Chaos in Pannal

 My neighbour last week counted 300 cars up and down Main Street (mainly down). This was between the hours of 7.45am and 9am and they were not sticking to the 20 mph speed limit. I also saw them car after car after car but she counted them. Heaven help Pannal Village when those 4000 houses are built on the fields beyond The Squinting Cat. These are not cars coming to Pannal Village they are cutting across the A61 in both directions and using us as a rat run. Another strange thing is that cars turn off the A61 Leeds Road and go down Leadhall Lane and then through Pannal and rejoin the A61 Leeds Road further up. Why? 

Then last week as I was backing out of my drive to go to the Golf Club when a cyclist overtook me on the inside just as I was straightening up and yesterday I was just about to turn into my drive after coming down Church Lane a black car overtook me on the inside. I saw something black and stopped and thank goodness I did so. These drivers are idiots I live opposite Rosedale and I am indicating left to turn in to my house where I have lived for over 56 years and a number of them say, like the one whom I got out of the car to speak to and said "cant you see I am indicating left to go down my drive I was not indicating to go right down Rosedale" and he said  "well your a woman and |I thought you were going down Rosedale". No answer to that one eh!   First time this has happened to me (and happened twice in a week) but it has happened to my neighbours. We all say we are just waiting for an accident to happen sooner rather than later. It is quite frightening the speed the cars travel at down Church Lane and then Main Street. 

We are still working on the Queen Elizabeth 11 Country Park in memory of a great Queen and I will keep you informed. 

Today was the most rain we have had for weeks. The gardens needed it but it can stop now. Tuesday was so lovely that I wore shorts to golf but they are now washed and put away. I am a summer person and I hate the dark nights. Marble and Tigs not all that chuffed either. They are about 17 years old and every year it comes as a surprise to them. Some people seem to have cats that are so clever. I am not one of them.                                                                                                       

Pannal and a Country Park for the Queen

 Having written my last two blogs about our Queen and how she has been part of our lives for most of our lives I thought it would be a lovely idea to honour this gracious lady by having a Country Park - The Queen Elizabeth 11 Country Park in Pannal. An honour for Pannal and for Harrogate. My idea was originally to honour her Platinum Jubilee but there was not enough time to do this.

There is land owned by Harrogate Borough Council which is suitable. It is The Crimple Valley a Special Landscape Area and borders the A61 Leeds Road then down to behind St Robert's Church and up to All Saint's Court encompassing Sandybank Quarry. In 1778 this land was retained by King George 111 and the Monarch Queen Elizabeth 11 retained the mineral rights. I asked the Duchy of Lancaster if this land had been enfranchised but have not heard as yet. It was sold to Mr Bentley of Pannal Hall who sold it to Harrogate Borough Council in 1963 who promised to leave it untouched as a lung between Harrogate and Pannal. Some of this land is leased to a farmer to grow wheat and I have no objection to that as it is a large area. 

I approached Andrew Jones our MP and I have his backing as well as "no objection" from Wallace Sampson OBE Chief Executive of Harrogate Borough Council, Richard Cooper Leader of the Council and John Mann our local Councillor.

The Harrogate Advertiser published my plan last week and I have had only favourable comments from people. There are obstacles to overcome but nothing major. I am also most fortunate to have as my legal advisor David Wilby KC of Pannal. So let's see what becomes of this idea and I will keep you all posted. 

Marble and Tigs are now staring at me through the window and saying it is raining so I shall have to go and let them in.