100 years ago

THE Herald reported an anecdote about writer Charles Kingsley, author of the Water Babies. A dramatisation of the novel at the Garrick Theatre, London prompted the Herald to reminisce that Kingsley was reputed to have conceived the idea for the story at Malham Tarn, while on vacation there in 1858.

A mixture of politics, music, drinking and smoking was enjoyed by the residents of Malhamdale. The annual "smoker" evening at the Buck Hotel was held to drum up support for the Conservative Party.

A case of smallpox was reported in Clapham. It was thought the disease had been contracted from a tramp, who had visited a local shop. The infected person was the shop owner's daughter. Every member of the family was put in quarantine.

50 years ago

Craven suffered the worst blizzard since the "unprecedented and unforgettable" storms of 1947. Snow had fallen for three consecutive days and a number of Dales villages and hamlets were cut off. Emergency measures to supply food were put in place after roads were blocked by snow drifts and abandoned vehicles. Hundreds of farm animals perished and at the Malham Tarn field centre the warden, his wife, three daughters and members of staff were surrounded by eight-feet-high snowdrifts.

Steeton Mill was to change hands for the first time in over 100 years. Emu Wool Industries, a group of knitting manufacturers and merchants had agreed to buy the mill from John Clough and Sons. Woodlands Mills were built by Thomas Pearson and began running in 1838 as worsted spinners and weavers. John Clough and Sons had operated the mill since 1847.

25 years ago

RESIDENTS of Ingfield Estate and Cammock Lane accused developers of wanting to turn Settle into "Little Birmingham". They were protesting against a proposed goods yard development off Cammock Lane. The residents had been fighting against the development for the past 18 months, and had previously presented a petition of over 300 signatures against the site.

A sealed envelope was said to hold the key to the secret of Malham cove. The envelope contained the strange predictions made by an Otley parson over 40 years before. In 1932 Rev Charles L Tweedale had claimed spirits of the dead had revealed to him the nature of the discoveries future explorers would make. The sealed envelope was left in the hands of Malham Parish Meeting under the proviso that it would not be opened until someone had penetrated the base of the 300-feet-high cliff and discovered what lay beyond. The current chairman told the Herald this week that the envelope had since been opened and the contents investigated by potholers in the area.

Airedale Hospital was one of the first hospitals to check unborn children for spina-bifoda. The new test had been pioneered by a few hospitals and results were being monitored by the Secretary of State for Health.

Barnoldswick's new curate Rev Andrew Procter decided to find out more about the industrial life of the town - by signing himself up to Rolls Royce. Rev Procter spent two weeks in the training department learning the four chief skills of the engineer: grinding, milling, turning and fitting. This was Rev Procter's first parish and he was eager to find out more about the life of his parishioners.

10 years ago

Protestors gathered outside Airedale Hospital to campaign against the House of Lords decision to allow the artificial feeding of 22-year old Hillsborough disaster victim, Tony Bland, to cease. Among them was controversial pro-life Scottish priest Father James Morrow, who made the trip from Aberdeenshire. Protestors from as far afield as Liverpool, Preston, York and Halifax had been keeping a vigil outside the hospital. Tony Bland had been kept alive at Airedale through artificial feeding for four years.

Craven District Council set its council tax for the first time. The new tax was to be introduced in April and replaced the much-hated poll tax. The first council tax was to be £63.50 for a band D property for the Craven district part of the council tax.

A 16-year old Cowling girl landed the work-experience of a lifetime when she spent a week with Clothes Show presenter Jeff Banks. Jenni Ayrton went down to London to spend a week as a design assistant.