125 Years Ago -1888 On Sunday, at about 5.45 in the evening, George Scott, carter, noticed smoke coming from a stack of newly-won hay, the property of his master, John Popplewell, of the Brick Works Farm, New Scarbro, Yeadon. He gave the alarm and it was promptly responded to by the residents of the locality named. Buckets were freely brought into requisition, and with these a good supply of water was brought to bear on the flames, which had by this time got a firm hold. Fortunately, however, the efforts of the neighbours eventually proved successful in extinguishing the fire, but not until damage to the extent of £20 had been done - this sum representing just half the value of the stack.

An entertainment, organised for the amusement of the inmates of the Ilkley Hospital, took place on Wednesday evening, when a varied programme was gone through, consisting of readings, recitations and songs, the whole being rendered in a very creditable manner. Mr A Riley opened the proceedings with a humorous address, which was supplemented by him with a recitation of a similar character, entitled The Brothers’ Lament.

100 Years Ago – 1913 At Otley Police Court on Tuesday, George Thompson, an Ilkley labourer, was charged with attempting to commit suicide by cutting his throat with a razor at one ‘o’ clock in the morning. It was stated by the man’s wife he awoke her and said there was someone in the home. He asked her to get up and make some tea, but instead of that she went out and got a policeman. They found Thompson on the hearthrug with his throat slit. He was taken to the Coronation Hospital where he has since remained.

Steps are now being taken to administer a bequest under the will of the late Mrs John Lee, the widow of an Otley coal merchant, who left the sum of money in trust to be devoted to the erection of almshouses for the poor of Otley. When erected they will be the only almshouses in Otley, the nearest being Burley on the west and Leathley in the east.

75 Years Ago – 1938 Throughout the whole of to-day and to-morrow, a vital centre of interest to the sheep farming community throughout England is Denton Park, where there are being held the English National Sheep Dog Trials. The finest sheep dogs in the country, and the most expert breeders, and trainers, are assembled there in order that there shall be selected a team to represent England against teams from England, Scotland, and Wales in the International Trials to be held at Southport on September 14, 15 and 16.

It has been taken for granted in many parts of the North of England that shows of flowers and vegetables this year have been below the average both in quality and in numbers of entries. In spite of this, the show of the Ilkley Allotment and Horticultural Society, held on Saturday in the King’s Hall and Winter Garden, attracted over 500 entries, a figure which constitutes a record for many years.

50 Years Ago – 1963 An unrehearsed incident during a life-saving demonstration by members of Otley Swimming Club in Wharfemeadows Park on Thursday evening, caused some excitement among a large crowd of spectators lining the river bank. One of the club members, long-distance swimmer Eddie Robinson, gave such a convincing display of falling from the rowing boat opposite the land stage that one of the spectators, believing Mr Robinson was really in difficulty, jumped from the boating stage steps, fully clothed and wearing a wrist watch in an attempt to save him. He had swum several yards when he realised the “accident” was part of the demonstration and returned to the riverbank.

With most meadows now cut and gathered much later than usual, local farmers are assessing a difficult and protracted haymaking season. Some of the crop was damaged or spoiled by the spell of wet weather in the early part of July and although conditions improved at the end of the month and in the early part of August, enabling the grass to be cut and made, a good deal of the crop was over-mature and lower feeding-value.

25 Years Ago – 1988 An Ilkley woman who believes the apparition haunting Royal Air Force Linton-on-Ouse may be that of her dead husband is hoping to visit the air base next week to see for herself the ghostly figure sighted by several Air Force personnel. Mrs Audrey Hodgson, 68, of Valley Drive, was shocked when she heard of the base being haunted by a grey figure of a man who stands in the control tower or on the runway staring and looking around. She heard the story on local television after a plaque erected in memory of her husband – Warrant Officer Walter Hodgson – had been moved from outside the control tower to a position inside.

The long-awaited Addingham by-pass came nearer to reality this week when the Department of Transport issued Compulsory Purchase Orders for land acquisitions. A start of the £2.9m two miles by-pass south of the village is expected to be made in the late summer of next year and completed within 18 months. The Department of Transport told the “Gazette” the next stage of the programme will be for the district valuer to enter into negotiations with landowners to settle compensation payments.