffe was the winner, dressed in gigantic climbing boots, black rugby shorts and a cartwheel picture hat.

The Barnoldswick Clarion Cycling Club run was on Mastiles Lane. The club left Barnoldswick in good weather and rode via Skipton and Cracoe to Kilnsey, where a stop was made for lunch. The passage of Mastiles Lane was made with only one mishap, when two members tried to ride across a ford.

A speeding driver lost his temper when a police officer told him he had exceeded the speed limit on a restricted road at Thornton-in-Craven. He would not give his name and address, but later visited Skipton Police Station and apologised. He was fined £4 and his licence endorsed.

25 years ago: A FORMER headmaster of Settle Primary School left £100,000 in his will to pay for a boy and girl from the town to attend Giggleswick School. Richard Nicholls, who was head from 1943 to 1968, also left £2,500 to the North Craven Heritage Trust and similar amounts to Settle Parish Church and a number of clubs and groups in the town. Mr Nicholls had died in September, two years after his wife, Annie Evelyn, who had been his deputy head. They had no children of their own.

Skipton teenager Peter McCarthy was selected to play for the North of England’s Under 18s rugby team. Peter, a member of Skipton Rugby Club, was studying his A-levels at Mount St Mary’s College in Sheffield.

Silsden firm Belmont Silks was bought from Crowther Cloth Ltd for £1 million in a management buyout. Howard Rayner, who would remain as managing director, said: “The management buyout will benefit Belmont Silks by allowing us to concentrate on our core business without any restrictions from a parent company.” The firm - which manufactured polyester and silk fabrics - also intended to exploit the export market.

10 years ago: A PAIR of rare breed lambs - the first of the year - were born on a smallholding on Silsden Moor. The two male Leicester longwools belonged to Christine Welsby, of Carr Bog Farm. She said she had chosen the breed because it was known for being docile, easy to handle and gentle.

Gale force winds of up to 100mph wreaked havoc across Craven. Hundreds of residents were left without electricity and water. Police and the fire service were inundated with calls about fallen trees, debris and power lines. And many areas were hit by flash floods. Long Preston and Tosside weres among the worst-hit areas where residents were without power for more than 100 hours. “It has been a difficult time,” said Mandy Greaves, of the village’s Crow Trees Inn, which had been forced to turn customers away. “We are trying to get back to some sort of normality.”

Thornton-in-Craven School was among the top 24 schools in Yorkshire and the Humber following two outstanding Ofsted inspections. The school, on Cam Lane, featured on a new Ofsted list of England’s most successful schools and colleges. Chairman of the governors Malcolm Macintyre said: “It is nice to receive the honour and it obviously could not be achieved without a huge input by staff.”