Older stories
Picture of the Week
4:35pm Thursday 21st January 2016
THIS week's picture of the week is of Blubberhouses Church just after sunrise on Saturday, January 16 and was taken by Steve Davey.
Photo of the Week
3:36pm Thursday 14th January 2016
THIS photograph of a great sunset up at Clifton was captured by John Burland.
Coming together
12:20pm Thursday 31st December 2015
'COMMUNITY' can sometimes seem like an intangible concept, an idea used more by the wealthy and powerful to score political points than it is by the very people it's supposed to refer to.
Drug funds gangs
5:11pm Thursday 12th March 2015
THE temptation, when it comes to ‘softer’ drugs like cannabis, is to imagine that because the substance itself is - relatively - harmless compared to the likes of heroin the same must be true of its production.
Playing their part
5:00pm Thursday 12th March 2015
THE day of reckoning has finally arrived for all those who have spent the past few years mustering local support in a bid to shape the future of Wharfedale.
Make amends
2:56pm Friday 6th March 2015
IT’S BAD enough that vandals have targeted a local cricket cub causing thousands of pounds worth of damage over a number of years.
Tip solution needed
2:52pm Friday 6th March 2015
GOING to the rubbish tip isn’t something that tops most people’s fun trips list.
Helping Isla-Grace
1:40pm Thursday 26th February 2015
The family of young cancer patient Isla-Grace Large have been given a massive boost this week with a £5,000 donation to help them take her abroad for life-saving proton beam therapy treatment.
Events aid cohesion
12:42pm Thursday 26th February 2015
THE POLICE, like every other public body, are continuing to face severe funding cuts and that means they, along with our local councils have no choice but to make some very tough decisions.
Civic Centre referendum call comes a little late in the day
1:25pm Saturday 21st February 2015
POLITICAL posturing or a genuine plea for Otley people to have their say on an important issue?
Swimming cuts are short-sighted
2:35pm Thursday 12th February 2015
IT is inevitable that local authorities are casting around for cuts to services to make at this time of year, as budgets loom large and books need to be balanced in the face of increasing austerity.
School rebuild is vital
2:30pm Thursday 12th February 2015
AFTER setbacks such as the Building Schools for the Future scheme being dropped, Ilkley Grammar School could have done with some help to increase provision on its Cowpasture Road site.
Baffling decision
12:22pm Friday 30th January 2015
MOST of us have fallen victim at one time or another to a ‘jobsworth’ - an official who, through an unbending approach to the rules and unwillingness to adapt to exceptional circumstances, has caused an unnecessary problem.
Pressure succeeds
12:21pm Friday 30th January 2015
THE suggested creation of a one-way street in Guiseley has proved immensely controversial, provoking an outpouring of opposition.
On our bikes!
3:41pm Thursday 22nd January 2015
THE Tour de France Grand Depart was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the last few years.
Pitch drive disgrace
3:46pm Thursday 22nd January 2015
THE VOLUNTEERS who ensure our junior football, rugby and other sports clubs keep going are genuine unsung heroes.
Lights help needed
1:58pm Friday 16th January 2015
WHEN it comes to Christmas decorations there is no doubt about it – Guiseley is very much a poor cousin to Ilkley.
CAB’s slim chance?
1:56pm Friday 16th January 2015
IT now looks virtually a ‘done deal’, to use the words of Otley Citizens Advice Bureau adviser and Town Councillor Jim Spencer.
Aireborough full
2:12pm Wednesday 14th January 2015
PEOPLE in Aireborough have been warning for years that the area is full and simply cannot take any more developments.
Costs and benefits
2:12pm Wednesday 14th January 2015
SO here it is again, the customary time when our councils begin outlining their plans for the financial year ahead - and spell out how much it will cost us.
No two ways for it
1:25pm Monday 8th December 2014
I HAVE hesitated to write regarding the new one-way system in Otley, not wanting to seem overly self-serving (what’s bad for traders on Bondgate might be good overall for the town). However, the recent letters have prompted me to do so.
Have a say on parking
1:21pm Monday 8th December 2014
question of parking was discussed and I suggested that we should seek to obtain 1,500 signatures in order that we could facilitate a debate in the Council Chamber of Bradford MDC.
Make a gift of blood
12:00pm Monday 8th December 2014
WE strive to be generous at this time of year, and put into practice the Christmas ethos of goodwill to all during this season.
Police action may drive off criminals
11:57am Monday 8th December 2014
EXTRA patrols by police in the aftermath of a frightening street robbery in Ilkley will not only reassure the public, but hopefully deter any criminals in the area too.
