Review of the Year 2012

JANUARY

Around 1,600 properties in Steeton were left without gas when high winds damaged supply equipment. The roof was blown from a kiosk in Thornhill Road and the device inside, known as a gas governor, damaged. The system automatically shut down to stop gas escaping. Northern Gas Networks set up a customer drop-in centre at the Sailors and Soldiers Club in the village – where heaters and hot plates were available for collection – and a second facility was opened at Keighley Leisure Centre to supply hot food, drinks and sandwiches for affected customers.

Keighley Cougars were using sport to help young criminals get back on the straight and narrow, it was revealed. The rugby league team was running two projects to help Keighley offenders keep out of trouble and fit into the local community. Sports sessions were being run for over-18s on probation, and Cougars project workers had begun coaching at Wetherby young offenders’ institution to build up relationships with offenders from the area so that sessions could continue after release.

Parents who broke parking rules outside a primary school were warned they would be prosecuted under tough new safety measures. New signs and traffic regulation orders were to be put in place at Long Lee Primary, allowing civil enforcement officers to take action.

A Silsden author travelled to the United States for the world launch of his latest book. Peter J Murray chose New York for the unveiling of the fourth instalment in his Mokee Joe series of children’s novels. Around 1,500 youngsters from across the city gathered at the Apollo Theatre, Harlem, for the launch of Mokee Joe-Mutant Resurrection.

Council chiefs launched an investigation after a lorry spilled a large quantity of animal waste across a Keighley town centre road. South Street was turned into a putrid mess after the lorry shed its load, forcing police officers to close the road from the High Street roundabout to the junction with Worth Way.

The former Keighley College building in North Street was put up for sale. Bradford Council invited tenders for the four-storey property, at the junction with Cavendish Street. It wanted the building to remain standing rather than be demolished and suggested in the advertisement that it could be for education.

At least 200 people paid tribute to the heroism of a former Worth Valley police community support officer who was killed fighting in Afghanistan. They assembled outside Haworth’s Worth Valley police and community contact point in honour of Private Martin Bell, who was awarded a posthumous George Medal for his actions in trying to save a fellow soldier which resulted in him losing his life in 2011. A memorial plaque commemorating his life was unveiled by his mother, Elaine Bell. The ceremony took place exactly one year after 24-year-old Pte Bell was killed in Helmand Province.

A massive search was launched in a derelict Keighley building after part of the roof collapsed, sparking fears someone could be trapped beneath the rubble. A specialist fire service search and rescue team – with a sniffer dog – was called in to sift through the debris at the Harold Town building, in Chesham Street. Firefighters remained at the scene for about six hours but found no-one.

FEBRUARY

A Keighley mum spoke of a five-year battle to get justice for her son who was killed when his head was crushed by a grab machine on a building site. She was speaking after Skipton-based construction company JN Bentley Ltd was fined more than £100,000 for causing the death of 23-year-old Steven Allen, in a “tragedy of enormous proportions”. Mr Allen died after the machine closed on his head while working for the company at a site in Manningham, on March 9, 2007. A judge at Bradford Crown Court fined JN Bentley £106,250 for its “significant” health and safety failings.

Cliffe Castle Museum would close to the public for 12 months to allow major repair work, it was announced. The popular Keighley museum would shut its doors on April 2 for essential upgrades costing an estimated £370,000.

Allan Clough, Glusburn’s “Mr Panto”, died aged 87. The retired engineering firm boss was best known for his work with stage productions at Glusburn Institute. He received an MBE for his services to the community in 2000. And another amateur theatre stalwart, Fredric Pye, died aged 95. The last surviving founder member of Keighley Playhouse, he was the leading light of the theatre group when it was known as Keighley Little Theatre.

There was a major double blow for Keighley on the jobs front. It was revealed the iconic Peter Black name would disappear from the town forever as parent company Li & Fung prepared to relocate to a new office in Manchester, affecting 62 workers. And Keighley’s second-largest private-sector firm, Oakworth Joinery, closed with the loss of 170 jobs.

The owner of a Keighley fish and chip restaurant extensively damaged in a blaze vowed the business would rise from the ashes. Steve Adkin told the Keighley News that it may be months rather than weeks, but the Wilsons Fish Restaurant, in Lawkholme Lane would reopen. At the height of the incident, around 25 firefighters fought the blaze – which started in a cooking range. The restaurant reopened in May.

