From the archives (From Craven Herald)

From the archives

2:00pm Sunday 5th August 2012 in Pick of the Past By Newsdesk

100 years ago

The arrival of territorial troops in Gargrave caused a great stir. The streets were lined with people from far and wide anxious to view such an unusual event.

Austwick School received an order from the medical officer that all books must be destroyed by fire in order to stamp out scarlet fever.

The strike of twisters at Messrs J Knox’s mill at Silsden continued. Both employers and men maintained a firm attitude.

50 years ago

A Barnoldswick couple on holiday at Butlin’s at Bognor Regis won a preliminary heat in a Stars of Tomorrow dance contest.

Cross Hills firm W and JR Thompson (Woodturners) celebrated their centenary. To mark the occasion, each of the 80 employees was given £1 for each year of service.

Ingleton Amateur Swimming Club held a gala in the open air pool in front of a large crowd.

25 years ago

Skipton -born Harry Balderstone was reassessing his life after mixing with the rich and famous. Harry ran an exclusive and successful hairdressing business in New York and his client list included Jerry Hall, Faye Dunaway, Jill Clayburgh, Rod Steiger, Jason Robards and Priscilla Presley. One client even sent her private jet to collect him for the three-and-a-half hour flight to her home in Dallas. But Harry had returned to Craven to reassess his life.

Six men and one woman were convicted of charges relating to trouble at Skipton Gala following a marathon four-day trial. Four of them were found guilty of the new offence of using threatening and abusive words or behaviour. Chairman of the bench, Bryan Braithwaite-Exley, told the defendants that their behaviour was not acceptable.

Two Craven men were due to take part in the Manx Grand Prix. David Castle, the owner of Skipton-based Castle Motorcycles, was entered in the Newcomers 750 and seniors race while Airton farm worker Vaughan Smith was to compete in the junior race on a 350TZ Yamaha.

10 years ago

The Grassington Moor Management Association voiced concern that the new rights of way act posed a risk to safety. It feared that walkers straying off designated paths on Grassington Moor could fall down one of the ancient mineshafts. “We take the safety aspect very seriously,” said association chairman and county councillor Shelagh Marshall.

The old Settle CE Primary School was sold at auction for £560,000. The buyer – an unidentified developer – was hoping to use the site to build seven homes. Local vicar, the Rev Stewart Ridley, said he was pleased with the result and the proceeds would be ploughed into the new school.

Skipton’s Tarn Moor Estate submitted a planning application for an 11-acre green burial site between Brackenley Lane and the Craven Heifer. Michael Rhodes, for the agents Dacre Son and Hartley, said the application would benefit the people of Craven. “There have been a lot of discussions in the past about a lack of spaces in churchyards and green burial sites offer another alternative,” he said.