Medical charities get a healthy bonus (From Wharfedale Observer)

Medical charities get a healthy bonus

7:25pm Wednesday 30th August 2006 in Across the Years By Lesley Tate

100 years ago

Otley was fortunate on the occasion of its 12th annual demonstration promoted by the friendly societies in aid of the medical charities on Saturday. The day opened under the most cheerless and discouraging conditions. But the hope which springs eternal in the breast of the friendly society member was at length realised. The rain ceased and the clouds broke. A total of £786 17s was distributed to various charities and organisations in the town and district, including Leeds Infirmary, Otley Nurses' Home, Otley Ladies' Sick Society and Ilkley Hospital.

The Guiseley District Council have, it seems, joined the ranks of those who disapprove of the site which has been chosen for the proposed secondary school for the Guiseley area. At any rate they have, by a unanimous vote, decided to ask the Governors to reopen the question and to advertise for offers of land. In view of the fact that the site provisionally purchased from Mr Jonathan Peate has now been approved by the West Riding Education Committee, the resolution of Guiseley Council comes rather too late in the day to be of any service, and it is also somewhat stultified by the fact that three of the members who voted for it also voted for the purchase of Mr Peate's plot at the meeting of the governors. Isn't this a case of seeking to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds?

75 years ago

The Earl of Harewood opened the 21st annual Arthington Show held at Arthington. His Lordship was invited to accept the presidency of the society and to open the coming of age show. It had been hoped that Princess Mary would be present also, but an engagement prevented Her Majesty from attending. After the opening ceremony, Lord Harewood strolled around the ground with Major Fawkes and showed considerable interest.

The first train that has ever left Yeadon for Blackpool was run. As is well known, Yeadon's railway is a single track line ordinarily used for freight traffic, and it joins the main LMS line at Rawdon junction, a good mile from Henshaw. For Saturday's period excursion the trail was blazed a year ago when the factory workers club went to Morecambe.

A Yeadon Feast holidaymaker, presumably fearing the worst, adopted prompt measures of setting his mind at rest by telephoning the Yeadon Fire Brigade from Nottingham. The man, who had left Yeadon for a week's holiday, phoned the brigade because he felt sure a candle had been left burning in his home. The firemen made investigations, placed a ladder to a bedroom window and discovered the candle was still intact in its wooden holder.

50 years ago

A request from the county council for co-operation in attracting teachers to the area by letting houses or allocating houses to the Education Authority, has been turned down by the Wharfedale Rural District Council. All applications are taken on their merits, said Councillor Mrs SE Fenwick, and the circumstances of each applicant are carefully considered.

Otley's boat proprietor, Mr T Pickles, says he cannot recall a worse summer trade than this year during the 31 years has been associated with boating on the River Wharfe. This week he has started to take his 40 rowing boats off the river, to winter storage. The punts are already stored away, and by the end of September they will all have gone. One of the big difficulties is that the level of the river has often been high and sometimes at flood level.

Every available voter turned out at Castley on Saturday to vote in the first election to be held there within living memory. The candidates were two local farmers, who contested the right to represent the 35 voters on Wharfedale Rural District Council. The new councillor, Lawrence William Lander, won by 19 votes to 13.

25 years ago

Carved ivory heads were found stitched into pillow cases in a packing case sent to Leeds Bradford Airport by a businessman returning to this country after six years in Zambia. He was fined a total of £200 after admitting failing to declare the ivory. The prohibition of ivory from Zambia except under licence is in place because elephants in Africa are dangerously low in numbers.

The memorial cross in Otley's Garden of Remembrance, provided by public subscription in memory of local men who died in the 1914-18 war has been vandalised. It was found that the ten foot high cross had been pushed bodily from its plinth and had shattered on the stone steps. Ex servicemen and women say that they have been angered and sickened by the wanton damage.

ollowing the recent announcement by Crabtree Vickers to move their printing press facilities from Burras Lane, Otley, to a new site in Leeds, councillors have been discussing the resulting issues. Couns Dr Kirkland, Mrs Morgan and Spencer met to discuss matters and referred to the possibility of dividing the works into small units for local business ventures in the future.