Children from Ilkley Grammar School had a fun day out when they attended the Festival of Britain Land Travelling Exhibition in 1951. The festival was designed as “a tonic to the nation” after the long war years. It was based in London but a land
125 Years Ago – 1889 It may interest some of our readers to know that Lieut. C. H. Kempson, R.N.R. eldest son of the vicar of Ilkley, has been appointed by the White Star Company to the command of their S.S. Oceanic, upwards of 4,000 tons burden
The assistant head teacher of St Mary’s School in Menston has been appointed a trustee of the John Paul II Foundation for Sport. JP2F4S was launched by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to Britain in 2010 and is inspired by Saint John Paul’s enthusiasm
Photographer Alex Whitehead, who works at SWpix.com, an Ilkley-based sports picture agency, has won three out of seven awards on offer at the prestigious NAPA (National Association of Press Agencies) Awards 2014, with three rugby league pictures.
This week’s Picture of the Week comes from 17-year-old Katie Gaskell, of Otley. It is of a heron she spotted in the weir of the River Wharfe in the town. She took the picture earlier in May from Wharfemeadows Park. If you would like to have a photograph
Councillor Jackie Whiteley’s letter (New brown bins will not meet my recycling needs, May 22) raises many points BMDC needs to answer. A wheelie bin has a capacity just over twice that of a bag but the council claims that one bin will take as much
There can be fewer more odious crimes than those committed by thieves who con their way into the homes of the elderly in order to steal cash and belongings. These crooks think nothing of playing on the goodwill of residents and pretending to be
A group which campaigned to save a Ben Rhydding pub has made a donation from its funds to local scouts. Save Us Pub (SUP), originally set up to fight plans to turn the Wheatley Hotel into houses, presented a donation to Ben Rhydding Scouts and
A Tour de France veteran has given a talk in Otley to encourage other cyclists to take up their own fundraising challenge. Malcolm Elliott, a rider in the 1987 and 1988 races, spoke at Chevin Cycles in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care. Malcolm
Fifty different activities will feature in the 2014 Otley Walking Festival. The organisers have lined up everything from testing, 16-mile moorland hikes to a gentle Teddy Bear stroll for this year’s event. Running from Saturday, June 21, to
A sailing boat, named in honour of a community stalwart who died in 2013, has been handed over to Wharfedale Scout Sailing Centre. It is the latest tribute in celebration of the life of Geoffrey Vere MBE, one of Ilkley’s most community focused
Students and staff from St Mary’s School in Menston hosted an evening of musical entertainment to raise money for the Bambisanani Partnership. The unique partnership is with with Mnyakanya High School, situated in one of South Africa’s poorest
Shoppers in Otley and Rawdon are being asked to nominate a charity for their local supermarkets to support. Sainsbury’s customers in both towns have until June 8 to vote, either in one of the stores or at sainsburys.co.uk/localcharity, for the
Tickets for the top event at this August’s Ilkley Summer Festival are about to go on sale as the official programme is launched this week. The month-long festival will see the return of favourites such as the Dolce Vita cabaret on The Grove, and
A music teacher will head to Germany this summer to find out more about the country’s historic links with Wharfedale’s butchers. Vanessa Strachan started researching into her family history after wondering how her German great-grandmother, Rose
A team of fundraisers took part in a 15,000ft skydive to raise thousands of pounds for a children’s charity. Eleven people jumped from a plane to raise almost £3,000 in support of 14-year-old Bethany Hare’s May’ke a Million in May campaign.
Parents throughout Leeds and Ilkley are being urged to raise funds for vulnerable children by signing up for The Barnardo’s Big Toddle. Last year more than half a million under fives across the country were registered for the short sponsored walk
A 100-kilometre bike ride beat bad weather to raise £35,000 for an Ilkley and Harrogate-based charity. The ride, around a circular route in North Yorkshire, took place in pouring rain earlier this month, raising money for the Acorn Charity.
A student from Bramhope has gained a place in the prestigious National Youth Theatre of Great Britain. Caroline Taylor, a Year 11 student at The Grammar School at Leeds has been selected along with two fellow pupils Martha Mukungurutse, from Leeds
A couple who are raising money for a charity which helps people with a rare and incurable condition have completed their first challenge. Ryk Downes and his wife Bev ran in the Leeds Half Marathon to raise money for The Lily Foundation, which helps
A newly-formed business organisation has declared Menston the “best village in Yorkshire” as it begins its campaign encouraging the community to support local businesses. The group has chose to adopt the name Menston Business Association (MBA).
Two cyclists were injured, one seriously, in a collision with a green, 18-tonne livestock carrier on bank holiday Monday. The B6451 at Norwood near Otley was closed for more than five hours to allow collision investigators to examine the scene.
Wharfedale and Aireborough residents are being warned to be on the look-out for bogus doorstep callers. West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Trading Standards have issued the advice following several recent distraction burglaries, targeting
This year’s Arthington Show will take place on Sunday, June 29. The traditional agricultural event will, as always, feature displays of some of the finest local livestock, horses and produce, along with attractions like spinning and gundog displays
A father is attempting a gruelling Ben Nevis challenge in memory of his baby daughter who died last year. Rob Field and seven friends will climb the mountain on Saturday, June 7, followed by a ten-mile cycle, a 3km canoe across a loch and finally
Walking groups fear a historic ruin in the Washburn Valley has now become ‘out of bounds’. John of Gaunt’s – or John O’Gaunt’s – Castle, the remains of a royal hunting lodge that dates back to at least the 14th Century, has been used for decades
