125 Years Ago -1893

A sad bathing accident occurred at Arthington on Saturday by which two little boys, John William Nicholson (nine years) and Ernest Fearnley (ten years) lost their lives. They were bathing, along with two other boys Fred Allen Harcourt and Thomas Gill, in the river Wharfe, near the Ford, not far from which is a place known locally as “Bark’s deep”.

The Royal Humane Society have conferred a medal on the Rev. W. A. Challis for plunging into the Strid at Bolton Abbey, and, under circumstances of great difficulty, saving in a “whirling and turbulent stream” Elsie Jacques, a young lady 19 years of age.

100 Years Ago - 1918

Captain Robert Leslie Illingworth has been awarded the D.S.O. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Illingworth, of Ilkley and Bradford, and was awarded the Military Cross in 1917. The following is the official Gazette announcement:- “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He took over command of a partly trained composite battalion from a wounded officer. With great skill he maintained the line, organised local counter attacks, and drove the enemy back. “

Private J. R. Wright, Durham Light Infantry, eldest son of Mr. W. Wright, Sandy Dales, Ilkley, who some time ago was reported missing, is a prisoner of war in Germany.

75 Years Ago - 1943

Talks on Health by a Family Doctor: Please be very kind to your wife. Poor thing, she has five children, not one of them properly fed, and yet she is pregnant again. That is not fair you know. We are all walking along the road of life, and most of us find it an uphill walk. But poor mother! Can you spare a little time to give her a helping hand in the house when you are at home? Perhaps you could even cook the dinner on a Sunday. Let us agree to be kinder to our wives in the future. We think they are suffering from nervous breakdown but, if the truth were known, they feel like a flower that wants watering, because we have not been kind enough.

Mr and Mrs James Adams, of Cragg View, Addingham, have received a wire through the Admiralty to say that their youngest son, Musician Hedley Adams, is a prisoner of war in Japanese hands. Musician Adams served on the Exeter and was reported missing after the ship was lost in March of last year.

50 Years Ago - 1968

Two guests, a 42 year old Lancashire farmer and his 11 year old son and two members of the staff died in a fire which raged through the Ilkley Moor Hotel early on Tuesday morning. Dead are Mr. John Isles, South View Farm, Greenhough, Kirkham, Lancs.; his son Anthony; Mrs Nellie Richardson (63), barmaid, of Brackenly, Embsay; and Benjamin Alvarez Nogueira (47), waiter, of Toronto del Sil, Leon, Spain. The Isles family, it is understood, had gone to the hotel for a few days rest and were to return home on Tuesday to go to the Royal Lancashire Show at Blackpool. The building, which was originally built in 1865, was so badly affected by fire that it may be necessary to demolish it and completely rebuild it.

A satellite BBC station to relay colour television to Wharfedale is to be opened towards the end of next year. This was stated in the House of Commons following questions by Colonel Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Scott, MP. Sir Malcolm asked the Postmaster General what steps are being taken to provide BBC 2 programmes and colour television to those parts of Wharfedale between Harewood and Ilkley.

25 Years Ago - 1993

The sights of Ilkley can now be enjoyed from an open horse-drawn carriage. “I am hoping to offer people a service and give them a guided tour of Ilkley,” said Rob McFarland, who relies on Charlie Boy, a nine-year-old Dales horse to do the pulling.

A Royal welcome was planned in Bangkok this week for four members of Soroptimist International of Ilkley on their way to a conference in Hong Kong. At a friendship dinner the Ilkley delegates Elizabeth Hughes, Joan West, Joyce Hudson and Ann Clough were to have been greeted by Princess Aditya Didabha.