Achievement would double at University Academy Keighley within two years, pledged its tough-talking new head. Gareth Dawkins said changes would turn around the former Greenhead High School and fulfil the potential of its students.

Plans were unveiled for 96 new homes at Woodhouse. At least ten of the houses would be rented out at “affordable” levels and others would be sold to private buyers. The £11 million scheme would complete the regeneration of the former council estate after the demolition of 82 houses and flats. The first phase, completed in 2010, provided 19 rented family homes and eight private homes around Woodhouse Close and Way. The latest planning application was submitted to Bradford Council by Incommunities – the landownwer – and its preferred developer Skipton Properties.

A former senior Conservative councillor had been rejected by his group to defend his seat at Bradford Council’s elections in May, it was revealed. The decision to oust Craven ward councillor Adrian Naylor had been made in a secret ballot by a panel of judges selected by the Keighley and Ilkley Conservative Association. Coun Naylor subsequently stood in the elections as an Independent and retained his seat.

MARCH

A hospital trust won a contract to supply telemedicine services to one of the UK’s most notorious prisons. Airedale Hospital would provide its groundbreaking video link facilities to Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight, it was announced. The jail once housed infamous killers including Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, Moors Murderer Ian Brady and the Kray twins. Airedale NHS Foundation Trust would also provide its telemedicine service to the island’s two other prisons, Camp Hill and Albany, to treat inmates and advise medical staff.

A Silsden mum who went to the aid of a distraught young girl after a road crash was commended for her actions. Lesley Smith, of Charlton Grove, helped the four-year-old keep warm and comforted her until emergency services arrived at the scene. She even went with the youngster in an ambulance to Airedale Hospital. The mum-of-three received a police Divisional Commander’s Commendation in recognition of her efforts.

A Keighley head teacher stressed his determination to make his school “outstanding” in three years, following a pupil protest against the introduction of stricter rules. Oakbank head David Maxwell said the rules were designed to combat low-level classroom disruption and poor punctuality. He spoke out after a Facebook group was set up by a pupil opposed to the new system, which attracted several hundred other students, and there was a protest in the school grounds.

Plans by Tesco to open a superstore in Silsden were welcomed by local councillors. They said a new supermarket would bring desperately-needed jobs to Silsden while cutting town-centre congestion. They claimed it could also keep money in the town without having an adverse effect on existing small traders on the main street.

A Keighley ex-serviceman who wanted to place flowers in memory of soldiers killed in Afghanistan found the gates to the town’s war memorial locked. George Gill was seeking to pay tribute to five soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment who had died in a bomb blast. He said he was forced to throw his flowers over the railings in Town Hall Square to try to reach the memorial. The war memorial was fenced off in 2007 to prevent it being damaged by skateboarders and stunt bike riders. Town council clerk Miggy Bailey said a sign by the railings stated that a key was available at the town hall.

A West Morton woman won two first prizes in the same day with her dogs at Crufts. Diane Garratt entered her bull mastiff sisters Squishy and Darcy in the UK’s top dog competition. Darcy, officially known as Medjezelbab Grandma’s Girl at March Manor, was judged to be top junior bitch. Squishy, known as Fowlerheight Red River at March Manor, came first in the limit class.

A Keighley annual charity run and walk smashed its fundraising record, coining in a massive £45,000 for the Oxenhope Sue Ryder hospice Manorlands. An unprecedented number of people took part in the fifth annual BigK 10K event, following a route across Keighley. A total of 950 crossed the finishing line in Victoria Park, raising £17,000 more than the previous year’s total in the process. l One of the oldest shops in Keighley, sports retailer Willis Walker, announced it was to close. The Cavendish Street outlet, run by Willis’s grandsons, Andrew and Tony, would shut the following month after 93 years in the town. The pair said they were finally giving up after several years fighting cheaper competition from the internet and sports superstores. In his younger days, Retford-born Willis had a distinguished career playing cricket for Nottinghamshire and goalkeeping for Doncaster Rovers, Leeds United and South Shields.

APRIL

Judges and staff gathered to mark the closure of Keighley’s last court. District Judge Gordon Lingard outlined the history of Keighley County Court before presiding over the final day’s cases. He was joined by His Honour Judge Robert Bartfield in the historic building, on North Street. The County Court, like Keighley Magistrates’ Court which had closed the previous December, was one of many across the UK shutting due to Government cost cuts. Most of the civil cases from Keighley would now be heard at Skipton.

