125 Years Ago - 1893

On Saturday last Mr. James Harrison, chemist, Addingham, met with a somewhat serious accident. He was riding down the main street, and on approaching his shop, applied the brake rather too hastily. He was thrown violently from his machine, and received a severe bruise on his face. Dr. Bates was quickly in attendance and succeeded in stopping the bleeding.

We beg to tender our hearty and sincere thanks to the kind friends in Arthington and the neighbourhood for the great sympathy shewn us in the loss of out dear boys by drowning in the River Wharfe. William Nicholson, George Fearnley.

100 Years Ago - 1918

The Prime Minister’s Message to the Nation was read in every place of entertainment throughout the country on Monday night, and was generally punctuated with outbursts of applause, and followed by the singing of the National Anthem. Nine o’clock was the time appointed for this message to be read, and at this hour Cr. J. B. Bray (chairman of the Ilkley Council), wearing his robes of office, and Mr. F. S. Eckersley ( Town Clerk) appeared before the curtain at the King’s Hall. Mr. Eckersley explained the reason for their appearance on the stage, and Cr. Bray read the message. The audience cheered Mr. Lloyd George’s appeal to the people of the Empire to “Hold Fast” and also the statement that “our prospects of Victory have never been so bright as they are today.” The singing of the National Anthem followed the reading of the message.

Among those who received the Military Cross at the Investiture held by the King at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday week was Major Percy Denison, of Ilkley.

75 Years Ago - 1943

The news this week that Hedley Verity was missing on active service was received in this district with a more intimate sense of personal shock than would be possible in other parts of the country, or even of Yorkshire. Verity in Aireboro, was know as much as any good local citizen is known, as well as for his cricket. He belongs here because of a hundred and one other associations that have nothing to do with cricket, and while Aireboro - and particularly Rawdon and Horsforth - share with the rest of the country - and the cricketing world as a whole, admiration for Hedley as a cricket giant, they have a neighbourly affection for him that goes much deeper than that. Aireboro shares the anxiety of his wife and parents as better news is awaited.

Horsforth people have been admirably served by the fortnight’s enterprising “Holidays at Home” programme which comes to an end tomorrow. On the entertainment side local amateurs have shared with the professional concert parties the task of keeping the crowds of people entertained.

50 Years Ago - 1968

The advent of Yorkshire Television has already brought Otley into focus. Otley has been in the picture more than once recently and on Friday a brief glimpse was given of Otley show. It was in an interview with Harvey Smith, of Eldwick, on his career as a show jumper. With the comment “One show he would not miss was that at Otley” the camera showed the rider taking the jumps at Otley on Doncella.

To the local way of thinking, some of the national newspapers have odd ways of identifying people and places. There was an example in one of the daily newspapers this week, in a story about Guiseley, described, for the benefit of the rest of England who may not have heard of it, as a “village two miles from Otley.” Which may amuse Yeadon, but is unlikely to go down well in Towngate.

25 Years Ago - 1993

Work will begin in less than a fortnight on a bypass expected to rid a village of nearly threequarters of its through traffic. This paper was the first to reveal an August start date for the Department of Transport’s £12m dual carriageway around Burley-in-Wharfedale.

Hundreds of people joined a rally to demonstrate their support for Wharfedale General Hospital on Saturday. The march had been organised by Otley Town Council to protest against cuts to services at the hospital.