100 Years Ago

A PARTICULARLY gruesome railway accident took place at Hellifield when a woman rushing to catch a train crossed the main line and was run over by an express. "Portions of her body were scattered 30 yards along the line" reported the Herald, whose audience were far less squeamish than those of today.

Meanwhile, also in Hellifield, Settle Rural District Council agreed to pay £60 compensation to farmer Mr F Haggas, whose three heifers had been killed by lead poisoning when the water mains was laid through the village

50 Years Ago

THE matron at Skipton General Hospital put her foot down when the medical committee met to consider whether to take up the Government's recommendation that parents be allowed to visit their children in hospital on a daily basis. At Skipton parents could visit for half an hour on Tuesdays and one hour on Saturday afternoons but matron said she was not in favour of daily visits. The committee voted to follow her advice, the chairman commenting that some children would be worse for daily visits from parents, some better and "we cannot pick and choose, we must treat them as a group".

Canon Sephton, rector of Skipton and chairman of governors at Skipton Girls' High School accepted criticism from inspectors about the school's buildings. Speaking at school speech day (held in the Odeon Cinema) and that no major improvements had been made for 24 years. He said the governors had been unable to persuade the powers that be to provide a new school. However he said criticism of the boarding houses was unfair: "Apparently this person was making criticism based upon the belief that boarding houses could be made like quarters at the Savoy Hotel out of public funds," said Canon Sephton.

A packed Odeon in Skipton heard a talk from Titanic survivor CW Fitzpatrick to coincide with the opening of the film Titanic starring Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck. He told the audience he had been asleep when the collision happened and neither heard nor felt a thing until he was woken. An engineer's mess steward on the liner, he said many women had refused to get on boats, saying the ship was unsinkable and it would be far safer to remain on board. He was eventually washed overboard and made it first to a raft, then to a collapsible boat before rescue.

25 Years Ago

SKIPTON MP G Burnaby Drayson presented Skipton RUFC's seasonal awards during a "sherry party" at Sandylands. Mr Drayson told the gathering he had been a member of the club for 33 years and had never seen the pitch in such good condition or the club in such good heart. Peter Dutton received the Procter-Skelton trophy for the most improved under 25s player. The Carlesberg trophy for the club's most outstanding player went to Alan Brooksbanks, who was also presented with a tankard and carriage clock prior to his return to New Zealand.

Sixteen-year-old Bluebell Girl Shelagh Brayshaw returned from Paris to spend a holiday with her family in Steeton. Shelagh had joined the world-famous dance troupe the previous May and said she had got into the swing of Parisian life. "I am really enjoying life in Paris, though it is so big - not at all like here where you know everyone," she told the Herald.

It was a landmark occasion when the retired employees of John Dewhurst and Sons met for their annual dinner at the Skipton mill's Welfare Hall. The dinner coincided with the 150th anniversary of the building of Belle Vue Mill where the firm was based.

10 Years Ago

MALHAM Tarn received international recognition as a wetland of worldwide importance. The site was chosen because it was a good example of natural or near natural wetland and was home to a number of rare species of insects and plants. The house at Malham Tarn was the former home of millionaire Sir Walter Morrison.

Villagers in Hellifield were divided over plans to build 76 new homes on land off Lancashire and Yorkshire Terrace. Some said the new homes would bring the village back to life while others said it would ruin a precious wildlife site. Outline plans for the development were due to be submitted to Craven District Council, but conservationists said the site was one of the most important for wildlife in the whole of Craven.