Princess Anne officially opened the new Keighley Civic Centre, developed by the town council. During her visit to the former police station, in North Street, she was shown around the visitor centre, cafe and police contact point and then toured the old cells, housing crime scene reconstructions and displays of police memorabilia. She then visited the forensics lab to chat with pupils from University Academy Keighley, Oakbank School and Our Lady of Victories Primary School, met invited guests and finally unveiled a plaque.

Councillors backed a £30 million scheme to build the biggest shopping development of its kind in Keighley for two decades. More than 600 jobs could be created at the new Worth Valley Shopping Centre, to be built between Gresley Road and East Parade. District councillors agreed planning permission for the scheme, which will include an eight-screen cinema and 14 shopping units in nearly 15,000 sq feet of floor space, despite concerns over traffic congestion and drawing trade away from existing town centre shops.

Thermal clothing giant Damart revealed plans to make up to 50 staff redundant at its premises in Steeton and Bingley. The mail order company, which had 700 workers across the two sites, said it had begun a consultation process with staff. A spokesman said staff numbers had to be reduced by up to 50 in order to increase the company’s efficiency in the competitive retail environment.

The Sangat Community Centre in Keighley dedicated a garden to the memory of one of its volunteers. Children planted sunflowers at the site, which honours Keighley man Qamar Iqbal. The garden transformed a disused space at the side of the building, in Marlborough Street, so people could sit and relax there.

Plans to demolish a derelict canalside warehouse to make way for housing were approved. Keighley Area Planning Panel gave the go-ahead for the building, alongside the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Bar Lane, Riddlesden, to be bulldozed and replaced with 14 homes – despite 87 letters of objection. The application had also received 23 letters and e-mails of support. Nearby Puffer Parts Ltd said the scheme would obstruct its collection and delivery vehicles and other objections included that the new development would be out of character with its surroundings.

A woman originally from Keighley was imprisoned in Israel after trying to travel to the Palestinian West Bank. Paveen Yaqub was arrested alongside other campaigners after flying in to Tel Aviv on their way to Bethlehem. Ms Yaqub, an ex-pupil of the former Greenhead High School in Keighley, had been aboard an aid flotilla attacked by Israeli soldiers in 2010. She was on a ship bound for Gaza when Israeli troops boarded it and killed nine Turkish nationals. She was herself imprisoned, deported and put on an Israeli ‘blacklist’.

The Keighley News made the headlines itself when the newspaper celebrated its 150th anniversary. We published a special 16-page supplement and received messages of congratulations from Prince Charles and Prime Minister David Cameron.

MAY

Taxi drivers who were charging up to double the normal fare for wheelchair users were warned they faced prosecution. Private hire companies were told by Bradford Council they had six months to comply with equality regulations and stop charging the higher rates. It followed a campaign by Keighley disability group People First, which claimed many local private hire companies were charging up to double for the larger vehicles that could carry wheelchairs. People First, which is run by people with learning disabilities, said this amounted to discrimination against the physically disabled.

A seven-year-old boy who was confined to a wheelchair after being diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a baby was “thrilled” to be able to walk to school for the first time. Classmates, family and friends welcomed Evan Whitton as he reached the gates of Hothfield Junior School in Hothfield Street, Silsden, completing the demanding walk from his home. Surgery in the United States had enabled him to walk with the aid of sticks. He was accompanied on his momentous school journey by wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft, who later won two gold medals at the summer’s Paralympic Games in London.

Keighley’s Royal British Legion revealed it had lost its battle to save its local headquarters. The branch said the two-storey terraced building in Lord Street would be sold, because the cost of restoring and keeping it could not be justified. Officials were trying to trace people who had given money to a fund to restore the building, so their donations could be returned.

Labour was victorious in Keighley in the Bradford Council elections, with candidates from the party retaining or winning seats in all three town wards – Keighley East saw the return of Malcolm Slater, a new councillor in Keighley West, Adrian Farley,was elected while Coun Khadim Hussain successfully defended his Keighley Central seat. The Conservatives enjoyed success In Bingley Rural, where Coun Margaret Eaton held her seat, and in Worth Valley, with Coun Russell Brown voted back in. Coun Adrian Naylor, standing as an Independent, won in Craven ward.

Union bosses feared more than 40 jobs could be put in jeopardy at Airedale Hospital after health chiefs announced a review of its laundry service. Unison, the union which represents staff working for the laundry service at the hospital, said the workers could struggle to find similar jobs. Airedale NHS Foundation Trust confirmed it was in consultation with staff and unions about the future of the service, which would need “major investment” to keep it going. No decision has yet been made.

