125 Years Ago - 1895

It is with profound regret that we announce the death of Miss Emma Brown, which took place on Friday at Mrs. Kettlewell’s, Alexandra Crescent. Deceased had called upon Mrs. Kettlewell only a few minutes before, and as she was sat down in a chair, she was seen to swoon away. She had complained of having a pain in her head, but of this nothing seriously was thought, Miss Brown being subject to sick headache. Medical assistance was at once procured, Dr. Bampton arriving just in time to see the deceased pass away.

100 Years Ago - 1920

At the meeting of the West Riding County Council it was reported that difficulty was being experienced in maintaining an efficient staff at the Middleton-in-Wharfedale sanatorium in consequence of the shortage of houses. To provide for immediate needs two houses, No. 24 and No. 25 Moorland Road, Ben Rhydding, had been bought at an auction sale for £1,625, and it was proposed to erect eight houses at the sanatorium at an estimated cost of £9,546.

Frank Spence, carter, Guiseley, was summoned for driving a vehicle at Guiseley without a red rear light. PC First said at 5.40 on December 23rd he saw the defendant driving a cart without a red rear light. The defendant said the light was in when he came from Menston. He had been riding on the pavements where the tramlines were, and the light must have been shaken out.

75 Years Ago - 1945

Lieut. Charles Smith, Royal Signals, of 32, Victoria Drive, Horsforth, has earned for himself the description of “the most blown up and the luckiest man in the 2nd Army.” Four times he has had a close acquaintance with shells and mines, and only once has he been injured.

Trooper Norman Roberts (28), Royal Tank Corps, second son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Roberts, of 12, East Busk Lane, Otley, arrived home last Wednesday after four and half years in the Central Mediterranean and the Middle East theatres of operation. Tpr. Roberts joined the army in March 1940, and after training in Egypt, joined the ‘desert rats’ Royal Tank Regiment. He took part in desert campaigns and recollects among many incidents the battle of Knightsbridge and El Alamein. His regiment pulled out of the line at Tripoli, transferred to Iraq, and in April 1944, landed at Taranto in Italy.

50 Years Ago - 1970

The story of how Queen Mary got some grit in her eye while on a visit to Leeds 37 years ago was told for the first time this week by an Otley doctor. He was Dr. C. Vernon Light, who was speaking at a meeting of the Leeds Committee of the National Society for Cancer Relief. He was, he said, on duty at the Infirmary when a call came through that while King George V and Queen Mary were driving through the city to open the new Civic Hall, a small piece of grit lodged in the Queen’s eye. “I was only a student at the time ,” recalled Dr. Light. “My first thought was, here was a chance to make my name. But then I thought that perhaps it should be put in more experienced hands. So I rang my superior and told him that the Queen had a foreign body in her eye. He replied ‘We have no time for jokes like that Light,’ and rang off. Meanwhile another call came through from the Royal party, so I decided to do it myself and set off for the Civic Hall. When I got there I found that a very eminent surgeon had pushed his way through the crowd and had removed the grit. It was Lord Moynihan.”

25 Years Ago - 1995

The Sunwin House departmental store at Ilkley is said to have become a ‘huge success’. In a trade review of Yorkshire Co-operatives Ltd, Chief Executive Officer, Mr George W Money, said the Ilkley store had ‘exceeded all our expectations’.

This weekend engineers are expected to test overhead electric cables in preparation for the electrification of the Wharfedale line in May. Though the stock - Class 308, built at York in 1961 - have slam doors and first saw service between Fenchurch Street Station, London and Southend-on-Sea they have been completely refurbished at a cost of £150,000 each.