125 Years Ago - 1890

IN celebration of the coming of age of Mr Richard Thackeray, the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Thackeray, of Newlay Wood, a ball took place in the Mechanic’s Institute on Tuesday evening last. The whole of the hall had been hired for the occasion, and decorations of a very pleasing and extensive character had been carried out.

Fashionable Marriage - On Wednesday the marriage of Miss Edna Hartley, second daughter of Mr J. T. Hartley, of Highfield Hall, Addingham, with Mr John Hartley, manufacturer of Skipton, took place at the parish church, Addingham. The Rev. William James was the officiating clergyman, and Miss Wallbank, of Keighley, cousin of the bridegroom, presided at the organ. The church was crowded. The employees at Town Head Mills, of which the bride’s father is senior partner, had holiday during the day.

100 Years Ago - 1915

The optimist is very busy once more, voicing his views upon the duration of the war, and telling his friends that all the fighting will be over by Mid-Summer Day. We wish we could persuade ourselves, by surveying the facts, that there is ground for such a pleasing assertion, but when we bear in mind that Germany still holds the greater part of Belgium, and no inconsiderable portion of France, and that for months she has been preparing for the possibility of retreat, we must confess that the prospect of peace in less that six months does not seem very rosy.

Gunner H Jubb, of the 38th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, who before the war was better known to the Ilkley public as Police-constable Jubb, has written to Mr W Dobson of Ilkley. He says: “Things are still unsettled behind us for there are German shells coming over occasionally. Generally when they get the worst with our guns they fire on the town. A day or two ago women were killed by their shells. Last night we had an attack from them but they are held tight. I can tell you we can whack them at anything.”

75 Years Ago - 1940

War-time rationing came in on Monday, and though on the whole it is operating comparatively smoothly there are certain difficulties in the Ilkley Urban District. Owing to the somewhat complicated instructions that have to be given to retailers and the proprietors of establishments such as hotels and boarding schools there have been a number of mistakes made, which are having to be put right. This, however, is a small matter amid the system which is being carried out generally with quiet efficiency.

A class of evacuees had been asked to write a letter home describing one day they had spent with their foster parents. Meals naturally played an important part in most of the essays, and the teacher was puzzled when she read that for dinner one of the children had some “meatanpitati.” It was one of the fellow pupils who had to supply the translation. The youngster had dined on meat and potato pie.

50 Years Ago - 1965

An interesting find is now on display at the museum at Otley. This is the remains of an iron sword which was found protruding from a bank to the North of Otley General Hospital, by Master R Calvert, and loaned by him to the museum. The museum keeper, Mr E T Cowling writes: “The remaining fragment is 17 inches long but the original length would be about 24 inches. The general appearance and details suggest a date about 1300 for the making. It is tempting to associate it with the period just after the battle of Bannockburn in 1318.”

The death of Sir Winston Churchill prompted nearly a dozen of our readers in many parts of the country to write poems in tribute. Owing to the pressure on space, however, it was not possible to use them.

25 Years Ago - 1990

A seismic survey to be carried out on behalf of a petroleum company over a widespread area of Wharfedale is expected to lead to traffic delays, diversions and possibly closure of some local roads, mainly in countryside areas, but also, to some extent in towns and villages. Notice has been given by Compagnie Generale de Geophysique that it has been commissioned by Teredo Petroleum plc to undertake a geophysical survey around the Otley and Ilkley areas.

News that a couple of sporting occupants of houses in Yeadon’s oddly named Football have christened their homes respectively Offside and Left Back, has prompted an upsurge of interest in unusual street and house names. Yeadon, of course, is undisputed leader in the odd-names stakes.