Tourist attractions and traders in Haworth, together with local councillors, welcomed news that wheel clampers were to be banned from operating on private land. Campaigners had been battling for more than a decade to rid the Bronte village’s notorious Changegate car park of its clampers, following years of negative publicity about their behaviour driving away tourists.

Badger baiting by “sick, twisted” people was rife in the Keighley area, it was claimed. RSPCA special investigator Carroll Lamport was speaking after the battle by the charity and police wildlife investigators to track down offenders was given a boost with the jailing of a Keighley man, who admitted causing his dog to fight a badger. She said she hoped the 23-week jail term would act as a strong deterrent.

Former soldier and boxer Coun George Metcalf was elected Keighley’s town mayor. His wife, Nanette, became mayoress. Coun Sally Walker was elected deputy mayor. The mayor’s chosen charities were announced as Keighley and Airedale Cancer Support and the Airedale Hospital children’s ward.

JUNE

Thousands of people across the Keighley district joined in four days of celebrations to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Schools, village and community organisations, parish and town councils, churches and pubs were among those who staged a variety of events, ranging from music festivals and fun days to services of thanksgiving.

Horse riders demanded action after four horses suffered electric shocks in two separate incidents on a dirt track in Oakworth. The shocks, believed to have been caused by an electricity supply fault, led to three of the horses bolting, while a fourth knocked over his owner, who was leading him home. Both incidents took place at the western end of Spring Head Road. Northern Power Grid said technicians were aware of the problem and were investigating.

Keighley Town Council had a bid to run Keighley Market rejected – but was told it could run the toilets there instead. Bradford Council’s chief executive Tony Reeves made the suggestion in a letter responding to the town council’s request to take over public services in the town, including car parks, the market and tourism promotion. In his response, Mr Reeves said the last time the idea of Keighley Town Council taking over the market had been considered, the possibility was rejected by the market traders.

A delegation of German visitors was left shocked after being confronted by revellers dressed in Nazi SS officer uniforms at a wartime festival. Members of the 30-strong party from Bradford's twin town, Hamm, reacted in horror after people donned swastikas and other Nazi regalia during Haworth’s popular 1940s-style celebration. Two visitors to the wartime event were seen wearing the symbol of the SS – the Third Reich paramilitary organisation responsible for many of the atrocities against humanity in the Second World War. A member of the festival’s organising committee said it totally discouraged anybody from wearing the Nazi uniform and swastikas and asked people to be respectful.

Mountains of broken ceramics and bottles dating from Victorian times were recovered from the banks of the River Aire in Keighley. The items were collected during a clean-up led by staff from historic East Riddlesden Hall, whose grounds border the river. And young visitors to the 17th-century National Trust property – which the previous month had been named best small visitor attraction in England – were invited to help clean and log the artefacts, which would form part of artwork to be displayed at the site.

A man from Steeton had a miraculous escape when a car smashed into his house as he made a cup of tea. Bob Barras threw himself to the floor when the black Mercedes C220 crashed into the wall of the stone-built kitchen in the farmhouse he shared with his parents in Barrows Lane, Whitley Head. The force of the collision was “like an explosion” and sent large stones from the wall and a heavy granite worktop flying across the kitchen – just missing Mr Barras. The car had struck a lamp-post, spun on to the opposite side of the narrow country lane and into the kitchen window.

A former Keighley News reporter, a humanitarian aid worker from South Craven and a school governor were among those recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Ian Hargreaves, who began his journalistic career as a trainee reporter at the Keighley News in 1973-74 and was now Professor of Digital Economy at Cardiff University, was awarded a CBE. Farnhill woman Maggie Tookey, who had taken a leading role in the work of international relief agency Edinburgh Direct Aid, was awarded the MBE for services to humanitarian aid. And an MBE was also awarded to Brent Fitzpatrick, chairman of governors at Phoenix and Merlin Top schools in Keighley, for services to education.

Keighley people turned out in their thousands as the Olympic Torch relay arrived in town. Flag-waving crowds packed the route to cheer on the three torch-bearers – Catherine Bull, Rodger Davies and Jerry Ward. Celebratory activities were held in Church Green, Town Hall Square and around the Airedale Shopping Centre. Town mayor Councillor George Metcalf paid tribute to people for supporting the event in such numbers and spoke of his immense pride.

