100 years ago

AN interesting find was made in the former home of a German man in Cross Hills who disappeared on the outbreak of hostilities. Found was the uniform of a German officer, maps and plans showing heights of hills in the district.

The recipients of the parcels, sent from Skipton to the men serving with the forces, wrote to Mr A Townsend, of the Brougham Street School, who acted as honorary secretary to the project, acknowledging their welcome arrival. In all, 403 parcels were dispatched as a New Year offering.

The medical officer for health announced during December, there had been 16 deaths in the rural district against 17 the previous month. Births numbered 14 and there had been three cases of scarlet fever at Cold Cotes, Ingleton and one case of diptheria at Langcliffe.

50 years ago

PROBLEMS associated with Grassington's ancient Market Square included action to improve the condition of the toilets. The rural council was to spend £400 on their renovation as it was considered they were unlikely to be replaced in the near future.

Approval was given for the erection of a building for worsted spinning at Hayfield Mills, Glusburn, for JC Horsfall and Sons.

The Airedale and Pennine Motor Club's annual Snowdrop Rally was held over a 240-mile Yorkshire Dales and North Lancashire course and was won for the third time by international rally driver, David Pollard, of Bingley, in a Hillman Rally Imp. The course was planned by last year's winners, Christopher Knowles Fitton, of Appletreewick.

25 years ago

CRAVEN District Council's planning committee voted by seven votes to six to back Yorkshire Water's plan to erect four 25 metre wind turbines at Chelker Reservoir near Draughton. This was against the advice of planning officer Stanley Briggs, who said he was not convinced that there was a proven need for the turbines, which would cost £1.5 million. There was also opposition from Skipton Town Council, Draughton Parish Council, the Council for the Protection of Rural England and the Ramblers Association.

Sixty jobs were to go after Peter Black Footwear announced it was to close its Skipton operation. Managing director Reg Adair said the volume of work was significantly below that required to sustain the factory as an operational unit. "The final decision to close the factory was brought about by the increasingly difficult economic climate which continues to impact on the forward order book," he added. It was hoped some of the workers would be found jobs at the firm's Keighley plant.

Plans to set up a gypsy site at a disused Meal Bank Quarry near Ingleton were thrown out by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Committee. Park officer Richard Harvey said the caravan site would be visually obtrusive and detrimental to the landscape and amenity of the national park and to the enjoyment of walkers and other visitors. The application had been put forward by Craven District Council, which had identified five possible gypsy sites.

10 years ago

SERVICE manager Bill Ridd retired after spending all his working life - nearly 49 years - at John Phillip of Skipton. He started at the company, which stocked TV, hi-fis, telephones and other domestic equipment, when he was 16-and-a-half and went on to work under three generations of the Phillip family. He was the firm's first television apprentice and repeatedly had to brush up on his skills. Mr Ridd said it was hard to predict how technology would develop in the future. "It's moving so fast you can never be sure. Things change every month."

Construction of a new sports hall at Upper Wharfedale School was on schedule to be completed for the summer. It was hoped the facilities would help sports stars at the Threshfield school and in the local community to fulfil their potential. The school, which had been granted specialist sports status, had raised £30,000 for the project. Headteacher Phil Bennington said: "It will be a real asset to the school and community. The school has a long history of producing good sportsmen."

Skipton was losing one of its familiar shop names after 83 years of trading. Slaters - the town's oldest electrical and retail store - was sold to Barnoldswick family-run firm Harry Garlick. Brothers Wilf and Douglas Slater had founded the Skipton company in 1923 and current proprietors Tom and Helen Clancy had taken over the business from Mrs Clancy's father, Ron Potter, who spent more than 55 years with Slaters, starting as an apprentice in 1935.