100 years ago

MANY Craveners were still heading out to fight the war in South Africa with many young lads rushing to the nearest recruitment centre to sign up for service. One of the men leaving for the front was Captain Edgar Dewhurst, honorary secretary of Skipton Cricket Club.

The club held a dinner for him and saw him off with good cheer, as well as a fine rendition of "For he's a jolly good fellow". Also going out to fight was Private Thomas Holdsworth, an employee of the Herald. As his colleagues left work one day, they all gathered round the "stone" in the printing works and handed him a purse stamped with "Tom Holdsworth, Skipton, England" in gold letters. Inside was £4 and one shilling.

Reference was made that Tom's pluck had linked the Craven Herald with Dewhurst's mills as the only two hives of industry in Skipton who were sending men to the front.

Meanwhile in South Craven life was going on as normal. Four hundred old folk were treated to tea in the Baptist School and more than 70 bags of provisions were sent to those who could not attend. After tea entertainment included a slide show using a screen and limelight lantern showing views and scenes of the Transvaal.

50 years ago

HORTON-IN-RIBBLESDALE Station was judged the Best Kept Railway Station in the Leeds district of British Railways. Stationmaster Mr J M Taylor received a special prize of £10 and the competition shield, which the village would hold for a year. The Herald reported how Mr Taylor and his 14 staff had set to work to create a garden at the station and it was understood a large slice of the £10 would be spent on more seeds and plants. Runner up was Bell Busk, which was awarded a £6 prize.

A fashion parade at Barnoldswick's Majestic Ballroom revealed what people would be wearing in the forthcoming season. Organised by the Barnoldswick Co-operative Industrial Society Ltd, the event attracted 2,500 people over the three days it was held. From the fashions on display, it would appear that skirts were to be some one-and-a-half inches shorter in the spring, making them 14 inches from the ground. Coats would have fuller sleeves and the pleat was making a comeback. Shades would be pastel, with the spring colours including sea mist green, avenue tan, Havana brown and grey.

25 years ago

SKIPTON Fire Brigade had moved into its new fire station on the town's Broughton Road. The station was built on the site of the former station master's house and cost around £75,000. The Herald reported how Skipton Fire Brigade had been in existence for more than 100 years and currently owned three firefighting appliances - two fire engines and a Land Rover emergency tender.

Celebrations took place to mark the 60th anniversary of the Fernbank Shed Company Ltd and the 70th anniversary of Edmondsons (Fernbank) Ltd in Barnoldswick. Managing director of both firms, John Clark, recalled how the late Hartley William Edmondson, his wife's grandfather, began weaving with some 800 looms in Calf Hall Shed. The Fernbank Shed Company was formed in 1913, moving to a new mill some two years later where 130 looms produced over 50 different kinds of cloth. A book in Mr Clark's possession recalled how there were 16,600 looms in Barnoldswick in 1912 and just under 1,000 in 1975.

10 years ago

ONE fifth of the workforce at Barnoldswick's Silentnight factory was to be made redundant. Some 180 workers were to lose their jobs with a further 50 being made redundant at the Sutton site. The news came after the company announced it would be ceasing trade with Lowndes Queensway.

Sportsmen from Craven were to take part in the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand. Making the team for the second time was Sutton swimmer Jonathan Broughton, and joining him in Auckland was Threshfield steeplechase star Michael Hawkins.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park was concerned about plans to open up more of Ingleton's White Scar Caves. Members were unhappy about plans to create a 500-metre tunnel to caves known as The Battlefield. It was feared the tunnel might interfere with natural underground features and members wanted more details.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.