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For our picture from the past, we go back to the year 1981. This wintry scene was on The Grove, Ilkley in December of that year.

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125 years ago

A frightful disaster involving great loss of life occurred at Bradford. While the hands employed in several mills were getting their breakfast the huge chimney stack belonging to Newlands Mills in Bowling fell with a loud crash, wrecking the surrounding property. Attempts were made to extricate the killed and wounded and the scene was a horrible one with large numbers of mill hands lying crushed and bleeding in the wreckage. About 30 persons perished.

The Ilkley Gas Company has given notice to consumers that on and after January 12, 1883, the price of gas will be reduced four pence per thousand feet, making it Three shillings and four pence per thousand instead of three shillings and eight pence.

Christmas Day was observed much in the usual manner in Addingham namely by services at the various places of worship, by private parties and entertainments and annual gatherings of schoolchildren and their parents and friends.

100 years ago

Christmastide was welcomed in under somewhat comfortless circumstances. With the dawn on Tuesday came an unwelcome visitor in the shape of fog, and with varying density this continued throughout the day, making it anything but pleasant for those engaged in shopping and business people generally. The railway traffic was very considerably interfered with, and those returning from Leeds and Bradford, or Ilkley people proceeding townwards had dreary waiting to contend with.

On Thursday afternoon a pony belonging to Mr W H Hutchinson, Wells House Stables, and attached to a governess's car, took flight on Hangingstone Road, where it had been left standing by some of Mr Hutchinsons's men searching for horses. The pony bolted down Cowpasture Road, and the car coming in contact with a wall the wheels were smashed off. The pony continued to career down the road until stopped at the top of Brook Street. It was cut on one of its legs.

The Ben Rhydding second hockey team were playing Kirkstall on Saturday and when the teams had reached the ground a stranger came into the hotel adjoining and asked for the key of the dressing room, informing the hotel people he was a reserve for Kirkstall. When the Kirkstall men returned to dress they missed their money, watches and other valuables.

75 years ago

Lending a special interest to the Christmas holidays in Ilkley was the excellent exhibition of working sheepdogs which took place in the Holmes on Monday. It had been arranged by the Ilkley Sheepdog Society with the object of arousing interest in that recently formed and quite enterprising organisation and to assist their funds. The outcome was the provision of a series of attractive performances which were witnessed with delighted appreciation by quite an encouraging company of spectators.

Saturday last was a red letter day for 150 children of Addingham and Ilkley who attended a Christmas party in the Low Mill Recreation Room, provided by the Sports Club and Welfare Department. During the week 175 invitations were sent out to addressed to each child between five years and 15 years of age who were children or brothers and sisters of workpeople employed at Low Mills, High Mill and Burnside Mill, Messrs Lister and Co's Addingham Mills.

Even the unemployed had their share of Christmas festivities, the men enjoying a dinner and concert in the social room in Wells Road and the children and their mothers having a similar party with a visit from Santa Claus. Thanks to the generosity of the Ilkley tradespeople gifts of all kinds were prepared by men assisted by Mr Loveday, the caretaker of Wells Road Methodist Church.

50 years ago

For the Ilkley Post Office, this has been the busiest Christmas posting on record. The peak day was experienced on December 19, when 59,488 items were received, nearly 8,000 items more than the highest figure reached on any day last year. The Ilkley Postmaster told an Ilkley Gazette reporter that he believed the increase was partly due to children sending more cards and presents through the post.

Nothing was reported missing from the Ben Rhydding Sport's Club after it had been broken into in the early hours of Friday evening. Entrance was gained by breaking a window of the main door of the Club. The intrusion was discovered by the bar treasurer, who informed the Ilkley Police. A visit was made by the men of the Fingerprint Department from Wakefield.

There were 542 toys and 475 items of clothing awaiting dispatch to the numerous Children's Homes in the country, at the Grove Congregational Church, Ilkley, on Sunday. They had been collected by members and friends of the church, and on Sunday afternoon they shared one of the most important family reunions of Christmas when they held their sixtieth annual Toy and Clothing service.

25 years ago

Mothers and young children who attended the Addingham School of Dance pre-school ballet class were put through their paces with a little help from their daughters, to raise money towards the Addingham Methodist Church Hall Refurbishing Fund. About 20 mothers managed to perform ten basic steps raising £35 towards the event.

The attention of both the West Yorkshire Archaeological Society and the Vicar of Ilkley, the Rev Richard Cleland, has been drawn to an item entitled Inscriptions and Antiques in relation to Ilkley Parish Church' which was among the personal possessions of the late Mr Ronald Green, the former editor of the Ilkley Gazette. It tells of the learned Camden paying one of his topographical visits to Ilkley in 1582 when he made mention of an engraved stone which at one time was in the wall of the church, but it had been lost. According to Camden this was one of the earliest inscribed stones.

Six youngsters, all pupils at Ilkley Grammar School, toured local hotels, restaurants, and public houses, playing carols with hand-bells borrowed from Ilkley Parish Church.

8:26am Thursday 27th December 2007

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