Minstrels steal the limelight at Otley

At the Wharfedale Board of Guardians meeting pauper apprentice Fred Robinson, who had run away from his master, Mr Barnes, was brought before the Guardians and severely reprimanded. Mr Bains expressed some reluctance to take him back but on being pressed by the Guardians and the boy promising to behave himself in the future, he consented to give Robinson another trial.

At a meeting of the Yeadon Local Board in the Town Hall, the chairman said the Board financially was in a deplorable state; the collector must press the ratepayers for money. This he promised to do but said that half the people in the town were out of work. 100 years ago At the Wharfedale Rural Council meeting last week there were some very stringent remarks made about motorists. Now I hold no brief for the “road hog” but I fail to see the advantage to be gained by calling names and generalising on too large a scale. “Break neck fools” is a fit and proper term to apply to some drivers, I admit, but not to all, and with all due deference to the worthy councillor who holds a different opinion, it is not only possible, but quite an easy matter, to see a gentleman in a motor car.

An interesting function took place at Timble School on Wednesday when each scholar was presented with a mounted photograph of Dr Collyer, with his autograph at the foot, in remembrance of his visit to the school in September, 1907. When the doctor came over to the old country one of his most memorable days was spent in visiting the scenes of his childhood, and in seeing old acquaintances in the Blubberhouses neighbourhood, and his visit to the schoolhouse at Timble and his talk to the children.

At a meeting of Guiseley District Council Coun Stephenson asked if the surveyor had drawn anyone’s attention to the step in front of the Drop Inn. Most of them would know that there was a step which stood out 20 inches. People were continually running their ankles against it. He had asked the owners of the place if they would grant leave to have six or seven inches taken off it. Coun Stephenson: There is a considerable drop just there. The Chairman: Yes, isn’t it the Drop Inn? It was decided that the matter should receive attention.

75 years ago

Reference to traffic control ‘islands’ which have been placed at the junctions at the Fox & Hounds and Hare & Hounds at Menston was made at a meeting of the Parish Council this week. For a long time the Council has been pressing for some form of traffic warning or control at these points and have strongly urged that robots should be provided. Temporary wooden ‘islands’ have been placed in the road, apparently as an experiment.

It was learned yesterday that the first batch of ‘Darby and Joan’ bungalows which Otley Council are erecting off Station Road, will be ready for occupation by the end of January. The scheme provides for 24 houses, which will be let to aged people and the cost will be about £5,880. It was anticipated that the first houses would be completed before Christmas, but there has been some delay.

The £7,000 waterworks scheme undertaken by Otley Urban District Council is progressing steadily. The scheme consists of the construction of a small service reservoir in Weston Woods on the present pipe line from the reservoir at March Ghyll to Otley and for the conservation of the two supplies near Menston, known as the Bore Hole and Gooseland Well. Work began on the scheme three months ago and there is enough work yet for three months for the 40 men who are at present employed on the two jobs.

50 years ago

Freak road conditions at Bramhope kept motor patrol officers from Otley busy for three hours early on New Year’s Day, coping with a series of motor accidents that took place on patches of black ice on the Otley-Leeds road, between Bramhope Church and Breary crossroads. Between midnight and 3am, four people were taken to Leeds Infirmary, several cars were damaged and a police patrol car was run into twice.

The West Riding Standing Joint Committee (the Police Authority) have included the first phase of the building of a new Divisional Police Headquarters at Otley in their building programme for 1959-1960. Total cost of the new headquarters will be £60,000. The new headquarters is to be built on land at Bridge Street.

When what appeared to be smoke was seen coming from the projection room at Otley Beech Hill cinema on Boxing Day, Otley Fire Brigade was called in. It was found that the call was a ‘false alarm with good intent’. Owing to some flaw in a boiler, steam was escaping through the projection room roof, giving the effect of smoke.

25 years ago

The task of coping with more than 2,000 visitors to Otley Museum during the past 12 months was only the tip of the museum iceberg, reports the museum keeper, Mr Paul Wood.

The work connected with disseminating information and answering inquiries had increased considerably and the information retrieval system had grown to such an extent that there were now 10,238 cross references on just one company’s printing machine orders. During the year a wide range of additions had been made to the Museum collection, said Mr Wood, varying from the industrial archives of Otley’s printing engineering industry to flint tools and a pepperbox pistol.

Mr Robert Ogden, chairman of the Ogden Group of companies based at Otley, has been awarded the CBE in the New Year’s Honours List. The company, which has expanded from a small family business to a thriving concern with a world-wide reputation, is a winner of the Queen’s award for industry and deals in quarry equipment manufacture, construction and quarry plant sales, hire demolition, explosives, stone and non ferrous metals.

About 200 people attended New Year festivities at the Hogmanay Carnival held at Otley Civic Centre by Otley and District Caledonian Society. During the evening, a fancy dress competition was held. Bagpipes were also played and music was provided by the Paul Martin Road Show.