100 years ago

The chauffeur of Conservative parliamentary candidate Captain Richard Roundell, of Gledstone Hall, appeared in court for not having a rear light attached to his motor car. Captain Roundell was a great advocate of the "horseless carriage" and had previously told how the new invention had helped him get around during his unsuccessful election campaign. However, his vehicle was spotted by a constable parked outside the Black Horse, on Skipton High Street, with no rear lamp attached. The driver told the PC he had gone to the pub to get a lamp after realising he had missed lighting up time.

A Skipton stonemason was jailed for three months for stealing two pairs of socks and a silk muffler. The man took the items from a pawn shop on Albert Street after distracting the owner with an inquiry about a trowel which was "on pledge" in Colne. The apparent severity of the sentence was perhaps explained by the stonemason's previous convictions for petty theft.

50 years ago

A motor mechanic from Cowling was given a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to stealing three hammer shafts from the Craven Motor Company. He had to pay costs of 15 shillings. Chief Inspector J Oaks stated that Irvin Cole, the works manager, was suspicious that pilfering was taking place and searched the employee's motor car. The worker admitted he had taken the shafts because he wanted them for an axe at home. He said he did not think it was actually stealing, because he had been issued with three new shafts to use at work.

Accused of what Chief Inspector Oaks described as rather an unusual offence for an 11-year-old, a boy was given a conditional discharge after he admitted obtaining three shillings from two other schoolboys. The defendant sold the two boys a pigeon hut and some wood and told them it would be delivered by his older brother. When seen by a police officer, the boy admitted he did not have a pigeon hut or any wood - and he did not have an elder brother. He told the police officer he wanted the money to go to the pictures.

At Skipton Magistrates' Court, a Barnoldswick man was charged with stealing an ashtray, valued at five shillings, from the Craven Arms Inn, Skipton. The defendant claimed he was given the ashtray by a friend when they left the pub to put in his pocket. When the group were stopped by police he admitted to having the ashtray, but thought his friend would own up to his part in it. He told the court he did not wish to inform on a friend.

25 years ago

The ancient game of "Bull Ring" was revived at two Dales pubs. A team from the Fountaine, at Linton, triumphed over rivals from the White Lion at Cray. The two pubs were thought to be the only ones in the Dales which still had a bull ring - a bull's nose ring tied to a cord and attached to the ceiling, which was swung by players in an attempt to catch it on a hook on the pub wall. At one time bull ring was the most popular game in Dales pubs and was taken very seriously.

Barnoldswick's library was the busiest in Pendle. At a meeting of Pendle Council's leisure services committee, councillors were told that the small library, in Fernlea Avenue, was the most popular in the area.

Meals on Wheels came of age in Barnoldswick when the service clocked up 21 years in the town. The first meal was delivered on January 18 1962 and since then the organisers estimated they had delivered about 100,000 hot meals to elderly people.

10 years ago

A world premier in music took place at Giggleswick School. The Serafin String Quartet gave the first ever performance of local composer Arthur Butterworth's Quartet OP.100.

Gifted mathematician Charles Marsh passed the first year of an Open University course at the tender age of 12. Charles, a pupil at Giggleswick School's prep school Catteral Hall, passed his maths GCSE at the age of nine, then took it again the following year to improve his grade.

Nelson's Footwear celebrated a century-and-a- half of shoe making in Settle. The well-known business was founded in 1847 by Titus Nelson, who pushed a cart of shoe making equipment up the turnpike road from South Craven to Settle to start the business. After 150 years, the shop was being run by Titus' great great grandson, Daniel Nelson.