The new season at Ilkley Rugby Club kicked off in September 1950. This was the first XV team.

125 years ago

Ginnet's Circus visited Ilkley and gave two performances in a field near Brook Street. The attendance was large at each performance, especially in the evening, when the spacious marquee was filled. Some very clever feats of horsemanship were shown and the performance of a part of acrobats was greatly admired.

A very severe thunderstorm passed over Ilkley. While the visitors were at dinner, the roof of the Marlborough House hydropathic establishment was struck by lightning, the flagpole being completely shattered and John Butterfield, who was in the dining hall, had a narrow escape, being knocked down by the shock. We are glad to learn that he has not sustained any serious injury, although his nerves are much shaken.

The first meeting of the Ilkley branch of the Temperance Society was held in the Assembly Rooms, Weston Road. The chairman said that the gospel temperance movement was making a decided improvement and that the day was no far distant before we shall have a sober community. The drunkenness came with the labouring classes as well as the upper classes.

125 years ago

There was a motor mishap on Monday evening when Dr Bates was driving in his motor down the hill at Beamsley Beacon when there was a hitch in the working of the brakes apparatus, which resulted in the car coming in contact with a wall. The car was considerably damaged, but Dr Bates escaped without injury.

Wednesday next has been fixed for the opening of the new Free Library by the Rev Dr Collyer of New York, who came over to England a short time ago primarily for the purpose. The library is yet far from finished, but it has been found necessary to formally open it in its incomplete state, as Dr Collyer embarks for New York on Saturday next.

On Wednesday afternoon a hare that had evidently been chased, took refuge in a window box at one of the houses in Crescent Terrace. The occupier saw it and thought it was a rat. A neighbour beheld it and set a canine on its tracks. The hare bolted and a number of youngsters followed in the orphanage grounds for a lively pursuit.

75 years ago

After a long discussion the Ilkley District Education sub-committee expressed the opinion that consideration of the closing of Denton School at present should be deferred. County Alderman Armistead said his sympathies were with Denton and he thought that they were going to make a saving at too great a cost in other ways, for at Denton they had an excellent school.

Members of the Thoresby Society who were visiting the Washburn Valley heard the extraordinary story of Mr Edward Fairfax and his family, and the witches of Timble. Mr Fairfax was a younger son of Sir T Fairfax of Denton, and uncle of Cromwell's general. He inherited New Hall (now at the bottom of the reservoir) in 1599. His daughters suffered from trances and other mysterious discomforts. Mr Fairfax was forced to conclude his daughters were the victims of witchcraft. Seven supposed witches were sent to Assizes on his accusation. But the Timble witches were acquitted.

For the first time in the 50-year history of the Ilkley Tradesmen's annual cricket match a team of ladies took part on Wednesday. They added a good deal of colour to the occasion.

50 years ago

Ilkley's moorland streams quickly became raging torrents leaving a trail of damage and flooding in their wake, after over an inch of rain in the district early on Monday morning. An official of the Highways Department estimated yesterday that nearly £500 of damage had been caused because extra water was prevented from reaching the river by the blocking of two culverts in Bridge Lane, which was the worst affected areas.

Mrs Hylda Hawkins, chairman of the Ilkley Council, will be driven up to the entrance of the Winter Gardens and the King's Hall, Ilkley, on Tuesday morning, in a coach pulled by horses. Accompanying her in the coach to the Trades Fair will be six members of the Ilkley Players in period costume to add atmosphere to the scene.

Unsuccessful measures that had been taken to exclude sheep from the gardens of four county-owned houses in Clifton Road, Ben Rhydding, were referred to the county architect at the West Riding Standing Joint Committee. It had been suggested that the gardens be enclosed with chain link fencing, but while this may be effective it may not be suitable for this particular district.

25 years ago

A spring which for hundreds of years supplied Ilkley with some of the purest drinking water has disappeared without trace. It is believed the spring which supplied the Canker Well in The Grove was severed from the drinking fountain and was lost during a redevelopment scheme in Parish Ghyll Road. A thorough investigation has failed to locate the original source.

Ilkley and District Philatelic Society's first meeting was an informal appraisal of members acquisitions. There were stamps of the Falkland Islands and their dependencies and some bearing the words Las Malvinas son Argentinas.' There were discussions covering the difficulties of photographing stamps and the use of a low powered microscope to discover inconspicuous but important marks.

In these days of equality it seems a good idea for both boys and girls to learn cooking at least adequately so that later in life when they go away to college, decide to share a flat with friends, or eventually want to divide household chores with a working wife or husband, they are equipped to cope.

10:07am Thursday 27th September 2007

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