125 Years Ago - 1892

THE collision which occurred last July on the North-Eastern Railway near Otley is likely to come before the Courts. A train was allowed to stand, during shunting operations, on that portion of the incline at Arthington Station. It is said that the brake was not sufficiently applied. At any rate, it suddenly began to move and smashed into some empty carriages. All the passengers were surprised and some were hurt.

Mr Ernest Denny gave a recital at the Mechanics’ Institute, on Monday evening. Only about 60 persons put in an appearance, however, but these expressed themselves highly pleased with the entertainment given.

100 Years Ago - 1917

MANUAL labour has taken on a new dignity. At one time the man or woman who engaged in any sort of labour that meant soiling the hands was not accounted much in the social scale. The war has changed our values. A common necessity has linked the heart of the nation together in a bond of common brotherhood, although not all the links in the chain are true steel. There is a good deal of undesirable alloy to be met with in the nature of pro-Germans, profiteers, food hoggers, food wasters, shirkers and conscientious objectors of a certain type, who although lending no hand with the fighting, will yet be ready enough to reap any benefit the war may bring them.

News was received on Wednesday of the death of Lance Corporal Geoffrey Arthur Lupton, who was killed in action on February 17th. He was the elder son of Mr W. Arthur Lupton, of Red Gables, Ilkley. After a brilliant career at school he won an open classical scholarship at King’s College, Cambridge, taking his degree in 1915, and securing a 1st class in the Classical Tripos. After War broke out he made four unsuccessful attempts to join the Forces, but on each occasion was rejected on account of defective eyesight. He was ultimately accepted and went out to France in July last.

75 Years Ago - 1942

COMPLAINTS that sheep were mysteriously disappearing from Wharfedale moors were made at the monthly meeting of the Addingham and Ilkley branch of the National Farmers’ Union at Ilkley. An Askwith farmer wrote appealing for the help of the branch in the matter, and other farmers said that sheep were missing from the Ilkley and Burley moors.

“We have got to have either victory or slavery. They are the only alternatives,” said Captain Hubert Beaumont, MP for Batley and Morley and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, speaking at a meeting arranged by the Ilkley Home Food Production Corps.

50 Years Ago - 1967

A REFERENCE in last week’s issue to the swimming bath constructed in Little Lane some 80 years ago, has led to requests for more information. It was stated in the Gazette when the bath was completed that it was eight yards wide by 20 yards long and was “fed from a spring close by supplying 36 gallons per minute, the water being forced from a storage tank by means of steam, thereby supplying a constant stream of pure and aired water.” The bath occupied the ground floor of a building whose upper floor was the Victoria Hall.

The last remaining open spaces between Ilkley and Ben Rhydding on either side of Bolling Road and Springs Lane will soon have gone with the development taking place on them at present. The one remaining unbuilt upon area will be the field used by the secondary school for games.

25 Years Ago - 1992

A TWO-YEAR Battle to keep one of Otley’s main tourist attractions running has ended in defeat - the town’s boating business, which has been run on the River Wharfe since 1962, has finally folded. The boats attract tourists and townsfolk throughout the whole area who want to take a leisurely river trip past Otley’s most scenic views.

One of the driest winters this century has brought an early warning that water restrictions could soon be imposed. Yorkshire Water says that stocks are down by 16 per cent and users are being urged to conserve supplies now.