GROANS will have gone up from small businessmen all over the country as the Government announced it is considering improving maternity and paternity rights yet again. More paid time off for mothers and paid time off for fathers is envisaged. The Government
The Bradford Union junior golfer of the year competition has ended in a tie for the first time. Cleckheaton's Lee Shepherd went into Sunday's final event of the season - the junior matchplay championship - needing to win to make sure of finishing outright
Bradford City are prepared to listen to any big-money offers for Matt Clarke. Boss Jim Jefferies today hinted the £5 million-rated City goalkeeper - a star so far this season - could move on if the right deal came along. Clarke, 27, is less than halfway
Dan Petrescu must find top gear again if he wants to feature in Bradford City's survival plans. Boss Jim Jefferies axed the Romanian international for the win over Coventry last Saturday, signalling his intention that nobody has an automatic place in
BUTCHERS in Wharfedale and Aireborough have been given a clean bill of health. Environmental officers from Leeds City Council have been busy over the past few months visiting butchers shops. As part of a new government licensing scheme, butchers have
RESIDENTS of Burley Woodhead are keeping up their aim to put the hamlet on the map - with a Christmas tree and lights. The tree is the first the hamlet has put up in many years. It has been placed adjacent to recently commandeered stones, carved with
A VILLAGE playground may be in line to receive a £5,000 grant for environmental improvements from a company set up to distribute cash from landfill tax. Bramhope Parish Council has high hopes it will be awarded cash by Green Leeds for extensive landscaping
RESIDENTS who were made prisoners in their own homes by drainage repairs at their old people's complex were celebrating this week after work was suspended. Tenants complained that they were unable to leave their homes at Hanover Gardens, in Burley-in-Wharfedale
BRADFORD City Football Club is to get a new football academy in Apperley Bridge after the Government raised no objection. The Department of Transport, Environment and The Regions has said that it will not hold a public inquiry into the planning application
A THIEF drove off in a £6,800 S-reg Citroen Saxo - after telling the car salesman he wanted to hear what the engine sounded like. The man asked for the keys to the car, and when the salesman from Randerson of Horsforth turned his back, the man drove off
VILLAGERS are being asked to pay 28 per cent more for the services of their parish council than they did last year. Bramhope parish councillors have decided to charge the parish a total of £45,000 for the next year, up from £35,000 last year, despite
A BOOK honouring one of Guiseley's great unsung heroes has been released this week. A 'Tale of Two Trusts' is an account of the two charitable trusts which were funded by Guiseley entrepreneur and millionaire Frank Parkinson, who was born in the township
MORE than two dozen African choristers have enjoyed a three-night stay in Pool-in-Wharfedale as part of a world tour. The members of the African Children's Choir used Pool as a base for two concerts in Leeds Town Hall over the weekend. Two youngsters,
DISTRAUGHT residents are still clearing up after a burst sewer spewed filthy water into their homes. Part of Westgate and Piper Lane in Otley are still closed after more than a week following the collapse of an underground sewer. Fifteen houses were flooded
Today's school league tables - based on English, science and maths tests for 11-year-olds - are very disappointing for Bradford. Extremely poor results mean the district's education authority is ranked 148th out of 150 in the country. Many people will
Staff at Bradford's National Car Rental are celebrating after achieving Investors in People accreditation. National is one of the first major car rental companies to get the award - a national standard which sets a level of good practice for improving
James Wills realised a lifetime ambition when he experienced an introduction to helicopter flying with multiflight at Leeds Bradford Airport. Soaring over West Yorkshire he discovered all you need for the first step in becoming a helicopter pilot is a
A LIFELINE has been thrown to working parents in a small South Craven village. Education bosses have highlighted Lothersdale as being badly in need of childcare places. Now a group has come forward to set up a "before and after school club" which will
