For 40 years Pam and Ken Ellis have treasured their chance find of a beautiful silk ribbon bookmark dating back to 1910.

Now they have discovered the story behind the memento thanks to the Across the Years section of the Wharfedale Observer.

The bookmark would have already been around 60 years old when the couple found it tucked into a book they had bought from a junkyard in Guiseley. With the words ‘Guiseley Church Bazaar 1910’ carefully picked out, it was clear the bookmark celebrated a special occasion.

Mr and Mrs Ellis, of Otley Lane, Yeadon, found out the history behind it when they read a snippet of news from 100 years ago in the Observer.

Mrs Ellis, 72, realised the connection to their bookmark when she read: “The church people of Guiseley are this week making an effort in the shape of a bazaar to extinguish a debt of £2,000 which has been incurred through the recent enlargement of the parish church and the provision of a new organ, at a total cost of £5,500. The event is being held in the town hall and takes the form of a village fair. The bazaar will be opened by Her Grace Katherine, Duchess of Westminster, the Hon Mrs Geo Lane-Fox, Sir Theo Peel Bart, and Mr W Sheepshanks.”

She said: “I knew as soon as I read it that we had something from 1910 and that it was for Guiseley Church Bazaar, and I went dashing to find it straight away – I thought it was lovely.”

The memento was found inside a book Mr Ellis had bought from a junk yard in Guiseley about 40 years ago. He remembers buying an old atlas and an old library book from Prince Henry’s school that had been taken out in the 1930s, although he is not sure which one the bookmark was in.

Mrs Ellis said: “I thought, oh we must keep that, we’re not parting with it, it’s really pretty.”

They have kept it stored away but now have it on show, along with the cutting from the Observer, in an album of their daughter Amanda’s wedding photographs.

Mr Ellis, who was born and brought up in Guiseley and christened at Guiseley Church, said it would be interesting to discover if other memorabilia from the bazaar was still in existence. “I am just wondering if anybody else has anything else from that period,” he said.