125 Years Ago - 1894

As we prophesised last week the weather was a decided deterrent to the clubs bent on visiting Ilkley, at which no doubt the members would be greatly disappointed. Throughout the whole of the week the roads have been very greasy, and not many cyclists have been seen wheeling in the vicinity. Should fine weather break out this week end there will be another influx of machines.

100 Years Ago - 1919

Miss Jessie Dixon, a Burley-in-Wharfedale grocer, was fined £1 1s, and £2 2s. costs at Otley on Friday for selling bacon over the controlled price. The evidence of the district inspector was that he was charged 2s. 6d. for a pound of Irish roll, the controlled price of which was 2s. 4d.

Alderman Richard Garnett, of Bramhope, speaking at a meeting of the Yorkshire Farmers’ Union at Leeds on Tuesday, said that the Agricultural Wages Board was entirely unrepresentative of farmers and farming interests, and held that the increase of wages to farm labourers could not be justified by any increase in the price of farm produce.

75 Years Ago - 1944

The Home Food Production Corps some time ago passed a resolution asking the Ilkley Council to take up with the Ministry of Agriculture the difficulties in which local allotments holders and gardeners are placed as a result of the sheep from the moors eating their produce. The Council were requested to get a licence to buy chestnut paling and sell it at cost price to the food producers who wished to secure such fencing.

Home on leave after service three years overseas is Kenneth Hargreaves, only son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Hargreaves, Moor Lane, Addingham. He had an exciting encounter with a cobra which entered his hut and was only a few yards away when first seen. Kenneth Hargreaves went straight through the open window and the snake was killed after some difficulty.

50 Years Ago - 1969

When “Time” was called at the Red Lion in Kirkgate, Otley, on Monday, it marked the end of an 85-years connection of the Spence family with the old inn, and of a family association with the licensed trade of Otley and district that has extended well over a century. On Tuesday Mrs. Ethel Allen, on the eve of her 73rd birthday, left the inn in which she was born, where she has spent the greater part of her life, and of which her grandfather, father, mother and sister have successively held the licence since 1883.

It would be wrong for the Ilkley Coat of Arms to be incorporated in a design for a tea towel but there is no objection to it being used in the design for a Wedgwood dish. Ilkley Urban Council has come to this conclusion in respect of two applications. Mr. G. Beaumont, of Otley Road, Leeds, has asked the Council’s permission to incorporate the Ilkley Coat of Arms in the design of a tea towel having a Yorkshire beauty spot theme. The Council has resolved that “Mr Beaumont be informed that the Council are of the opinion that the coat of arms should not be used for this purpose. Mr Colin Hawkes, of Wells Road, Ilkley, applied for permission to incorporate the coat of arms in the design of a Wedgwood dish to be produced as a souvenir of Ilkley. In this case the Council decided that “Mr Hawkes be informed that so far as the Council is concerned, no objection will be raised to his proposal.”

25 Years Ago - 1994

Leeds Euro-MP Michael McGowan, who has campaigned for many years for smoke free flights in Europe, has welcomed the decision by Sabena Airways to ban smoking on the direct Leeds to Brussels flights which are introduced in the summer schedule.

Otley’s local bobby PC Dave Robson was in the Wharfedale office this week relating the tale of his recent trip to France as part of the town’s twinning committee visit to Montereau. It appears that the ferry crossing from Dover to Calais was quite eventful, with bottles of spirits in the duty free crashing to the floor and passengers being tossed from one side of the ship to the other.