100 years ago

MR and Mrs John Slinger of Ingleton were congratulated on the part their children were playing in the war. They had nine sons, three son-in-laws, three grandsons, two grandsons-in-law and several nephews all in the services.

The Halton West ladies' sewing party made 70 pairs of socks, 26 pairs of mittens and 12 scarves. The village also sent 300 sandbags to the Front.

In case of a threatened air raid, it was decided to have the gas supply in Hellifield cut off at the gasworks. Two pressure waves, each a minute long, were given before final extinctions. Consumers were reminded to see that all taps were shut off before retiring to bed each night.

50 years ago

AN inquiry into an appeal by GH Mason and Sons, electrical and heating engineers, against the refusal of planning permission for the erection of a warehouse, offices and garages at the rear of their High Street premises, was held in Skipton Town Hall.

A new youth venture was started in the Youth Wing of South Craven School. It was to be a district senior youth club with a more mature focus than found in clubs for younger persons. Membership was aimed at the over 17s.

The 17th annual Settle Drama Festival of full length plays was held in the Victoria Hall each evening. The festival was taking place two months earlier than usual. Settle was the smallest town in Yorkshire - and possibly the country - to boast such a dramatic enterprise.

25 years ago

WORK started on the first phase of a new business park in Skipton. Airedale Business Centre would provide 6,000 square feet of modern workshop units for rent, with the emphasis on attractive design. It was being built by PS Turner (Construction) Limited of Cross Hills and was due to be finished by the early summer.

Giggleswick man Peter Crane - the country's longest serving registrar - was to retire at the age of 70 from his post at Settle Register Office. He started as a junior clerk in 1938, earning 13/9d a week, and over the years, had married thousands of people, including three bigamists, a bachelor of 90 and several girls on the 16th birthdays. He had also married some brides or bridegrooms three or four times. "I would not have swapped my job for the Prime Minister's," he said.

Eighteen-year-old rugby player Peter McCarthy, of Skipton, was selected to play for England Colts in their internationals against Italy, Wales, France and Scotland. Peter was a member of Skipton Rugby Club and was studying at Nene College at Northampton.

10 years ago

HEAVY snow created mayhem on the district's roads and caused misery for scores of motorists. A woman was seriously hurt after a collision at the junction of Broughton Road and Skipton bypass and three people were taken to hospital after a five-vehicle pile-up on the Long Preston to Gisburn road at Hellifield. Police were inundated with calls from stranded and worried motorists.

A quick-thinking Skipton man saved the life of a fellow motorist. Twenty-three-year-old Philip Hudson pulled injured driver William Scott from the wreckage of his Renault Clio just seconds before it was engulfed by flames and exploded. The drama unfolded after their two cars collided on the A65. Mr Scott, 22, also of Skipton, was taken to Airedale Hospital with a broken leg, broken arm and neck injuries. Mr Hudson's actions were praised by the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. A spokesman said: "The fire crew felt that he likely saved the other driver's life by getting him out of the vehicle before it was engulfed by fire."

A promising young racehorse trainer was set to put Gisburn firmly on the equestrian map with an 80-horse stable. At the age of just 27, Joss Saville was awarded his trainer's licence from the Jockey Club. After taking over Gisburne Park Stables, he was already training racehorses under the guise of Joss Saville Racing and planned to add stabling for another 40 horses on top of the existing facilities, which were once owned by champion trainer Michael Dickinson. Joss was a former assistant trainer to Sue and Harvey Smith, of Bingley.