125 Years Ago - 1893

The Ormonde Family will appear in the Victoria Hall, Ilkley, next Tuesday night.They have travelled in numerous lands, and played with the greatest success in all the towns and cities of the two hemispheres. Dr Ormonde has brought with him a great attraction, Miss Minnie Baldwin, magnetic lady, who will attract considerable attention. She stands on one foot and defies any two men to push her from her balance, while she defies the strongest man on earth to lift her off the floor.

In Guiseley Town Hall on Saturday evening Professor De Linton gave a conjuring entertainment. The attendance was small, there being only about forty persons present.

100 Years Ago - 1918

Dr. Keeble, the Director General of the Food Production Department, had an interview with Cr. W. Prest (chairman of the Ilkley District Council) in respect to putting into operation a scheme to make this district self-supporting in the way of growing vegetables, and feeding pigs, geese and rabbits. He thought this district was ideal for the purpose and the scheme had a considerable promise of success. He wanted this scheme to serve as a model for the whole country.

75 Years Ago - 1943

The 25th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force reminds us of the tremendous part which aircraft is playing in this war. By now few people believe that the war can be won by any single weapon - or by any single Service. We know that we shall only defeat the Axis Powers when we are strong enough on land, at sea and in the air, and that our three services and the comparable Services of our Allies are able to work to a carefully planned and comprehensive strategy.

Some remarkable figures relating to work at the Otley abattoir, where animals are now slaughtered for the Otley, Aireborough and Rural Wharfedale districts, were given at the annual meeting of Otley Slaughtering Company Ltd. It was stated that during the past year the total number of animals slaughtered was 14,664 of which only 66 were for private individuals. The remainder were for the Ministry of Food, and these were 2,128 cattle, 10,381 sheep, 311 pigs and 1,778 calves. Privately slaughtered were 64 pigs and two goats. All the slaughtering was carried out by one-full employee, assisted by voluntary labour provided by local butchers.

50 Years Ago - 1968

Adding sound to movie films was the subject of a talk given by Mr. R. White of the Mercury Movies Cine Society, to members of the Olicana Cine Club at their fortnightly meeting. Giving a practical demonstration Mr. White used a tape recorder on which various sound effects were produced such as background music, trains and commentary.

The home of a family named Hartley for many generations a farmhouse mentioned in “100 years ago” in this issue, stood where the National Provincial Bank and the shops alongside stand now to the south of the Grove. John Dobson, who recorded 100 years ago, much of the changes then being made in Ilkley, said the building known as the “Manor House” had outbuildings and a stackyard taking up the road frontage at the site of the Congregational Church.

25 Years Ago - 1993

Inspector Morse creator Colin Dexter took time out to sign copies of his books before appearing at Ilkley’s Literature Festive. But the author of the hit Central Television series could not be persuaded to reveal the first name of his mysterious sleuth.

Sleeping residents were woken with a jolt when a spaceship-like machine thundered into action on the Wharfedale railway line in the middle of the night. Lineside householders in Grange Estate, Ben Rhydding, could not believe their bleary eyes when workmen moved onto the tracks with maintenance equipment at 3am. Bedrooms were lit up by beaming headlamps as workmen spent a quarter of an hour compacting ballasts in an operation which required the lifting of the tracks. One angry householder said: “You looked out of the windows to see these lights everywhere and it looked like a spaceship had landed. It was a bit like a scene out of ET.”