125 Years Ago - 1891

On Sunday morning a lad, about ten years of age, son of S. Rawling, of New Scarbro, Yeadon, was playing with a builder's "jenny" behind Manor Mills, and got one of his fingers in the cog-wheels, the result being that the end was cut clean off.

John Clapham, of Parkinson Fold, Addingham, was summoned under the Education Act for failing to send his child regularly to school. Mr Ryder, school attendance officer, stated the defendant's daughter, aged ten years, and who had not passed the second standard, had made 59 attendances out of a possible 143.

100 Years Ago - 1916

The lamentable news was received on Wednesday morning that Pte. Tom Emmott, of the Duke of Wellington's West Riding Regiment, had been killed in action on the 19th inst. He is one of four brothers who joined the colours. Two of these, W. H. and Tom, have now been killed, whilst Edward, although not officially reported killed, has been missing for over 12 months, so it is feared the worst has happened. OnWednesday morning a letter was received from the Sergeant in Tom Emmott's regiment, who is a Burley man and a neighbour, to say that he was struck by splinters from an exploding shell, and he died about ten minutes afterwards.

Pte. T. Maloney, of Addingham, writes:-"We are out of the line at present but we are expecting having to go in any day now to have another go at Fritz. Some of us will get to Blighty this time with a bit of luck. I think the Germans are getting the worst of the war. They will soon have to pack all their troubles in their old kit bag."

75 Years Ago - 1941

The sight of a woman in trousers is common enough now; in fact, it has passed through the stages of curiosity to a matter of course. Many women have adopted, or should it be adapted, trouser overalls for working attire, and one can readily appreciate that in their case practical motives are the deciding factor. There are a good many other women who are following the fashion, strolling about in trousers and doing it with as much self-assurance as they would with a new dress. I heard this week of a local Civil Defence unit, composed of women, who were given the choice of skirts or long trousers for their new service uniforms. They voted en bloc for trousers!

A tribute to the memory of the late Sergt-Pilot Norman Holt Smith, of Victoria Walk, Horsforth, the first R.A.F. casualty in Russia, was paid by Horsforth Urban Council on Monday. The Rev H A Wareham, vicar of St Margaret's Church, said: "I know Norman Smith as a sunny lad, a lad of bright outlook and at the time he joined up he was so young that he was sent back home and told to remain there for some months. It was with the same youthful eagerness he welcomed the opportunity of going with the RAF to Russia, and he had some share in that historic meeting between Mr Churchill and the President of the USA when the great Atlantic Charter was drawn up between them.

50 Years Ago - 1966

Final services have been held at the 90 year old Providence Chapel at Guiseley and they marked the end of an epoch in local Methodism. In future instead of two Methodist chapels in Guiseley there will be only one, the Trinity in Oxford Road, to be known in future as "the Guiseley Methodist Church." The Old Ship, the name by which the Providence chapel was known at the launching, 90 years ago, has weathered many a storm and enjoyed happy times in smooth waters.

At a meeting of Aireborough Chamber of Trade last Thursday members reported that approaches had been made to them concerning "the ugly areas of devastation" which were being created in Aireborough by empty properties acquired by Aireborough Council for demolition and then left for long periods after becoming vacant.

25 Years Ago - 1991

One of Ilkley's oldest houses has been put up for sale and offers are being invited in the region of £220,000. Moor Cottage, in Wells Road, which dates from 1727, is much older than most of Ilkley's houses as the town was little developed until Victorian times. It was not until 1865 that the railway to Bradford opened and it was another 23 years before the railway extended to Bolton Abbey.

Life in the Common Market will be more understandable for some of the pupils from the sixth form at Guiseley Fieldhead School as a result of a trip they took to France during the holiday. Whilst in France they stayed with families in the Beauvais area.