Public servant receives gift from vicar

2:12pm Monday 15th September 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

125 years ago

A presentation of a solid silver tea service was made to public servant W B Dyson on his leaving Spennymoor for Addingham. Vicar John Gaskill made the presentation and said he hoped that Mr Dyson would spend the evenings of his days among his early associates at Addingham in comfort, happiness and peace.

During a visit of 60 working men from Leeds to Bolton Abbey, a 19-year-old man from Hunslet had attempted to jump the Strid as soon as he arrived but slipped, fell into the water and was drowned. The attempt was made at the Fall, where the water plunges into the narrow gorge. His body was found the following morning and taken to the Devonshire Hotel for an inquest.

Ilkley is now reaping the benefit of the lovely weather which we are at present experiencing, and the hydropathic establishments, hotel and lodging houses are filling up rapidly. The ‘season’ is asserting itself to an extent unequalled in the last five or six years.

100 years ago

An outbreak of fire was discovered early on Monday morning at the dwelling house of Mr Henry Kettlewell, York, son of Mr William Kettlewell, Spring Lane, Ilkley. On being awakened about 2 o'clock, Mr Kettlewell found that the kitchen and staircase were on fire. He got from the back bedroom to the ground floor but was unable to return to his wife and children. Mrs Kettlewell lowered her two lads, aged 14 and 12, from the bedroom by means of sheets, and was afterwards able to escape from the window by a ladder placed by a neighbour.

This week the chief attraction of the Bridge Pavilion is a picture of the King’s visit to Leeds. There are several good views of the King and Queen and other distinguished personages. And the crowds and military are also interesting to look upon.

Ilkley next season is likely to see one of her sons figuring in first class county cricket. The Yorkshire County Committee have engaged Arthur Richardson who, during the present season, has played in several Yorkshire and Eleven matches.

75 years ago

A movement is afoot which has as its object the revival of the Ilkley Races which, over 60 years ago, were a feature of the Feast Week in Ilkley. Mr J G Dinsdale is par-ticularly interested in the proposal. In an interview this week, he said he had learnt that in those days huge crowds assembled from all parts of the North of England for the Ilkley races, and entries were received from a wide area. So big were the crowds that it often took hours for them to get back again over the Old Bridge, which was the only means of crossing to the course.

Whilst Addingham Show has so often had to compete against unfortunate weather conditions in the past, the 30th show, which was held on Saturday, was favoured with delightful weather. The beautiful situation of the field, which was kindly lent by Messrs H Todd and W Townson and Sons, made an excellent setting . Entries, unfortunately, were lower than those of last year partly, no doubt, because the event clashed with the record show held at Gargrave on the same day. In all, however, there were 121 classes with more than 700 entries.

It is said that the bogs on Ilkley Moor and Denton Moors have never been so dry as they are this year since 1877. It has certainly been an abnormal summer for lack of rain.

50 years ago

The Prime Minister, Mr Harold Macmillan, arrived at the Duke of Devonshire’s estate, Bolton Abbey, on Wednesday, for the start of a four-day grouse shooting holiday. With an encouraging sign of a break in the weather yesterday, the Prime Minister decided that it might be as well to make the most of the chance and in the afternoon, he and the Duchess of Devonshire formed a small party to shoot over Barden Moors.

Excitement was caused among members of the Wharfedale Naturalists' Association last Saturday afternoon when a hoopoe, a rare visitor to this country, was seen feeding on the lawn of a house in Bradford Road near Menston Old Lane. Seldom seen in this country, the hoopoe is of very striking appearance, with a large distinctive crest which it holds erect when alarmed.

The first tenants of the 48 council flats in Langford Road, Burley-in-Wharfedale, are expected to move in about the middle of September. Costing in the region of £72,000, they comprise eight blocks of two-bedroom flats and four blocks of one-bedroom flats. The site is in a delightful part of the district adjacent to agricultural land.

25 years ago

The 70-mile Ebor Way, which runs from Hemsley on the edge of the North York Moors to Ilkley, will be officially opened on September 3. It will form a link between the Cleveland Way and the Dales Way, which starts at Ilkley, so completing the final link in a chain of long distance paths which together stretch for nearly 450 miles.

A group of Ben Rhydding youngsters found a useful way of filling in some of their spare school holiday time with a sale to aid charity. The seven children all aged nine and under, set up a stall in Manley Road from where they sold toys, games and books. They raised £10.19 to be divided between the Church of England Children’s Society and the RSPB.

A residential development which will provide about 50 new flats and houses in Ilkley was given the go-ahead by Bradford Council’s Planning Sub-Committee. The development will be in the grounds of Ilkley Hall on Wells Road.