JULY

Plans were revealed for a major new playground in Cliffe Castle Park. The proposed play area, just below the existing playground, would have separate areas for three different age groups. Equipment would include a crawl tunnel, basket swing, wooden train and ship, and a sandpit. There would also be a wheelchair-accessible roundabout and an eight-metre-high tower with tube slide, climbing wall and scramble nets.

Heavy rain took its toll on activities planned across Keighley. Cross Roads & Lees Village Association’s annual gala and procession, the Oxenhope Millennium Green fete and an annual harness racing event planned by the Bronte Vintage Gathering group, in aid of Manorlands, were all among events cancelled. And Keighley Show, in early September, would also become a casualty of the soggy summer – it was called off due to the sodden state of the Marley field.

Twenty-five jobs were lost following the closure of a family-run timber firm, which had been forced out of business after suffering significant losses. CR Taylor (Timber) Ltd, which had operated in Denholme since 1960, suffered as customers such as major house builders forced down prices and squeezed its profit margins. But five jobs were saved in Bradford following the sale of part of the business to former chairman Charles Taylor, who would run the cash and carry timber business from its depot in Thornton Road.

Action had been taken to transform a Keighley troublespot, it was reported. Police and Council officers cracked down on rowdy groups, drinking, vandalism and grime in the Towngate plaza. The result, according to Bradford Council, was a more welcoming and safer space. Towngate, next to the post office, was built at the same time as the adjoining Keighley bus station in 2002 but had become a magnet for street drinkers and groups of young people.

Keighley baker Mike Armstrong spoke of his pride after his bread recipe was launched nationally by supermarket chain Sainsbury’s. Mike, who works in the Keighley branch’s bakery, won a national in-company competition with his beer and three cheeses loaf. He worked closely with a team at Sainsbury’s head office to turn the recipe into a commercially-viable product.

Around 1,000 people performed at this year’s Keighley Festival, according to one of its leading lights. Malcolm Hanson said he couldn’t thank the people of Keighley enough for supporting the event during its 2012 relaunch. “This has been without doubt the best Keighley Festival I’ve been involved with over the eight years I’ve helped in arranging the event,” he said.

Plans for £300,000 of improvements to Silsden Town Hall were revealed by Bradford Council. The scheme could include performance and exhibition space, and disabled access including a new entrance and a lift to the upper floor. Silsden library would be moved back into the town hall and its current building in nearby Wesley Place put on the market. Sale proceeds, estimated at £300,000, would fund the town hall improvements.

Thousands of fish died in Doe Park Reservoir at Denholme as a result of a pollution incident. A team of Environment Agency and Yorkshire Water staff were called to the site after reports of dead and distressed fish at the 20-acre reservoir, which is used for sailing and canoeing. Fisheries officers found roach, bream, perch and pike around the edges.

AUGUST

Church and community leaders in Keighley combined to condemn the “vile crime” of grooming children for sex. More than two dozen of the town’s most influential people put their names to a letter describing the practice as “morally, legally and spiritually wrong”. And they urged anyone with suspicions about possible perpetrators to contact the police. Signatories to the letter – sent to the Keighley News – included MP Kris Hopkins, district and town councillors and leading figures from the clergy, mosques and local organisations. The unprecedented initiative came just two days before the far-right English Defence League was due to hold a demonstration in the town against alleged sexual grooming. The demonstration went ahead without any serious incident.

An 80-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of killing his wife. Clem Callaghan was taken to Airedale Hospital after being found unconscious at the wheel of his car and the next morning police discovered the body of his 76-year-old wife Eileen at the couple’s home in Ivy Bank Lane, Haworth. Mr Callaghan was subsequently charged with murder and is awaiting trial.

Olympic canoeist Tim Baillie’s grandmother, from Keighley, spoke proudly of his gold medal success. Molly Jones followed Tim’s progress in the pairs canoe slalom on TV from her Utley home. Former nurse Molly, a health campaigner in Keighley for many years, phoned to congratulate Tim straight after he won a place in the finals. And she hosted a party with her carers and friends so they could watch 33-year-old Tim and canoeing partner Etienne Stott brave surging rapids to win gold for Great Britain.

Plans to axe Haworth’s retained fire station as part of a massive shake-up of fire service cover were revealed, sparking fears over public safety. The cost-cutting proposals by the West Yorkshire brigade also included the reduction of Keighley’s appliances from two to one. During a subsequent public consultation there was a massive number of objections and it was recommended that the Haworth station should be given a two-year stay of execution for a feasibility study into possible alternatives.

