1885

On the last three days and nights of last week, rain fell incessantly, though only partially in heavy showers. The wind, which at times was strong almost to a gale, was from the east, and when such is the case there is rarely a flood of magnitude. The Wharfe was very full but did not overflow its legitimate channel.

An eight-day gospel temperance mission, under the auspices of the Ilkley Blue Ribbon Union, was commenced on Wednesday evening last, in the Wesleyan School room, Wells Road. The committee had secured the services of Mrs Joseph Lucas, of Sunderland, to conduct the meetings, the subject of her address that evening being “The Influence of Women and the Value of the Total Abstinence Pledge”. The proceedings commenced by singing one of the Gospel temperance hymns, after which the chairman read a portion of scripture and engaged in prayer.

1910

Excavations on the site of the Roman fort at Ilkley are definitely scheduled to take place and money is to be raised to assist the work of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society.

Work has been started on building a drill hall for the Ilkley Battery 4th West Riding (Howitzer) brigade. The building is to be of local stone and is to have a frontage of 103ft on to Leeds Road. The great hall is to consist of a drill hall, waggon shed, lecture room and bar, armoury, orderly room, harness room and lavatory accommodation. The first floor will be officers’ quarters, the NCO rooms, quartermasters’ stores and lavatories. The cost of the premises is estimated at about £1,800 and it is expected to be completed by June, 1911.

1935

The 90mph gale which struck the country last weekend was felt very heavily at Ilkley, but fortunately the town escaped without very grave damage. The famous signpost at the White Wells, marking the points of the compass, was blown down and several trees were blown over, notably one near the bottom of Sunset Drive, and another on the north side of the river, in Denton Road. Two of the bedroom windows at number 6 Wells Promenade were also blown in at 8am on Saturday.

The death of of Mr James Denby, of 4 Trafalgar Road, Ilkley on Sunday at the age of 70, removed one of the best-known men in Ilkley. Everybody knew him, his transparently open character and his candour so typical of the dalesman. Mr Denby was a bootmaker by trade, but it was for his sporting interests that he was best known. For fifty years he was a member of Ilkley Cricket Club and for the greater part of that time he had charge of the “gate”. He was a keen shot and in his younger days enjoyed nothing better than a day out with such fellow sports as the late Mr Frank Hall, the former clerk to Ilkley Council, who in fact left his gun to Mr Denby.

1960

The Ilkley area could have an important part to play in the event of a third world war, and one anticipated is the possibility of dealing with people rendered homeless by bombing of nearby cities. To prepare for such an emergency one of the spheres of training by the WVS organisations is that of preparing meals by improvised cooking arrangements. Under the instruction of Mrs D Ogden, of Harrogate, civil defence instructor in emergency feeding, members of the welfare section of the Civil Defence Corps, all WVS members, have had two weeks of lectures and two weeks’ experience of building outdoor emergency cookers.

The views of local shopkeepers concerning the national question of a five-day working week are to be sought by Ilkley and District Chamber of Trade in the near future. In many parts of the country today the question of a five-day working week was being considered, said the president, Mr J Dobson, and it was contended that the shopkeepers’ financial turnover would not be affected because customers would still spend as much. It had been suggested that Monday would be the best day to close, and by doing so this would make a longer weekend.

1985

Inadequate fire safety precautions at Ilkley All Saints School make it a potential death trap according to members of the school’s governing body. They are now pressing for improvements to be made as an interim stage, and for the school itself to be replaced as a matter of urgency. Councillor Alan Blann (Conservative, Ilkley), a member of the governors, said West Yorkshire fire chiefs on a routine inspection of the school had criticised the single fire exit for the infants department, but were powerless to force Bradford Council to take action.

Bonfire night is often memorable for the wrong reasons, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals can testify. Every year RSPCA inspectors are in demand to treat animals injured by fire or fireworks or to help recover animals which have run off in panic. The RSPCA is appealing to everyone to take special care of their animals at this time of year.