SKIPTON CI Cricket Club players have received something of a make-over in preparation for their annual dinner.

Tasked with designing a poster to publicise the event, their PR guru and number 5 batsman (cough) Matt Cornish turned to Renaissance artist Juan de Jaunes for inspiration, adding some familiar Skipton faces to his Last Supper painting. The dinner is being held on October 14 at Skipton Golf Club at 7pm. Tickets are £20. For details please message the club via their Facebook page facebook.com/skiptonci

THERE was a splendid show of cake on offer at Skipton Combined Courts last week for Macmillan Coffee morning. The only trouble was, anyone wanting to buy a cake - unless they were coming into court anyway - had to get frisked before coming into the building.

ST ANDREWS Playgroup in Skipton is rightly proud of its new facilities in its outdoor play area. Over the summer, two new 'musical' walls have been added. And for anyone with - or who has had - children will know, they like nothing more than bashing away at something, making lots of noise. Here, they can bash away to their hearts content at dustbin lids with spoons, fists, or anything that comes to hand. On top of the noisy space, there are also new chalk boards, and a water tray, for lots of watery play. The aim is to encourage the children, and September's new intake, to play outdoors. Judith Duxbury, playgroup leader, said it was great to see the children enthusiastically taking to the new exciting outdoors. The playgroup is supported by St Andrew's Church, but welcomes all families. It is open Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 11.30am during school term times. To find out more about the group, email standrewschurchplaygroup@outlook.com

A PLANNING appeal decision made 50 years ago involving limestone scars at Clapham may have resulted in disaster for today's tourism industry, had it gone the other way. The owner of land at Clapham Scars had wanted permission to sell limestone for use in garden rockeries. His application had been refused by the then West Riding County Council, so he had appealed to the government. Fortunately, the government inspector ruled that no national good would come of removing the stone for garden rockeries. Even 50 years ago, the area was already popular with thousands of visitors, and their peace and enjoyment would be ruined by the removal of the stone, he concluded.

ANOTHER interesting snippet from the Craven Herald of 1966 was a report on a national conference on cave rescue, which that year was hosted by Grassington based, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association. Affectionately called the Potholers Conference, it was held at Upper Wharfedale School, with most of the excitement centred around an 'attractive, auburn haired girl' who had put herself forward as a model to demonstrate a new rescue technique. 20 year old Andrea was strapped in an exposure bag and almost totally submerged in the River Wharfe - for three hours. When she was eventually taken out of the water, and hot water poured into the suit, she was found to be 'shaky' and suffering from 'slight delayed shock'.

THERE'S been a fair few incidents of local authorities being caught out by the fairly recent nationwide adoption of meetings being recorded before then being put on council websites, for wide public consumption - and all in the spirit of openness. But not so for wily Craven District Council. My colleague, sent out of a recent Policy Committee meeting, after councillors voted to go into private session to discuss Lovell and its proposed development at Horse Close, heard on her way out a councillor ask if the recording equipment was still on. He was told, firmly, that all recorders had been turned to the off position. So, that's all right then.

LISTENERS of BBC Radio Three's breakfast show the other morning will have heard presenter Petroc Trelawny read out a request from a listener in 'Earby, Lancashire'. Local listeners may have been a little confused however, after Mr Trelawny pronounced it as 'Airbee'.

MEANWHILE, watchers of Penelope Keith's Hidden Villages on Channel 4 will have seen the former Good Life actress visiting Cracoe as part of her tour of North Yorkshire.

PARENTS of pupils at Ermysted's Grammar School will be running the cafe at Skipton Town Hall on Saturday, October 22. The parents association normally runs one of the popular weekly cafes in the spring, but snapped up the offer of an additional one, they being such an excellent fundraiser for the school. So, there will be the usual tasty selection of cake, scones, homemade soup, hot food, sandwiches and drinks on sale at the town hall between 10am and 2pm.

SKIPTON'S Christmas Tree might or might not be going up this year - but one thing's for sure, the lights on the High Street are going to look pretty spectacular. The town council, together with Skipton Town Partnership, have clubbed together to have all the lights re-strung in time for this year's festive season. It will also mean those lights damaged in last year's high winds will be mended.

THEY'RE a very generous lot in Airton - a coffee morning held in aid of Macmillan as part of The World's Biggest Coffee morning, raised a quite magnificent £1, 432. There was a good turnout of people at the event - held in Pat Berry's home - and plenty of cake bakers contributed. To make the effort even better, Barclays Bank has agreed to add another £750 to the total from its Community Giving Scheme.