STAINFORTH postmen are in for a treat next week as the village post office moves to its new home at the village pub, the Craven Heifer. Deliveries at the village local now include not only pints but post, thanks to new landlady Debbie Prior who will be
PENSIONERS on Princes Drive, Skipton, feel that they are living on a building site as their neighbours are blocked from view because of skips, site cabins and rubbish. Elaine and Morris Carter thought they were moving to a quiet retirement bungalow two-and-a-half-years
STREETS, shops and hostelries in Grassington were full of visitors on Saturday, who had made the journey to the first of the village's three Dickensian Christmas festivals. Thousands of people flocked into the village with coaches arriving from throughout
REPAIRS to Silsden's historic parish church tower might have to wait until at least March next year. The church has already raised £70,000 of the £103,000 needed to carry out the work. But church officials are hanging on the statement of Chancellor Gordon
POLICE recovered a stolen car after a high-speed chase from the Aire Valley trunk road all the way to Pudsey in Leeds. Skipton traffic constables Les Moorhouse and Dave Clayton were on patrol in the early hours of Tuesday morning when they spotted a silver
TEXTILE production at Cowling ended this week with the closure of its last working mill. As the Herald reported last week, the Hartley mill has shut, with staff and production transferred to Weavestyle at Silsden. Staff held a get-together this week to
A REVIEW of the future of Skipton General Hospital which could lead to the site being redeveloped for health care is being resurrected. It could result in the demolition of the existing buildings and a new purpose-built health facility being put in place
THE new owners of Wells House, the Grade II Listed former Ilkley College building, want to restore the former gardens which were built more than 40 years ago. The college teaching blocks which were added to the site in the 1950s have now been demolished
A LOVE of rugby must be in the blood of one family - five generations have played for an Ilkley team. The sport has been carried through the family line and support shouted from the touchlines since the 19th century. Wilfred Wood was the first member
A FED-UP vicar is hoping divine intervention may help where mortal efforts have failed. The Rev Brian Gregory, of St John the Evangelist Church, in Ben Rhydding, is asking his congregation to pray for the broken clock outside his church - after repeated
IN a week when rail chaos intensified, a railway watchdog has blasted train operators Northern Spirit. Helen Kidman, chairman of Wharfedale Rail Users Group, said she was outraged at its decision not to refund Metro passes bought during the flood fiasco
FREE car parking promised to shoppers in Ilkley during a festive day of fun failed to materialise - because Bradford Council forgot to put the signs up. Crowds turned up to the Christmas Festivities Day, on November 25, which included the switching on
SIR, I was interested to read in the Wharfedale Observer of November 30 the article entitled Hospital road has bad crash record, not least because this seems to have come as somewhat of a surprise to Leeds City Council, in particular Councillor Elizabeth
LAST week, dear reader, I fell out of character and found myself saying nice things about public servants, namely the doctors, nurses, cooks and cleaners of the battered but not yet bowed National Health Service. Perhaps I felt the Christmas spirit coming
Crag Road ...1 Otley Town ...2 OTLEY Town made the short visit to Apperley Bridge a successful one when they beat fellow West Riding County Amateur League Premier Division strugglers, Crag Road. The match was played on a pitch, which although had dried
Pool...4 Wetherby...1 POOL welcomed Wetherby for this rearranged fixture. For 20 minutes the large crowd must have thought Christmas had come early as Pool kept giving the ball to Wetherby at regular intervals and conceded a goal to their lowly positioned
Baildon Trinity Ath ..... 2 Eastmore Albion Res .... 3 Baildon Trinity switched this 2nd round tie to their opponents ground to ensure that the match went ahead - but in the end must have regretted it. They started the game as clear favourites and for
Bramley Pheonix Park...18 Old Otliensians...10 FROM the side that beat Heath a week earlier Otliensians were forced to make several changes due to injury and unavailability for this Shield game at The Warrels. Will Haines made his first team debut at
