100 Years Ago

FIRST results were declared from the General Election (constituencies went to the polls not on the same day but over a four week period with Skipton's voting day not due for another week). It was clear that the Conservatives were heading for a landslide defeat - but that did not deter the Herald from pulling out all the stops to try to sway voters in favour of Captain Roundell, the Conservative candidate for Skipton. The big national issue was the "big loaf, little loaf". The Liberals were in favour of free trade, but the Conservatives had a policy of imposing tariffs to protect British industries. The Liberals argued that free trade would bring a "big loaf" for voters, but tariffs would end cheap wheat imports and mean a "little loaf" for your money. The Herald favoured tariff reform and cited the collapse of the Grassington lead mining industry as an example of the consequences of free trade. The once thriving local lead industry had disappeared as the country was flooded with cheap foreign imports of lead, throwing many local families into destitution.

But on a local level, the Herald was urging its voters to vote for a local man, Captain Roundell, from West Marton, rather than a "foreigner" - Liberal candidate William Clough came from outside the Skipton constituency - Steeton!

An inquiry started into West Riding County Council's plans to close the British and Trinity Wesleyan Schools and replace them with a single new school in Brougham Street. But the plans were widely opposed in the town. Some said that the numbers could easily be absorbed by other schools in the town while others said that any new school should be built in Broughton Road, from where children faced a long walk for their primary education. The inspector said that his remit was to determine whether there was a case for a new school in Skipton but not its locality.

50 Years Ago

AFTER touring most countries of the world as a trick cyclist with Tom Arnold's Ice Show, Horace Saunders was embarking on a new career as a pub landlord. His first pub was the Old George on Skipton High Street. Mr Saunders had worked as a trick cyclist team with his brother in music halls up and down the country and his last appearance was in Dick Whittington on Ice in Leeds. To prove the point, the Craven Herald carried a picture on a unicycle with stilts weaving between beer bottles.

Grassington Gala's demise was put on hold. A public meeting had attracted 22 people - about half the number needed to run the gala - and only two new offers of help. It was decided to go ahead with another meeting on February 1 and if no further assistance was forthcoming from the town then the gala would end.

Gargrave's postman, Christopher Tennant, took the landlord of the Old Swan Hotel, the splendidly named Michael Walter Francis Cursham Chickenley Plowden to court. The postie had been bitten by the pub dog. The court was much tickled when the superintendent of police prosecuting asked Mr Plowden if his dog disliked uniforms and the response was that it "loved policemen". Mr Plowden was fined and told to keep his dog under control.

25 Years Ago

THE Local Plan being drawn up for Skipton has resonance today. The town had seven major questions to ask itself, said a report from consultants, chief among them being were car parking facilities adequate and would a large multi-storey car park be preferable to a large number of ground level sites? The town hall car park was over-used but not the other five car parks in the town. The favoured choice for any multi-storey was Spindle Mill Dam (between the canal and Water Street, subsequently used for houses).

Another question was should the High Street area be pedestrianised. The ginnels, footpaths and roads in the central area were not built to deal with the amount of traffic they now bore and there were three options - a total ban on vehicles, a ban at certain times and doing nothing (always a fatal option to present to Craven councils). Suggestions that the soon to be opened bypass would solve all Skipton's problems pointed towards the do nothing route.

10 Years Ago

WHEELIE bins were being brought in for a trial period in some parts of Craven. The council hoped they would be safer for operatives and save money.

Prolonged rain gave hope that the drought which Yorkshire had suffered for a year was drawing to a close. However reservoirs were still only about 20 per cent full when they might be expected to be more than 90 per cent full. Grimwith Reservoir near Grassington was still like a duck pond, with acres of dry mud said a correspondent.

Barnoldswick Police Station was to remain open all day, seven days a week. A public meeting in Rainhall Road School was unimpressed by the alternative of a phone line direct to Colne on the outside of the police station from the evening through until the morning. Lancashire Police decided that for the foreseeable future it would abandon its plans to lock up the police station.