Pannal Unwanted? Development

Thanks to John Mann our local Cllr we all received news of proposed development in Pannal and Burn Bridge. - south of and .behind Walton Park on the east side of the A61, south of Smithy Close and west of the A61,Burn Bridge Road, Hillfoot Lane, Hilltop Lane, Rossett Green Lane, adjacent to Ashville College, Church Lane. Just think of all the traffic that will come through Pannal. It just goes to show how Pannal was loved by HBC and now NYC - I think not. I have always said if they could put a prison or a Borstal here they would have done so. Pannal is a Village of that we are all proud but if the "powers that be" get their way we will not be. The west side of Harrogate has had more than their fare share of housing. Probably not everyone will agree with me but this is my view. 

I have lived here in 2026 sixty years and in those far off days we had a great variety of birds.  Lapwings a large number, Thrush, a number of Blackbirds,  Starlings ,Wagtails and occasionally other visitors all in our gardens, and in the Quarry Owls, Woodpeckers, Pheasants, Rooks. Also Bats who nested in the Larch trees that fronted our gardens, Now all we have are a few sparrows and tits ,some rooks that nest in the large trees in the garden of the Old Schoolhouse. lots of magpies and pigeons. Having said all this, during covid with hardly any cars about we could hear birdsong but never saw many birds. 

I was reading the other day mention from the Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council re Woodcock Hill.. We all knew where that was as there was a sign at the top of Main Street that said Woodcock Hill but that was removed a few years ago and one saying Spring Lane was put up. Would be nice to see the Woodcock Hill sign re-instated or Woodcock Hill leading to Spring Lane. I have passed these thoughts onto the P&BBPC

Is Spring nearly here? Tigs seems to think so as she is spending more time in the garden instead of trying all the seats in the lounge to find the one most comfortable. She also says she cannot now be bothered chasing birds. Tigs and Marble were never much good anyway. Do remember Tigs brought a rabbit through the cat flap to me and I put it in the Quarry and she brought the same rabbit back twice more. I ended up getting the car out and taking the rabbit up to the top of the Valley Gardens.  

Pannal no snow now

 In all my many years here I do no remember snow lasting as long. In the past we have had heavy snow but it has gone in a few days. This time our cars were well and truly "snowed in". Now we are free.

One very sad happening . We found out Ken Walker had died. H died in August and no one in Pannal was informed. We only found out When we sent Christmas cards. I heard from Shirley Wilson. Shirley was one of the ladies Jo Hayward was the other lady who started Pannal's very first Play Group. Shirley and I and obviously a number of other villager had kept in touch with Ken. Ken was the owner of Walkers the butcher and veg shop where the hairdressers now is. I knew Ken before that as when we lived at Kirkby Overblow he used to come round with his van that we bought met and veg from. When Ken was going to retire Shirley rang me to tell me and said "what can we do to mark the occasion" I said "lets have a party". St Robert's Church Hall was booked and we told the village but it was a secret from Ken. Come the big day Peter and Shirley Wilson and Bas and I and all the villagers who had baked and got wine and drinks set all this out. Don't know where Ken thought he was going for lunch but it was not to the Church Hall. We were all there and greeted him rapturously. He was quite overcome and shed a tear. All his staff old and new were there. That was so lovely. It was a never to be forgotten event. I was only just thinking of this today as I was walking round a very quiet village as in those far off days Saturday was not a quiet day as we all "went to the butchers" to collect our orders. RIP Ken you were a lovely man. 

This year the lights on Pannal Green were amazing and I emailed the Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council to tell them so. Another change for my mind to go back to the time when I was on the committee of the Pannal and Burn Bridge Village Society and at our Annual Members Meeting I raised the question could we put up some fairy lights on Pannal Green at Christmas?  I was telephoned by two wonderful villagers one who said I can provide the trees and the other said I can provide the lights but please do not mention our names we want to do this anonymously. Wonderful. More lights were later added blue and white ones in memory of the three boys from Pannal Green who were tragically killed along with another poor gentleman who was on his way home. Three benches were also placed on Pannal Green and this was with money collected by the customers of the boys who had a paper round That was a number of years ago and they have all been replaced now. To great effect and the lights for 2025 will be stupendous I have been told. 

Tigs loved the snow. I loved the snow from inside the house as I was battling flu which has not quite gone as I cannot shake off the lingering cough but hopefully I will. 

Happy New Year for some

Great for everyone who had a good New Year. I had a lovely brilliant Christmas with my family in Bristol. New Year we were all getting together from Bristol, Cheltenham, Lake District, Peak District Wakefield but, for some, it was not to be. My daughter Susan and family first to cry off due to flu then friends from Wakefield were next and even worse Helene was taken as an emergency to Pinderfields where she was admitted for over a week in intensive care. Everyone else arrived saw in the New Year with James not feeling too good. Richard next one to feel rubbish. Michael and Helen only there for one night as they were flying off to Austria. I managed another couple of days then flu hit me hard. I am not a bed person but afraid I was this time. It has taken me until now to feel nearly normal. Well as normal as I will ever get as my family and friends say. Then the snow arrived. Family had gone to their respective homes whilst we rivalled Austria. The grandchildren were gutted as they missed the snow. Now every year since we have lived here I have built a snowman first with the kids then just me. This year unfortunately no I was not up to doing that. Such a shame. As I type this snow still there but slowly going. I am feeling much better but still have the cough. Unfortunately this is my sad tale of woe. Now hoping for better things from 2025. 

One question I will ask is why do we pay Council Tax. What is that for?? We were told to put our bins out on Friday 10th December very early to be collected. Thanks to two young men who were passing I managed that. All our bins are still there waiting to be emptied. The footpaths were never gritted (they used to be) they were deadly. The cars had pushed a lot of snow to the side of the road and onto the pavements. It is now compacted. Nobody has seen a postman. No one has had any mail delivered. Don't even know if it is being collected. What has happened to Great Britain is it turning into a third world country? Having lived here sixty years things were never this bad. My children have happy memories of taking their sledges down to the VG on the bridge to collect our weekly bread order. 

Woodcock Hill was like a sheet of glass and an Asda Van skidded into Mrs Nimmo's wall followed by a car trying to avoid the van. The road is still closed with warning signs. I remember Mr Winfield's the Headmaster of Pannal Primary School's wife, who was the school secretary and at the time, lived in the school house on Woodcock Hill fell and broke her arm having slipped in the snow as unfortunately the gritting lorries could not get up/down the hill. Ah yes there used to be gritting lorries. 

What a miserable blog. 2025 has just started so lets hope we shall have a good year. A lovely summer and we shall all feel so much better. Onwards and upwards as the saying goes.