Yarnbury...7 Scarborough...22 YARNBURY produced their worst performance for many a year when they were comprehensively beaten 22-7 by Scarborough at home in the Yorkshire Shield on Saturday. A committed and passionate 'Boro side stared well against a
GUISELEY'S West Riding County Cup game against Eccleshill United on Tuesday night was called off at teatime due to the weather. It means yet another fixture to rearrange in Guiseley's already busy backlog of matches in both UniBond Division One and the
BEDFORD...16 OTLEY...15 THE one point defeat dropped Otley to next to bottom of the table an unlikely result regarding the superiority gained by the magnificent pack. It was however, the old handicap which deprived them of victory, that of conceding penalties
A Bradford University student showed food was no obstacle at a local curry house after demolishing a giant naan bread as part of a competition. Philip Dangerfield, 25, ate the 3ft by 2ft plain naan with a Balti dish at Omar's Balti House in Great Horton
Campaigners lost a battle to save their playing fields when Bradford Council licensing panel rejected an application to have the land declared a village green. The designation for the Jenny Lane site in Baildon would have protected it from development
A travelling salesman spoke today of his horror at discovering thieves had stolen £30,000 worth of watches from the boot of his car. And the 29-year-old sales rep says he is convinced he was followed to Shipley's Ibis Hotel by the thieves, possibly after
Record numbers of movie fans are flocking to Bradford to feel the full Force of the Star Wars phenomenon. Busy staff at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, are bracing themselves to welcome the 30,000th visitor to the Art of Star
Jazz fan Peter Dolphin has been left feeling blue by thieves after they stole his prized saxophone - believed to be one of only six such models in the world. The 62-year-old from Queensbury has had the rare 1927 Adolphe baritone saxophone for two decades
Plans for the new £60 million Odsal Stadium were today hailed as "workable and impressive" by residents. David Warburton, a leading campaigner for residents wanting the right scheme for both Bradford Bulls and locals, gave a thumbs-up to proposals by
A club owner has lost his bid to bring strippers back to Bradford, despite claiming a ban broke human-rights laws. The council's licensing panel last night refused an application by Ronnie Thompson for the restriction to be removed from his entertainment
Victims of festive burglaries are getting a timely security warning from police urging them to reduce the risk of repeat heartache. Officers at Bradford's Toller Lane police division are contacting 224 people who suffered a burglary or attempted break-in
Anger erupted today as councillors prepared to debate what nappies the area's babies should wear. A notice of motion to Bradford Council next week calls for two committees to look at ways of encouraging parents to use 'real' nappies instead of disposables
A heartbroken father today expressed his total bewilderment at finding his 'witty' teenage son hanged. Police officer Keith Woodthorpe is in shock after finding the body of his 14-year-old son, Michael, at his ex-wife's home in Denholme. Mr Woodthorpe
ILKLEY VETERANS...21 WEST PARK BRAMHOPE...3 ILKLEY produced one of their most committed performances to record a fine victory over a very good West Park Bramhope side. With the main pitch unfair for play Ilkley were forced onto the adjoining field and
SIR - In response to your article about Dr Adrian Minford headlined "Outrage as doctor refuses to see child" (T&A, November 21), I would like to tell you about my experience. When my daughter was 22 months old, she was rushed into St Luke's and put
LAST week, dear reader, I fell out of character and found myself saying nice things about public servants, to whit the doctors, nurses, cooks and cleaners of the battered but not yet bowed National Health Service. Perhaps I felt the Christmas spirit coming
Adel 3, Bradford 5: Bradford eased up in the last ten minutes, but were still comfortable winners over Adel in Yorkshire Men's Hockey League Division One. Adel started positively and made it hard work in the early exchanges as Bradford tried to establish
MEMBERS of a historic hospital social club are counting on the help of four MPs in their bid to preserve the club when the hospital land is sold off. The 550-member High Royds Sports and Social Club fears it could go out of existence if the land is snapped