Rethinking parking is a tricky manoeuvre
2:36pm Thursday 4th September 2014
PROBLEMS with parking will not come as much of a surprise to anyone used to living, working or doing business in Ilkley.
Bus service must think again over Otley hospital service
11:48am Thursday 28th August 2014
BUS services have long since been privatised in this country and are, like most things these days, run first and foremost as a commercial enterprise that has to make a profit.
Ilkley swimming pool consultation is open to all
12:09pm Thursday 28th August 2014
WITH several swimming pools set to be closed in the Bradford District, it is a relief to learn that Ilkley Pool looks to be safe.
Thought for the week
12:23pm Thursday 28th August 2014
By Rev. Richard Walker – Vicar of St. John’s Church, Yeadon
Leader comment
4:38pm Thursday 7th August 2014
IN the week that a young woman from Otley scooped a fantastic gold medal, the question of whether or not the country is doing enough to promote sport amongst our children could hardly be more topical.
Organ donor plea
12:48pm Thursday 10th July 2014
FIVE years ago life hung by a thread for Gabrysia Filarowski.
Beware of these heartless crooks
12:05pm Monday 2nd June 2014
There can be fewer more odious crimes than those committed by thieves who con their way into the homes of the elderly in order to steal cash and belongings.
Time to applaud dementia help
12:41pm Friday 23rd May 2014
For anyone who suffers from devastating dementia-related illnesses, the world can become a confusing and scary place.
Some sunshine is the least Pool-in-Wharfedale deserves
2:43pm Thursday 15th May 2014
Hats off to the artists, councillors and children of Pool-in-Wharfedale!
Step to Leeds-Bradford airport accessibility
4:17pm Thursday 8th May 2014
Leeds-Bradford Airport is a major hub for business and leisure flights and we are lucky to have it right in the heart of our district.
Great news for Otley education
3:18pm Friday 2nd May 2014
First and foremost, the news that Prince Henry’s Grammar School has received £900,000 to carry out important building work is simply great news for local education.
Should Otley get a new Dunnies cafe?
12:03pm Friday 25th April 2014
‘Free trade’. It’s a deceptively simple-sounding phrase for a concept that often underlies many conflicts and flashpoints, large and small – including the current campaign to get a new cafe opened in Otley to replace the much-loved Dunnies.
Fitting memorial
10:48am Thursday 17th April 2014
For decades Bramhope councillor Clive Fox devoted himself to politics and to doing his best for the people he represented.
Country living
10:48am Thursday 17th April 2014
Easter for most of us – whether religious, firmly secular, or somewhere in-between – is a time to celebrate rebirth and experience rejuvenation.
Leeds Bradford Airport links
2:26pm Thursday 10th April 2014
The shocking scenes that unfolded in Ilkley town centre a week ago are a startling reminder that there are no lengths criminals will not go to in order to try to line their own pockets with ill-gotten gains. Shoppers, visitors and residents looked on aghast as a gang of masked men wielding axes tried to smash their way through the window of the Lister Horsfall jewellery store on Brook Street.
Historic battle between progress and tradition raging in Otley
3:45pm Thursday 3rd April 2014
The battle between ‘progress’ and tradition has been waged for as long as humans have been able to cherish nature and use tools.
Sporting ideal
4:28pm Thursday 27th March 2014
“If you’re going to dream, dream big.” So goes the popular saying but it is a motivational message that’s certainly not needed by the volunteers behind Otley’s ambitious Chevin Olympic Park bid.
A tour eyesore for Otley
4:10pm Thursday 20th March 2014
You only have to scan this week's local news to see how the Tour de France, months ahead of it actually beginning, is already dominating the agenda. Schoolchildren across Wharfedale and Aireborough, and no doubt the rest of the country, are getting stuck into a variety of projects to make sure the Grand Depart is celebrated in style when it passes through on Saturday, July 5.
Lessons to be learned
1:18pm Friday 14th March 2014
The Tour de France will undoubtedly be a boon for Yorkshire as a whole and parts of Wharfedale, including Otley, in particular.
A special gift of life
1:19pm Friday 14th March 2014
Children’s birthdays are always special – but for the parents of Gabrysia Filarowski every celebration is a milestone they feared they would never see.
Action needed on Otley dog fouling
3:12pm Thursday 6th March 2014
Dogs, in general, have been a blessing for humanity – loyal, fun-loving companions who help us reconnect with both nature and the simpler physical pleasures of being.
Pooling ideas for Otley
11:46am Friday 28th February 2014
An appeal for ideas on how to improve Otley’s former open-air swimming pool site has obviously caught the imagination of local residents.
Covert cameras to catch flytippers are a good idea ... on the face of it
3:26pm Thursday 20th February 2014
Fly-tipping is the bane of many residents’ lives and is a problem that causes not just unsightly mess but also has the potential to encourage vermin – which can bring with them very serious diseases.
