100 years ago

CRAVEN farmers were assured on many occasions that shortage of labour for the hay harvest might easily be met by the government authorities releasing soldiers accustomed to the work for a period covering the time of gathering in

With the departure of Mr WE Frankland, the Craven Herald was in the proud position of saying that every member who had served on the reporting staff since the outbreak of war was a member of His Majesty's Forces. In addition, a third of the general printing staff had joined up. The paper invited people to send in items of interest.

A walking party set out from near Settle with the intention of climbing Ingleborough and got lost in the mist. Several, including the guide, were, or had been, members of the local training corps.

50 years ago

THE average number of foxes killed each year by the Dales Fox Fund over the past five years was 109. It compared with 275 per year in the early 1940s. There were 148 subscribers in the fund, and in 1965, 80 foxes were killed. The fund paid out for 59 adult fox tails and 52 cub tails, the rates being £2 per adult tail, and 10s per cub tail.

The seventh annual Settle trials of the Land Rover owners club was held at Low Trenhouse, Malham Moor. One of the most popular events of the club's national calendar, competitors arrived from the Midlands as well as Yorkshire.

It was an eventful week for Silsden County Secondary School when 51, including four teaching staff, went on the annual mountain climb. Travelling by bus to Clapham, the party walked via Gaping Gill to the summit of Ingleborough.

25 years ago

A SETTLE man was reunited with the sisters he last saw 47 years ago. Helmut Francmanis left his teenage sisters, Edite and Silvija, in Lativia in 1944 when he decided to leave as he could not live under Communist rule. He initially moved to Germany before making his way to England in 1947. Working for the Ministry of Agriculture, he was sent to Settle to do farm work. "It is a very happy time for all our family," said Helmut.

An outbreak of hepatitis A was reported at two Skipton primary schools. Three pupils had been diagnosed at Greatwood Primary and an unknown number at Ings. Area education officer Ralph Billing said it was impossible to know where the infection began, but it was hoped, with a strict handwashing routine, to have the outbreak wiped out within two weeks.

Skipton's longest-serving landlord Donald Moorby celebrated 30 years behind the bar at the Royal Shepherd. Donald, 63, took the pub after time spent in the RAF police and police forces in Yorkshire and Cyprus. "The last ten to 12 years have been really enjoyable," said Donald, who was about to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife Juanita.

10 years ago

SILSDEN sleeping bag manufacturer Snugpak Ltd welcomed officials from the Queen's Awards for Enterprise during a whistle-stop tour of recipients of the accolade in the area. The Howden Road site, which employed 50 staff, hosted the secretary to the Queen's Award office Stephen Brice and secretary to the Prime Minister's advisory committee David Moore.

Seven out of 17 beds were to be axed at Castleberg community hospital in Settle. They were victims of a costcutting exercise by the primary care trust which had to save £444,000 on the orders of the Department of Health. Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT said Castleberg - as well as a community hospital in Ripon - significantly overspent on pay budgets each year due to covering staff absences.

A charity that had helped hundreds of elderly, disabled and other people in need celebrated its 20th anniversary. Grassington and District Helping Hands was formed in 1986 and had evolved into an organisation that greatly improved the lives of many local people. For the past two decades it had been helping the sick, the aged, the disabled and those who were socially isolated by transporting them to and from hospitals, medical centres, dentists, chiropodists and other similar venues.