HEALTH watchdogs are to carry out spot checks of the Accident and Emergency Department at Leeds General Infirmary. Following complaints by Otley Town Council about the standard of service at the hospital's A and E department, Leeds Community Health Council
OUTLINE plans for a new Wharfedale Hospital in Otley have been submitted. Just three months after plans to build the new hospital off Pool Road fell through, a second application for a hospital on the current site in Newall Carr Road has been submitted
ADVENTUROUS former Prince Henry's students are planning trips of a lifetime - to the furthest corners of the world. Jamie Seymour is planning to go to Belize and Central America with Raleigh International. And Anna Saunders is off to Peru to take part
YOUNG people will be behind a Queen's Golden Jubilee project on Otley Chevin. Plans are under way to encourage wildlife and new planting on the Chevin. And it is hoped the hundreds of schoolchildren, guides and scouts who take part will look back in the
VILLAGERS have reacted with anger to the latest in a long line of 'alien' plans to build yet more houses in Pool-in-Wharfedale. Parish councillors reacted with dismay on Monday night when they considered plans by B&S Brick and Stone Ltd for 19 houses
FURIOUS new home owners have fired a broadside at property giant Bryant Homes over the state of their new houses. New residents of a Rawdon housing estate, built on the former Storey Evan printing works, claim there are problems throughout the houses.
A DETAILED plan aimed at restoring one of Horsforth's most historic buildings is expected to be made public by mid-January. A group of trustees are hoping to launch an ambitious £300,000 National Lottery bid, which could be part funded by the city council
AN emergency appeal to boost a junior sports club devastated in a recent arson attack has touched the hearts of the community - but it has sparked a row at Otley Town Council. Since last week, an excellent £440 has been donated to the Weston Lane Walk
TWO masked men sprayed a woman in the face with CS Gas to get into her Guiseley home and steal two valuable diamond rings during a terrifying robbery. The woman, who lives in a large detached house in Westway, was alerted to a 'funny' smell which seemed
TWO public-spirited people could hold the key to solving the mysterious death of a man on Otley Chevin. Sydney Sharp, from Pudsey, was found dead in woodland close to a small cave at Caley Craggs off the A660 Leeds Road just before 11.30am last Wednesday
In 1783, William Pitt became Prime Minister and Chancellor at the age of 24. In 1941, Japan launched an attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbour. In 1988, over 100,000 people were feared dead in a massive earthquake in northern Armenia. From the Telegraph
Construction supply business RMC is to sell its Great Mills chain of DIY superstores to Focus Do It All for £285 million, RMC said today. The Great Mills chain comprises 98 DIY superstores throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The chain has a store
HOW many people do you see each day? Of those, how many do you meet? By meet, I mean actually make contact with. Our society is becoming increasingly isolated. More and more people travel to work in their cars, usually alone. At home we shop on the internet
COWLING residents are demanding action to rid part of the village of an eyesore. Householders in Ickornshaw say they are fed up with looking at an abandoned chapel, which is in a bad state of repair. And they descended on the parish council this week
A MALHAM resident could face enforcement action if he does not remove two gateposts at the entrance to his drive. Officers for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority could be told to take legal action if Jonathan Cawood, of Riverside Barn, does not
A SCHEME to provide a regular break for carers of elderly people in North Craven is being forced to end due to a shortfall in funding. Age Concern North Craven is reluctantly ending its Relief Care Scheme at the end of the year because the charity can
OVER 2,000 people in Skipton High Street cheered and applauded as the festive lights were switched on and fireworks released to celebrate Christmas 2000 on Friday night. From Whitaker's to Nat West the street was packed with people waiting to see the
NEW Yorker Eileen Mullard experienced an overwhelming sense of dj vu when she read about Ilkley's Internet love match in last week's Gazette. For the story of how Mrs Mullard met her husband, Maurice, is almost identical to that of Trevor and Geri Allonby
