From the archives (From Craven Herald)

From the archives

5:50pm Thursday 29th December 2011 in Pick of the Past

100 years ago

Applications for electric light in Grassington were so great that the company was obliged to expend much more capital by the addition of a new motor to the plant. All the hotels in the village, including the Wilson Arms, and the principal buildings were lit by electricity.

Skipton Rugby Union put together a strong team and were rewarded by a well- deserved victory over rivals Castleford. It was by no means the same side that vanquished the Cravenites at Otley a few years before.

Silsden people were glad to know that the local governing body had succeeded in inducing a sufficient number of men to come forward and form themselves into a fire brigade.

50 years ago

A tape recorder belonging to Craven coroner Stephen Brown was stolen from his car, which was parked in Skipton High Street. An attache case, which was also taken, was later recovered from the left luggage department at Skipton Railway Station.

In an attempt to combat traffic congestion in Skipton High Street, the urban council was to apply for further no waiting restrictions.

The number of unemployed people in Skipton fell from 69 to 60. There were 45 men and 15 women who were wholly unemployed. There was no part-time working.

25 years ago

Domestic staff at Airedale General Hospital reacted angrily after health authority members voted to give the domestic service contract to a private company. They accepted a tender from Berkeley Taylorplan, which would save an estimated £107,000 on the current cost. But the regional officer for the Confederation of Health Service Employees warned that hostility was so high, staff were considering industrial action.

Giggleswick School was left a £1 million legacy by former pupil Norman Sharpe. Mr Sharpe, chairman and managing director of Bradford-based printers and art publishers Sharpe Ltd, had a deep affection for the school right up to his death. Headmaster Peter Hobson said the school had not yet decided what to do with the money. “Everyone here is deeply grateful to Mr Sharpe for this marvellous demonstration of his faith in the school and his belief in independent education,” he added.

The eight-strong Broughton Catenian Choir won the Fleetwood Choir Competition Shield. Fred Evans led Kevin Thornley, Ernest Smith, Keith Wilcox, Terry Corteen, John Carroll, Ron Lyons and Tony Jones as they sang Christmas carols from the mining villages of Europe. The choristers were members of the Broughton Catenian Circle – an organisation of Catholic business and professional people.

10 years ago

Christmas was extra special for two West Craven families. Both Shona Barrett, from Earby, and Annette Shuttleworth, from Barnoldswick, gave birth at Airedale General Hospital on Christmas Day. Shona had daughter Megan Lucy at 4.59am. “Christmas certainly won’t be the same again,” she said. Annette had to undergo an emergency Caesarean, with daughter Elly Sarah arriving at 10.15am.

There was also the patter of tiny feet in Cononley. A Dorset Horn ewe belonging to 10-year-old Danielle Holmes gave birth to twin gimmer lambs. It was a bit of a surprise as Danielle did not know the sheep was pregnant. The new arrivals were called Holly and Ivy.

Cross Hills teenager Richard Smith became the first person in six years to be accepted at the Royal Academy of Music to play the accordion. Seventeen-year-old Richard, a pupil at Ermysted’s Grammar School, Skipton, had only been playing the accordion for three years and was tutored by Harry Hinchcliffe. “I hope to inspire youngsters to enjoy participating in music, just as I have done,” he said.