Foolish attempt to drive horse over blocked road led to accident (From Wharfedale Observer)

Foolish attempt to drive horse over blocked road led to accident

10:25am Friday 5th October 2007 in Across the Years By Newsdesk

125 years ago

Another fall of earth occurred at the sewerage excavations in Low Lane, Horsforth. The large quantity of earth which gave way completely stopped up the road, as it extended right across it. A foolish attempt was made to drive a horse over it but the animal fell in and was with great difficulty got out again.

A tea meeting was held in the Assembly rooms of the new school to celebrate the opening of new Sunday Schools which have just been erected in connection with the Salem Congregational Church in Otley. It is estimated that the total cost, including furniture, will be £2,500.

A meeting of the Otley Burial Board took place. The accounts for August were examined which showed that the receipts were £25. William Dawson, a butcher of Walkergate, Otley, having permitted his sheep to get into the Board's premises and do damage to the amount of 4s and 9d,was ordered to pay for it. It was decided if the amount is not paid to take pro-ceedings in the County Court for recovery.

100 years ago

Three officers of the Bradford Ri-fles had an unpleasant experience during some night operations round Bramhope. Major Hastings and Lieutenant Knowles were visiting sentries during the night when they fell over the edge of a clay hole, and had a drop of about 20 feet. Happily, apart from a severe shaking, they escaped serious injury. Lieutenant Holmes was less fortunate and had an unexpected bath in a pool about seven feet deep.

The Guiseley District Council's experience of incandescent light-ing in the public street lamps is so far a very happy one. The full installation has now been on trial practically half a year and the re-sult, as made known at the coun-cil meeting last week, is a saving of £30 in the six months gas bill.

The announcement that Dr Col-lyer would preach at the Otley Congregational Church on Sun-day caused large numbers of people assemble at that place of worship as early as five o'clock and half an hour later seats were difficult to procure. It was the largest congregation ever seen in that building. Of him might well be uttered those lines of Dryden: These look like the workmanship of heaven; This is the porcelain clay of the human mind'.

75 years ago

Schoolchildren in Timble went on a three-day strike this week. The village school, which for 40 years has been held in the Robinson Library, was closed by the County Council last weekend on the grounds of economy. The children were meant to transfer to Fewston School at the other end of the village but parents refused to send their children who would have to cross a busy road to reach the school bus.

The home of a Burley minister was subjected to a daylight rob-bery this week. The Rev Cecil Burrow and his wife left their house unoccupied for two hours in the afternoon. When they re-turned home they discovered their back door had been kicked in and £12 stolen.

Fire ravaged a Yeadon woollen factory this week causing £3,000 worth of damage. The outbreak occurred at Crompton Shed, owned by Messrs Hinchcliffe and Co Ltd.

50 years ago

Brand new television and wireless sets were among articles stolen in a daring daylight raid at the Kirkgate shop of Neal Bros (Otley) Ltd, the Otley firm of television and radio engineers. It was during half-day closing on Wednesday when carefully selected articles from the firm's stocks were removed from the shop and, it is believed, were loaded into a waiting vehicle. The value of the missing property is estimated at about £1,000.

A woman is all the better a wife and mother for having horizons beyond the four walls of her home, said Mrs Edna Raynes, headmistress of Otley Church of England Infants' School and im-mediate Past President of the Na-tional Union of Woman Teachers, in a forthright talk on women's responsibilities. Mrs Raynes said that just being a woman had for centuries, and still to a lesser de-gree today, regarded not only as a physical handicap, but also as a mental one.

Craftsman Michael Dixon, aged 19, of Tranmere Park, Guiseley, was a member of one of the light machine gun teams which took part in the Allied Weapons Meeting within the confines of West Berlin, a hundred miles behind the Iron Curtain. He and his team shot well against strong American and French opposition, but the US Army carried off the trophy for the fourth successive year.

25 years ago

A grant for £6,000 to improve the interior of Otley Civic Centre is to be donated to Otley Town Council. The money will come from Leeds City Council, follow-ing an agreement that work needed doing. The grant will cover roof insulation and the knocking down of a dividing wall between two rooms.

A new park is to be created on the former Otley railway line from West Chevin Road to Ellar Ghyll. It is hoped that the work will start this autumn. The park should provide a rural walk on the level and will be suitable for wheelchair users.

A group of youngsters are planning to raise money for charity by pushing a pirate ship in re-lays from Blackpool's Golden Mile to Otley. The event, organ-ised by the Moon Out Breakers, an Otley based radio club, will involved seven teams of two pushing the ship. They are hop-ing to raise £500 for Sue Ryder Homes .