Guiseley Club has missed an opportunity to explain goals
1:39pm Thursday 13th February 2014
What constitutes a good neighbour?
Bigger question of 'renewables'
11:39am Friday 7th February 2014
The news that a six-turbine wind farm is being planned for a prominent site overlooking Lindley Wood Reservoir has got campaigners up in arms.
A lament for cafe institution Dunnies
12:03pm Friday 31st January 2014
The closure of Dunnies cafe in Otley this weekend will certainly be lamented by the local cycling, motorcycling and walking communities.
Being without postal service is hard to justify
3:53pm Thursday 23rd January 2014
The news that Otley’s main – and for the past few years only – Post Office is to receive a major revamp is welcome indeed.
Moment of truth for Otley Civic Centre is approaching
10:39am Friday 17th January 2014
After years of inaction, delays, financial roadblocks and heated debate – some may even say party political hot air – the moment of truth is finally approaching for Otley Civic Centre.
Heavy rains to mean problems in the future?
1:19pm Friday 10th January 2014
We have – fingers crossed – escaped the worst of the bad weather that has been battering other parts of the country.
Lack of lights at flats simply not acceptable
1:14pm Friday 3rd January 2014
The concept of deja vu is a fascinating one, and most of us will have experienced at one time or other the disconcerting sensation that what is happening right now has already happened before.
Why Mel is our very own Santa Claus
4:04pm Thursday 19th December 2013
‘Local hero’ is an overused term, but when it comes to tireless Otley fundraiser Mel Metcalfe we think it hits the nail on the head.
Peaceful protest is the right of every individual
4:22pm Thursday 12th December 2013
It has become a sad fact of recent life that public services are being whittled down as local authorities try to balance the books and deliver the best services that they can for less money.
Homes scheme for hospital site is almost insult
3:38pm Thursday 5th December 2013
Everyone knows that – despite the Government’s desire to talk up some modestly encouraging recent figures – times remain tough for most business sectors, and not least housebuilders.
Grammar school iPad costs a fly in the ointment
11:05am Friday 29th November 2013
Providing individual iPads for school pupils, as is currently being proposed in Otley, is on the face of it an attractive proposition.
Commitment to be commended in Rawdon firm’s success
2:43pm Thursday 21st November 2013
Anyone who witnessed the huge blaze at Airedale International Air Conditioning in September must surely have feared for the company’s future and for the jobs of its staff.
BID money may be small but it could do a lot
4:36pm Thursday 14th November 2013
The £360,000 of investment that will now come to Otley after local firms voted to form a Business Improvement District will not fix all ills.
Charlotte is a shining example
4:38pm Thursday 14th November 2013
Charlotte Williams may still be in primary school but she is already making her mark on Leeds.
Needs of home’s residents must be paramount
4:13pm Thursday 7th November 2013
If there is one issue that is bound to spark controversy it’s the closure of a residential home or sheltered housing complex for older people.
Important as ever to honour Forster memory
2:15pm Thursday 31st October 2013
There are possibly few people in the history of this area as important as William Edward Forster.
Expectations up for our biggest sports spectacle
3:25pm Thursday 24th October 2013
The confirmation of the 2014 Tour de France’s route on Wednesday held no big surprises for Wharfedale.
Great chance to get fit, for free, in the open air
2:14pm Thursday 17th October 2013
What do Otley and the more sun-kissed parts of the European continent now have in common?
Deserved honour for Brownlees
2:13pm Thursday 17th October 2013
They are two of the greatest sporting champions the area has ever produced – and the Brownlee brothers remain hard-working and unassuming despite all the adulation that has come their way.
The complexities of animal rights
11:05am Friday 11th October 2013
The concept of animal rights, as opposed to animal welfare, is a complex and often divisive one.
Positive impact on others' lives
4:19pm Thursday 3rd October 2013
With so many areas of the world struggling in deep poverty it can be hard to imagine that anything we do can make a difference.
Sports plan is medal-winner
1:20pm Thursday 26th September 2013
The buzz of excitement that lingered after last year’s fantastic Olympic Games was evident for months afterwards – especially, and unsurprisingly in a cycling town like Otley, by the sheer number of people who could be seen out on their bikes.
Parking boost for our traders
3:34pm Thursday 19th September 2013
Parking provision isn’t exactly a topic guaranteed to get most people’s pulses racing.
Numbers up in Otley graffiti mystery
3:11pm Thursday 12th September 2013
666 is traditionally ‘the number of the beast’, aka the devil, as any Iron Maiden or horror movie fan will happily tell you.