A new-homes developer was forced to take down dozens of advertising signs after an action group’s protest. Members of the Braithwaite and North Dean Action Group said “illegal” green and white signs advertising a new development had been put on public grassed areas and on street furniture around Keighley. A huge banner was even placed on the fence of Merlin Top School. Barratt Homes, which was building the new housing estate on fields to the west of North Dean Avenue, apologised and accepted the advertising signs were put up by contractors without proper authorisation.

Cliffe Castle cafe had lost 90 per cent of its custom following the closure of the nearby museum, claimed its owner. Cheryl Holdsworth said on some days there were no customers at the cafe, near the top of Cliffe Castle Park in Keighley. She said the summer holidays were usually busy, but this year she had only a handful of visitors if she was lucky. She was concerned the business might not survive until the museum reopened in spring.

Haworth Parish Church’s graveyard was slammed as “shameful”. Grass was waist-high at the site, close to the tourist honeypot of the Bronte Parsonage Museum. It was alleged some people couldn’t find the graves of family members due to the state of the area. Bradford Council blamed the weather conditions for rapid growth of the grass.

Keighley-district students once again achieved outstanding A-level and GCSE results. Some schools recorded their best-ever figures and there were some top-notch individual performances.

SEPTEMBER

A couple from the Keighley area fled for their lives as fire destroyed their dream home in Spain’s Costa del Sol. Roger and Nancy Holdsworth were helpless as the wildfire engulfed their £300,000 villa in La Mairena. They were among hundreds of British ex-pats and tourists who had to run for safety as flames ripped through forests near Marbella and Malaga. The fires raged for more than two days, fanned by strong winds. More than 400 firefighters tackled the inferno, aided by helicopters and planes.

Controversial plans to build an ultra-modern eco-home on the banks of an Oxenhope reservoir were refused. The proposals for the glass-fronted home, which would have been located close to 19th-century terraced houses near Leeming Reservoir, were turned down by Keighley and Shipley Area Planning Panel.

Lothersdale golden girl Danielle Brown successfully defended her Paralympic archery title at the Royal Artillery Barracks. The 24-year-old claimed a 6-4 win over team-mate Mel Clarke in a tense final of the women’s individual compound competition.

Tribute was paid to a Steeton lorry driver who died after being buried beneath a mound of animal feed. Malcolm Harrison, 64, was working inside a giant silo at the Port of Liverpool when the tragedy occurred. Eyewitnesses said he was trying to open the back of his wagon when a stockpile of soyabean meal collapsed on him.

A Keighley charity revealed plans to bring 25 houses back into use with £260,000 of Government funding. Housing service Keyhouse would renovate the houses then rent them to people on low incomes. Funding was being provided through the Government’s Empty Homes Community Grants Programme.

Villagers spoke of their disbelief after a soldier was killed in a so-called “green on blue” attack in Afghanistan. Sergeant Gareth Thursby – who with a colleague was shot dead when they went to the aid of a rogue Afghan policeman pretending to be injured – had attended South Craven School, in Cross Hills. People turned out in their thousands the following month for the funeral in Skipton of father-of-two Sgt Thursby, a member of the 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington’s). He had died just days before his 30th birthday.

A Braithwaite nursery issued a rallying call to nearby residents to help stop regular vandalism attacks. Keighley Community Nursery said it had suffered repeated problems since moving to the site off Braithwaite Avenue seven years ago. Fences were frequently broken, rubbish dumped and outdoor toys ruined, and a children’s playhouse had been torched. Money raised to buy equipment for the children was instead having to be spent on repairs to the outside of the building.

Age was no barrier to Riddlesden motorist Arthur Whitaker, who still enjoyed getting behind the wheel of his car despite clocking up his 100th birthday. Arthur, of Bradford Road, regularly used his Seat Arosa to attend lunches at Keighley Golf Club, where he had been a member since 1957. He started driving, a motorcycle, when he was 16.

OCTOBER

A woman who battled the odds to survive after being born 14 weeks early graduated from university. Nicola Golding, who had strived for success at school despite the premature birth 21 years ago leaving her with cerebral palsy, would return to Teesside University to receive her multimedia journalism degree. Nicola, from Ingrow, praised her parents and paid tribute to teachers and fellow students for their help and support throughout her time at Ingrow and Oakbank schools.

