Sunday 26 January 2020

Pannal - what's going on

I went up to Pannal Memorial Hall yesterday as they were holding an Open Day for everyone to see the plans they have for the building and what plans.It is going to look so good and be a credit to the village with a new entrance bypassing the main hall leading to other rooms. A far cry from when we used to go and have our babies weighed there and then there was the Women's League of Health and Beauty where we used to to exercises to music by Peta on the piano and Eileen teaching us. Then we would go across the road to the bakery and cafe and have a lovely cake. Well we deserved it!! Bakery and cafe and shop no longer there. They were situated just up from the Post Office. Still in this area the road is now through from Pannal to Leeds Road A61 and already being well used. We were told that this road was going to be a lot smaller in width but no two cars can easily pass each other on it.A worry for locals as the post office is used by many elderly residents and also school children who will now have to cross the "new"road.  Also the old ghastly Dunlopillo building, a planning application has gone in to make it even taller and also built another 29 houses behind it on the land that was going to be light industry. We in Pannal fear that the application will be passed as it seems the Ward Bros get what they want. This land went to Public Inspection and it was ruled that it would be light industry. The Ward Bros (Forward) had already purchased it and would you believe it the Planning Inspectors judgement of light industry was ignored and housing was approved. Now how did that happen? Wonder if the parking area in front of the ghastly old Dunlopillo building has been purchased from the firm in Halifax that own it? How Harrogate Borough Council think they are going to solve the traffic problem here and in Harrogate I do not know with the number of houses they are allowing to be built and have they worked out that the residents will all have cars. We all have cars nowadays.
The police were in attendance yesterday as well as representatives from all the groups that use the hall, The Parish Council want to resurrect the Neighbourhood Watch Schemes and I said we in Main Street are covered and have been for many years. When the Scheme first started we had Ken Hall then Geoff Holberry now Trevor Hughes. Who are the others in other areas? If you know can you please let me or the Parish Council know.
The road works plus building works are driving us all nuts, Apart from the fact that one morning I could not see to get my car out as VANS were parked all down the road and I could not see round them. I was sitting in the car wondering what to do. Should I ask one of my neighbours to see me out when I heard a tap on the back window and a lady who was coming up Main Street came and said I see you are having problems can I see you out. THEY hopefully have found the gas leak and taken down part of my neighbours wall and dug up part of their garden. We are hoping they will put everything to rights and then go and taking all their stuff with them. What is happening on Church Lane I do not know but it does seem to have coincided with the building of houses.The point of all the traffic lights is making drivers who do not live here go so much faster when they see a green light. I was turning into my drive and I always stop and see if there is anyone behind me when this car shot through and tried to overtake me on the inside. We are all suffering these problems and thinking of getting notices printed and displayed in the car saying "We live here".
Cats are speaking to me now but I think I am on my last warning.

Saturday 11 January 2020

Happy New Year Pannal

I had and I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. All the family came here and I fed 15 of us for a week. Favourites like the Desperate Dan pie, large roast ham, potato scones and of course the turkey with turkey soup etc. I make a large Christmas cake, Christmas pud also large, 5 scone loaves,Ginormus trifle and of course the Clootie Dumpling. I believe I am conned into all this as the family say Oh but Mum you do it so well.
My bedroom is the biggest so I had in my room the two youngest grandchildren Bethany aged 7 and Daniel age 4. The first morning I woke up with two faces (very near my face) staring at me. Fortunately that did not continue every morning. Just after Christmas I went down to Cheltenham and then onto Bristol to stay with Richard and family and James and family., My other two children Susan and family in the Peak District and Michael and family in the Lake District. Really great for us all to be together. We have a family holiday every year - brilliant get together.

The workmen have descended on Pannal. Church Lane traffic lights and road dug up for a long way. Now is it a gas leak top of Main Street? More traffic lights. Now have a number of vans with flashing light a large spotlight and a large digger. This has been going on since yesterday afternoon.

Cyclists are now asking for a route through the Crimple Valley from behind St Robert's Church to Almsford Bank and they would like street lights to light their way. Why they cannot make a cycle path on the A61 up to Almsford Bank is beyond me. The pavement is very little used by pedestrians so that would be ideal.

A friend of mine who used to live on Crimple Meadows son came to visit Pannal after many years away and reported back to his Mum the traffic was awful cars parked everywhere.He is right. A couple of weeks ago I could not see to come out of my drive as there were large vans and cars parked all the way up and also on the other side of the road from me. I really did not know what to do as I could not see round them. Then I lady came over and said I can see you are having trouble I will guide you out. That was so kind.

Our book A Souvenir Guide to the Valley Gardens is doing very well and we have sold 1000 since October so we are going to have another run. Talking of books I have hundreds of slides of Pannal - Turn of the 20th century photos right through to now which I could use in another book. As I said my first two are out of print so I think another one is called for. Looks like Pannal Golf Course will not see me for a little while. I am doing a talk with slides Wednesday 15th January in St Robert's Church for Pannal Wives. This one is on Pannal but I have another talk in March of the Valley Gardens. I only do talks from October until end of March as golf and my gardens calls and of course walking.

Because I was away in Cheltenham and Bristol the cats Marble and Tigs are not speaking to me. They have taken (can't spell umbrage - ha -so let say they are very annoyed with me)