100 years ago

THE Medical Officer of Health produced a lengthy report on the state of Skipton's health. Among the details, under the heading of "excrement disposal" was the information that most houses in the town had water closets in the back yard, most dependent on being flushed by a bucket of water. No new house in the town could be built without a cistern or some other form of automatic flushing apparatus. The town's gas supply had been taken over by the council in 1900 at a cost of £77,010 and various improvements had been made since. The report made three recommendations: 1 The improvement and augmentation of the water supply to ensure a constant supply for all the town; 2 The provision of a public abbatoir and the closure of all existing slaughterhouses; 3 The removal of the cattle market from the town's streets.

The Herald complained that council meetings went on far too long. A vacancy on the council was unlikely to be contested because meetings were held during the working day and tradesmen or workers could not take time off. But if meetings started in the early evening, they would still be going on at the witching hour. "If meetings were held in the evening, it would be more than human nature could stand," said the Herald.

Magistrates were seeking to reduce the number of pubs in Skipton and they issued a stern warning when Benjamin Walmsley wanted to take over the licence of the Royal Shepherd. The police gave evidence that illegal gambling had taken place on the premises and the bench warned that if there were any complaints, then the Shepherd would be the first pub to close. Happily Mr Walmsley must have heeded the warning, as the Royal Shepherd survives to this day as one of the town's finer pubs.

50 years ago

SKIPTON Building Society celebrated its centenary with a dinner and ball in the Black Horse attended by various civic dignitaries. The president Rawson Rycroft said the society's success was down to "thrift," stating: "Here in Yorkshire we do not talk thrift, we practice it from the cradle to the grave. Secretary Arthur Smith, who was to retire after 50 years with the society and be replaced by Cyril Clarke, paid tribute to the staff, pointing out that of the 27 based at head office, 19 were products of Ermysted's or Skipton Girls' High School.

Skipton Rural District Council wanted to build two houses in Hetton at a cost of £2,000 each. The cost was considered too high by some, but Coun R Hagley, of Grassington, said that there was a shortage of housing in the village and the council needed to do something about it.

The state of rubbish strewn around road verges has caused laments in our readers' letters column but if you thought things were different a half century ago, then think again. The West Yorkshire NFU reported that along a half mile stretch of the busy road, the following had been thrown over the hedge: 75 beer bottles, 12 milk bottles, seven spirit bottles, 19 tins and 58 pieces of broken or dangerous litter. Legal penalties were difficult to enforce as it was so hard to catch the culprits. The Herald called for the police to have powers to impose on the spot fines, a common practice on the Continent.

Two Craven teams were about to clash in the final of the West Riding County Amateur FA Cup. Barnoldswick and Ingleton set off for Valley Parade, home of Bradford City, for the final. Ironically, 50 years on, Barnoldswick United were back in the final for another Craven derby - this time against Silsden.

25 years ago

TRAGEDY struck the famous Three Peaks when a runner collapsed and died on the descent of Ingleborough. It was believed Edward Pepper had lost his way in the mist and collapsed from exhaustion. The body of Mr Pepper, a Londoner, was found a little way off the course and a post mortem showed death was due to exhaustion and hypothermia. Runners said freezing cold and a howling gale had turned the event into an ordeal.

Belle Vue Mills manager GM Wilson presented gold watches to nine workers who had achieved 25 years or more service at the mill. The nine were Kathleen Griffiths, Terence Hennigan, Ted Claxton, Doris Sharman, Iris Thomas, Ida Platt, Mary Clarke, Molly Carr and Betty Fairhurst.

Some members of Farnhill Parish Council wanted cars cleared from the village's main street. The road was regularly blocked when deliveries were made at Cossentine Mill in the village. But other members of the parish council were not so keen, warning that once double yellow lines arrived, they would spring up all over the village.

10 years ago

THE old Raikeswood Hospital was to be sold to a property developer, the Craven Herald revealed, dashing the hopes of Craven College, which wanted to turn it into a campus for students. Craven District Council had also been in the running, hoping to use the building, which had started life as the town's workhouse, as its administrative centre but dropped out. The college was negotiating with educational funding bodies but the Herald reported that the Airedale health authority would accept a cash up front offer from a building company instead.

An optimistic future was predicted for the dilapidated and dangerous Hellifield railway station, once a bustling link on the rail network. A developer was to step in and turn it into a tourist attraction with exhibitions, models, a restaurant and staff dressed in pre-war uniforms. It all sounded so good. Alas, the station was partly developed, then all work came to a halt and the station is once again a rather pathetic sight.

A group of parents in Grassington decided to do something about the state of the village's playground and set about raising £30,000. They promised the children would be given the final word in what equipment would be brought in.

Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were in Stainforth filming for a television series. The names might not be familiar, but their alter egos, Ant and Dec, certainly are. The programme was the children's television series Byker Grove and John and Shirley Lambert and two of their children Rebecca and Robert landed a bit part in the episode, which featured a disastrous trip down Alum Pot Cave.