Congestion-busting measures in Keighley could be included in a £1 billion county-wide transport improvement package, it was revealed. Councillors proposed work to cut congestion in the town centre and on Hard Ings Road. But the measures would compete against almost 60 other potential schemes across West Yorkshire. The proposals were part of the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund, to pay for projects with potential for improving the region's economy.

A new English Baccalaureate planned to replace some GCSEs would see most students fail, a head teacher warned. Dr Andrew Cummings, of South Craven School, said the proposed change was misguided at best and morally wrong at worst. He added his voice to criticism expressed by the management of University Academy Keighley. The Government plans would mean a single end-of-course exam and one exam board for core subjects.

Top-level talks were demanded over the future of a prime town centre site. Civic bosses called for an urgent meeting with Bradford Council leader David Green to thrash out potential uses for the derelict former Keighley College complex, which has been empty since 2010. Keighley Town Council was exploring the possibility of taking over the buildings under asset transfer or “community right to buy” legislation. Suggested uses included a hotel, or bulldozing the North Street segment and turning it into a town centre park.

Tribute was paid to former mayor of Keighley, Allan Rhodes, who died aged 73 after a short illness. He lived in Oakworth and was a councillor for the village ward from 2003 to 2011. Mr Rhodes, a former policeman, served as mayor in 2004/5. He also completed stints as chairman of the town council’s allotments and general purposes committees, and was heavily involved with Keighley In Bloom.

A new £200,000 community centre came under fire for its appearance. One councillor criticised the building, at Steeton, as looking like a “green shed”. But local parish council chairman David Mullen said the “community hub” looked exactly as it should. He said villagers were consulted on the plans for exterior walls and cladding and then they were approved by Bradford Council planners.

Haworth was one of the region’s ten most important at-risk sites, heritage bosses revealed. English Heritage placed the Haworth Conservation Area on its Heritage At Risk Register 2012 due to a general architectural decline. The conservation area was one of 40 sites across the Bradford district to feature on the latest version of the annual risk register. Also classed as under threat were Waterloo Mill in Silsden, Low Mills in Keighley and St Michael’s and All Angels Church in Haworth.

The Duke of Kent gave the royal seal of approval to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on its milestone 50th anniversary. His Royal Highness, who is patron of the railway’s preservation society, met visiting dignitaries at Oxenhope Station following a 45-minute ride in the cab of an historic locomotive from the station to Keighley and back. The Duke’s visit also marked the centenary of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&Y) Club Carriage, which had been used as a cricket pavilion before a major 18-year restoration project. He unveiled a plaque to commemorate both anniversaries.

NOVEMBER

A row over Haworth’s Christmas market split the village. Organiser Bradford Council decided to move it from its traditional home in Main Street to Haworth Central Park after complaints by some residents that it caused “nuisance, noise and disruption”. But that decision provoked a furious backlash led by traders who wanted it reversed in time for the weekend event later in the month. The market went ahead in the park.

Police had investigated a website featuring offensive and sexually explicit comments about pupils and staff at a secondary school, the Keighley News revealed. Airedale and North Bradford Police confirmed officers had been working with Parkside School in Cullingworth to deal with the page, which first appeared on the social networking site Facebook. The page, called ‘Parkside Secrets’, had since been removed.

Controversial plans to build 53 homes on a field off Holme Lane, Sutton, were rejected. Craven District Council’s planning committee turned down the scheme after a three-and-a-half-hour meeting at South Craven Baptist Church. Council officers had recommended the planning application, submitted by Barratt and David Wilson Homes, should be approved. But councillors argued the homes would harm an important “green wedge” of land which forms part of Sutton’s character and identity. At least 150 people crowded into the church next to Thompson's Field, the site where the developer wanted to build the houses.

The Bishop of Bradford, the Rt Rev Nick Baines officially opened the new factory of long-established local company Airedale Springs. He blessed the building and unveiled a plaque during a ceremony watched by dozens of invited guests and the 33-strong workforce. The £3.5 million building off Bridgehouse Lane – dubbed The Spring Works – replaces Ebor Mills, which burned down in August 2010. Since the fire, Airedale Springs had operated from temporary premises and outsourced work to other spring makers.

Keighley MP Kris Hopkins criticised some Muslim fathers for their part in raising abusers. He said some young men were being brought up as “little princes” with nobody challenging their behaviour. Mr Hopkins said the result was that they went on to sexually abuse women with only the police willing to stop them. His condemnation of the sexual attitudes and behaviour of some Pakistani men in Keighley drew a mixed response from community leaders. Mr Hopkins made his comments in the House of Commons as part of a strongly-worded attack on child sexual exploitation. He said tackling such crimes by members of the British Pakistani community would require greater openness and a fundamental re-examination of core values.