A GENEROUS donation could put potentially life-saving equipment at the heart of Ilkley. The trustees of Ilkley Community Fund pledged to give £800 for a defibrillator. The equipment, which can help restore a normal heartbeat, will be housed at Spring
A TREASURE trove of medieval artefacts could lie underneath an old police station in Addingham, it was revealed this week. The former police house, on Church Street, stands on land which is believed to be the site of a medieval settlement. It was bought
A STROKE of luck has allowed an Ilkley man to provide some comfort to a woman seeking to piece together the painful story of her past. Tom Booth was able to offer some consolation to Audrey Ashton, after reading in the Ilkley Gazette the tragic tale of
CALLS to return two of Ilkley's most important historical relics to the town centre were renewed this week as evidence emerged showing them left in woodland The Roman altar stone and its 17th century replica, which have stood at Myddelton Lodge for centuries
SHE could barely read or write. She was always bottom of the class. Time after time, adults told her she was thick. Tragically, she almost believed them. That is a pretty tough start in life for any youngster, written off before she even got into her
SIR - I would like to comment on one aspect of Nicholas Gee's defence of the proposed development at Carleton Road-Burnside (Craven Herald letters, December 1). In his letter Mr Gee states "it is intended to access the proposed development from Carleton
A misadventure verdict has been recorded on a retired lecturer who died after undergoing surgery. Alan Kinsey Wilson, 70, was admitted to the Dewsbury District Hospital last March after being diagnosed with rectal cancer. Bradford Coroner's Court heard
Caf owner Malcolm Chapman got more than he bargained for when he supplied lashings of bacon sandwiches and mugs of tea to workmen. In return, they handed over their money -- and a string of old photographs and magazines about Bingley. The owner of Cafe
Guiseley Rangers 28 pts - Calder Valley Rams 38 pts. The venue for this fixture was reversed during the week but Rangers could not make use of the home advantage, and yet again lost a game that should have been won. It seems to be a case of nothing going
Baildon Trinity U15s ..... 3 Skipton Town U15s ........ 1 Baildon Trinity U15s also switched their 2nd round tie to their opponents' ground because of the unfit state of the home pitch. Both sides provided end to end entertaining football in what turned
Aireborough...14 Moortown...17 WITH a walkover in their cup game, Aireborough paid the price of having no replacements when they finished this rearranged game with 13 men in a narrow defeat against opposition from two divisions higher. They took the lead
BENTON Park School's senior hockey team are through to the final of the Leeds City tournament. They played at Adel Hockey Club against Allerton High, Wetherby High, Lawnswood, Horsforth and Allerton Grange. The team won all their matches 1-0 with goals
THE brothers Tindall shared a Mini, battled for top honours and finished first and second in their class at the Ilkley Motor Club's production car trial at Bolton Abbey on Sunday where 15 drivers contested 24 test hills and a slippery grass surface. After
Stallholders are making suggestions to improve Shipley's Market Square following a bitter row over its future. Ideas being mooted include bringing music to the square from a temporary bandstand and a new regular Wednesday market. Meanwhile stallholders
Hard-hit education in Bradford faced another blow today as primary league tables showed the authority was the third worst in Britain. The district's education authority is ranked 148 out of 150 in the country. But the key stage two results tables do show
Ripon City Panthers Under-10's A...2 Ilkley Juniors Under-10's A...3 IN their most challenging fixture to date, Ilkley made the journey to Ripon for their second Round Main Cup draw. A brief lapse of concentration in defence was punished well by Ripon's
Ilkley...2 Hampsthwaite...3 AN early Christmas celebration for lowly Hampsthwaite as Ilkley gifted them three festive goals before trying to spoil the party by forcing a late draw. Despite this late surge, Ilkley players produced a lacklustre performanceagainst
100 years ago SKIPTON's court would never be empty these days if police took the line of a Barnoldswick constable in 1900. Three Barnoldswick were fined 2s 6d each for obstructing a footpath on the town's Church Street. A police constable told the court
