100 years ago

A LETTER signed simply "A Ratepayer" was received by Barnoldswick Urban District Council calling for a new road linking Barnoldswick to Colne via Salterforth and Stone Trough. The writer felt no-one would object to a special rate being levied for the work, because the town was "altogether out of it" by not being on the main road. One councillor spoke out in support of the scheme, but the chairman said while he sympathised with the idea, it was not customary for members to take notice of anonymous letters and the idea was duly dropped. It was raised again some years later, however, for a road linking Barnoldswick to Salterforth, and in turn the main road to Colne, was finally built in the Thirties.

Ingleton residents gathered to see the village's first electric motor installed at John Brooks' new printing works at Gretna Bridge. The machine was installed to drive the printing machines and about 40 guests gathered to see it in action.

50 years ago

Skipton and District Employment Committee held its quarterly meeting where it was announced the number of unemployed people on December 31 1951 stood at 53 - 26 men and 27 women. However, there were 644 job vacancies, men being required for railway building, quarrying, iron founding, civil engineering and leather manufacturing and women for hospital, domestic and laundry work. Members heard there had been a clear downturn in the textile industry and the prospect of full employment was "less bright".

Pensioners from Skipton's John Dewhurst and Sons mill were treated to their annual reunion dinner and concert by the Belle Vue Mills Sports and Social Club. The gathering was presided over by general manager Mr WA Boardman and each pensioner received a gift of 10 shillings. Mr Boardman said the event was one of the bright spots in the firm's festive calendar as the directors were conscious of the good work done by the pensioners during their time at the mill.

Workmen renovating the Red Lion Hotel on Skipton High Street pulled down a piece of boarding and discovered a Gothic wooden arched screen, seven feet high and 22 feet long and believed to date back to the 14th century. It was similar to those used in churches and the theory had been put forward that the Red Lion was once a church, although there were no records to prove this.

25 years ago

THE Majestic Ballroom at Barnoldswick bounced back to its heyday and echoed once more to the sound of the dance band and the tapping of feet. The ballroom had been fully modernised and re-opened for dancing after a gap of almost 20 years. The first gala carnival weekend saw some 600 people dancing over two nights to music from the Ron James Band and the Ambassadors Band. Majestic director Boris Hartley said ballroom dancing was making a big comeback and with the Majestic having the biggest - and many said the best - dance floor in the area it could become a mecca for dance enthusiasts. He had taken the decision to re-open the ballroom after plans to turn it into a bingo hall were rejected.

It was the end of the line for Earby Railway Station as work started to demolish the buildings. It had been seven years since the last train pulled out of the station towards Colne, but since then it had been left to the ravages of time, the weather and vandals. "A blazing fire in the hearth and the friendly conversation of passengers and station staff are only ghostly memories," wrote the Herald.

A crib displayed on Skipton High Street over Christmas by the Hospital Friends had received £87 in donations. After dismantling the nativity scene, the Friends thanked the public for their donations, but what had given them the greatest encouragement was the fact that not one piece of straw was out of place and no damage had been done.

Not so at Sutton County Primary School where intruders went on the rampage leaving a trail of destruction. Eight aquariums were smashed with rounders bats, ink was sprayed around the school and books and equipment were scattered everywhere.

10 years ago

CRAVEN suffered some of its worst flooding for 10 years. Farmland was submerged, rivers burst their banks, many roads were impassable and even the canal overflowed. The flooding occurred after three inches of rain fell over a weekend - the equivalent of a month's normal rainfall.

Plans were unveiled to develop Skipton's Raikeswood Hospital site into housing. The proposals had been submitted despite Airedale Health Authority being in the final stages of the consultation period to decide whether the hospital should remain permanently closed. A spokesman said no decision had yet been taken to make the hospital's closure permanent, but the authority had to be prepared for any eventuality.

Meanwhile, plans to merge Airedale and Bradford health authorities were causing concern, with fears it would lead to a watered down service for local people. Plans had been announced by the regional health authority to merge the West Yorkshire part of Airedale with Bradford and transfer the Craven part into a new North Yorkshire consortium. A North Yorkshire Health Authority was formed in due course, although now there are plans to merge it with Humberside and North Lincolnshire.