A record crowd turned out in Keighley to honour those who had fallen during past conflicts. Town Hall Square was packed with people for the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the war memorial. Earlier, about 750 people had squeezed into Keighley Shared Church for the Remembrance service. Ceremonies and services in towns and villages across Keighley district were also well supported.

A Keighley community centre launched in 2011 and praised by a Government minister faced closure, it was revealed. Bosses at Parents Advice Centre Keighley said major funding was essential for the vital service to survive. Operations director, John Toothill, said Bradford Council could not maintain its current funding due to reductions in its own budget. PACK was opened in September 2011 by immigration minister Damian Green and since then had run a variety of courses, including parenting, literacy and numeracy, health and IT, as well as hosting job clubs, a music group, advice and counselling services.

Crowds packed into Church Green, Keighley, for the town's Christmas lights switch-on. Hundreds of people turned out for the ceremony, with many there to see the star of the show – X Factor finalist Kye Sones. Girls screamed as the singer took to the stage about half an hour before the switch-on ceremony to perform several songs. His repertoire included the last song he performed on the hit ITV show before his elimination. He was then joined on stage by radio presenters, the mayor and mayoress of Keighley, Coun George Metcalf and his wife Nanette, and Santa to illuminate the lights.

DECEMBER

Winter’s first icy blast brought chaos to Keighley’s roads. A gritter crashed and overturned at The Guide Inn, Cullingworth, demolishing part of the pub car park’s wall. The road was partially closed for several hours as efforts were made to recover the stricken gritting wagon. Guide Inn landlady Lisa Little, who lives at the pub, said the first she knew was when police woke her around 25 minutes after the incident. The driver of the gritter was uninjured.

Police in Keighley launched their Christmas crackdown on drink-drivers. Drugged-up motorists would also be targeted as part of the campaign. Random voluntary breath tests would be carried out on roads across the area and anyone suspected of committing a moving traffic offence would automatically be breathalysed. High-visibility patrols were also planned throughout the month.

A £1 million lottery windfall for Keighley was announced, which will transform “forgotten” pockets of the town. East ward representatives celebrated the cash award, which would help fund vital regeneration schemes for the next decade. Keighley Valley project was one of six areas in Yorkshire and Humber to receive money through the Big Lottery Fund’s Big Local programme. The project will focus on a corridor of the town running from Ingrow to Stockbridge, incorporating Hainworth Wood, Parkwood and Worth Village.

A man died after being crushed in an incident at his workplace in Keighley. Mark Roper, 32, of Great Horton, Bradford, was understood to have been struck when a hire car reversed through some closed doors at the Autocraft Accident Repair Centre, Knowle Spring Industrial Estate, South Street. He was taken to hospital by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance after suffering internal injuries but was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. Two other people were injured. A 68-year-old man was arrested following the incident and released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Fears grew for the plight of the homeless on Keighley’s streets as it was revealed that people as young as 16 had been seen sleeping rough in the town centre in plummeting temperatures. Keighley Healthy Living announced it was staging a festive breakfast at its Scott Street centre to serve hot food and drinks and provide essential items.

Action was demanded to improve safety at pedestrian crossings in Silsden. The call followed an incident in which a 30-year-old woman was involved in a collision with a vehicle at the Kirkgate zebra crossing near the junction with Elliott Street. Town mayor Councillor Chris Atkinson said it was the second accident on a zebra crossing in Silsden since August. The issue was discussed at a Silsden Town Council meeting, and improved lighting at the crossings and more signage were among suggestions.

A Keighley businessman welcomed a decision to campaign for new inquests into those who died in the Hillsborough football disaster. Trevor Hicks, whose two teenage daughters died during the tragedy, was responding to an application to quash the original Hillsborough inquest verdicts, which had been submitted by Attorney General Dominic Grieve. Families of the victims have campaigned for years to have the original 1991 accidental death verdicts overturned.

Keighley Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Toy Appeal, which was backed by the Keighley News, met with a fantastic response from the public. The town’s Sainsbury’s supermarket, which acted as a collection point, said people had donated enough presents to fill four or five trolleys. And the Salvation Army also received cash donations. Around 200 needy children would benefit, and food parcels would go to the youngsters and their families.