In the following fire report the wooden garage was where the bus conductress, Ethel Danby [nee Cook], my mother, is standing in the photograph above -
the old Institute in the background.
At that time the Fire Station was situated at the bottom of Green Road.
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21st February.
BLAZING BUS DRAGGED INTO THE HIGH STREET.
Going into the garage of his motor bus just after it was put away about 11.30 at night, Mr Robert Barker, bus proprietor, of High St, Skelton was startled on seeing flames shooting up from
beneath the driver's seat.
Within a few minutes the whole of the vehicle was enveloped in flame.
An alarm was raised and Skelton and Brotton Urban Council's fire brigade summoned.
On account of the snow and hard frozen streets difficulty was experienced in getting the hose pipes attached to the fire hydrants.
Meanwhile the bus blazed furiously and set fire to the wooden garage.
By the aid of chains that were attached, the firemen managed to drag the blazing vehicle from the garage into Skelton High Street and it virtually burnt itself out.
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Having got the steam fire engine into operation the Brigade turned their attention to the saving, if possible, of the garage and adjoining property.
A large portion of the garage roof was burnt through and, with a crash, collapsed.
Eventually the flames were subdued and nearby houses saved from destruction.
26th February -
CLEVELAND IRONSTONE.
As result the increased demand for Cleveland ironstone, Messrs. Bolckow and Vaughan Co have engaged 50 extra workers at their North Skelton mine, where from now onwards full time will be worked.
29th May -
NEW SKELTON PARACHUTIST KILLED.
Corporal Sidney Ronald Wilson, aged 25, single, whose home was at New Skelton, Cleveland, N Yorks was killed while practising
parachute exercises at Andover Aerodrome, Hants. He was the first parachutist to lose his life there.
He was on 12 Squadron and was an aerial gunner. He crashed to his death on Monday night due to his not pulling the cord.
Flying Officer Frank Carpenter identifed the body and added that he was 40 yards away from where he fell to earth and he saw him
leave the machine without the parachute opening.
Flying Officer Horace John White said he was piloting the machine in question and about 6.20 p.m. he took Wilson up to practise.
He believed that he had not dropped before. At a height of 1,900 feet he throttled the engine down and the man to get out would
have to climb down a ladder, which he did, jump first and then pull the rip cord ring which released the parachute.
He knew Wilson had his hand on the ring, but seemed a little tremulous.
30th May -
GENERAL ELECTION - LABOUR MOST SEATS.
With rising unemployment and memories of the General Strike of 1926,
Labour under Ramsay Macdonald won most seats in the General Election even though they had less of the total national votes.
Labour 287,
Stanley Baldwin's Conservatives 260
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Ramsay-MacDonald
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Lloyd-George's Liberals 59
- resulting in a hung Parliament.
Skelton was part of the Cleveland constituency and here, contrary to expectations, a Labour candidate, William "Billie" Thomas Mansfield, the miners Trade Union leader, was elected.
October 24 -
WALL STREET CRASH
The crash of the American Wall Street financial markets in 1929 crippled the economies of the US and Europe, resulting in the Great Depression.
In Britain, unemployment had peaked just below three million by 1932. It was only with rearmament in the period immediately before the outbreak of World War Two that jobs came back.
NORTH SKELTON CHURCH COMPLETED.
Col Wharton gave the land and £1,100 toward the cost.
Prior to this services had been held in a corrugated iron building that stood opposite. This had been paid for by the Whartons and was afterwards used as a church hall. demolished in 1999.
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7th December.
COUNCIL OFFICES NOT FIT FOR A DOG TO LIVE IN ? - SKELTON VICAR UPSET.
Dear Sir,
I was surprised to read in the Gazette last night an account given by Mr Chapman of a conversation that passed between Mr Chapman and myself.
In it Mr Chapman states as we were passing down Skelton High Street, I directed his attention to the Council Office and stated it was not fit for a dog to live in.
I have never passed down Skelton High St with Mr Chapman in my life, nor did I describe the Council office as stated.
In your report is a full account of our converstaion as related to you by Mr Chapman, then he must be afflicted with a bad memory.
The fact is I was introduced to Mr Chapman in a bus at Guisborough and on the way to Middlesbrough we conversed on, amongst other things 1. The Council Office. 2. the Superintendent's house at the
Cemetery.
Of the Council Office, I said I felt sure no Inspector would sanction the staff working in such unhealthy conditions.
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It was the house at the Cemetery that I stated was not fit for a dog to live in.
The internal condition is such that I am confident no medical man would approve as fit for residence and I challenge the Sanitary Inspector to report it to his Council as meeting the requirements of
the Ministry of Health.
Mr Chapman is a member of the County Council and the Chairman of the Urban District Council, thereby occupying an important public position and I also hold a public position, but surely if he
wished to quote publicly our private conversation he should in the first place ask permission to do so and then be assured that the going forth to the public is free from misrepresentation and
inaccuracy.
Yours etc,
R W Wheatley,
The Rectory, Skelton.
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ROAD-MEN NO SPARE TIME FOR DEAD CAT.
When it was suggested at a meeting of the Skelton and Brotton UDC last night that instead of a special man for street cleaning the work might be carried out by road men in their spare time,
a Member exclaimed -
"The road men have not time to remove a dead cat that lay on the roadside for a week".
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