125 Years Ago - 1892

Last Thursday, the remains of Mrs Chappell, who was one of the oldest - if not the oldest- inhabitant of Yeadon, were deposited in the Yeadon Cemetery. Her age was 93, and she had out-lived all her children but two sons, both of whom are in America. She leaves 17 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren.

A fire took place at Pennyfool Hill, Yeadon, on Thursday in a cottage occupied by a person named Law, a quarry man. The fire was providentially discovered by a sister of the occupant, who was ill in bed at the upper part of the house.

100 Years Ago - 1917

All Ilkley turned out to honour Captain Thomas Harold Broadbent Maufe, on the occasion of a civic reception and public presentation of a silver casket. Captain Maufe has been awarded the Victoria Cross. He is only 19 years of age, and still a boy, yet in his manner and bearing, and utter lack of vanity and pride, he is the embodiment of everything a true hero should be. Under intense artillery fire the officer repaired, unaided, the telephone lines between and forward and rear positions, and extinguished a fire in an advanced ammunition dump, caused by a heavy explosion, regardless of the risk he ran from gas shells which he knew were in the dump.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Benn, of West Lodge, Burley-in-Wharfedale, have lost two sons in the war - Captain J. R. T. Benn, R.F.A., and Lieut. A. M. Benn, West Yorkshires, and to their memory are making several interesting additions to Clayton Parish Church.

75 Years Ago - 1942

A vegetable show and fur and feather show have proved extremely popular but the success of the first agricultural show to be staged in Ilkley has exceeded all expectations. Altogether some 164 entries were received and these were so good that it is felt that an agricultural show will become an annual event in the town.

The Mile of Books drive in connection with the local salvage scheme and organised by the Addingham Girl Guides was a great success. Mrs Lumley, chairman of the WVS, laid the first book and in an inspiring address appealed to the many guides and brownies present to save salvage and their used bus tickets.

50 Years Ago - 1967

From the beginning of the century and most likely for some years before that there has been a chemists’s shop in church Street round the corner from Brook Street. Now after this long period of service to the community the shop is to close. The reason apparently is not that the business is not prospering but that the owner is going abroad.

In olden times before the days of the telegraph, beacons were of great importance. During the Napoleonic scare the consequent frequent alarms and rumours of invasion by Napoleon’s armies all the kingdom had been urged to be ready at any moment, and the effect was the manning of all beacons. In 1799 the Chevin beacon was ordered to be put in a state of repair, and John Tillotson the beacon-keeper, who lived at Beacon House, employed three men in collecting timber, tar and other combustibles.

25 Years Ago - 1992

A former Ilkley man sets off on a mercy mission to war-torn Croatia next week. Bill Rooks, who was born in the town, and his wife Dorothy, begin their marathon journey by car to Split on Tuesday. They will deliver vital supplies of food and baby powder to friends who are helping look after refugees from Bosnia. The couple sail first from Hull to Rotterdam before driving through Germany and Austria to the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia where they catch a ferry to Split. Mr Rooks, 70, stayed in the Croatian city for more than a year while working with Ilkley-based Spooner Industries.

The scaffolding shrouding the former Nurses Home in Carter’s Lane, Middleton, has come down this week to give a first glimpse of the newly refurbished Westville House School. The 12-week contract represented a tight schedule.