Pannal in the news

We have been in the news recently with the Dunlopillo site and The Harwood. I do find the "change of mind" annoying. At the Public Enquiry the Inspector said no housing but as Harrogate had so many firms crying out for space it would make sense for it to be a Business Park on the lines of Hornbeam Park. I had no problem with that but HBC changed its mind or the Ward Bros changed HBC mind and we now have housing. Mark you if we do not have housing there you can bet your bottom dollar we would have it somewhere as Pannal Councillors have a tough time defending Pannal. Unfortunately we are not liked by other Councillors or the local paper. This has gone on for years and I used to be involved in these matters. The late Fred Willis said he had "quite a time" defending Pannal. Bryan and Liz Bowden from Spacey View I hope will succeed in maintaining the right to the piece of land that is theirs and is being disputed by the owners of the Dunlopillo site. Mr and Mrs Bowden have proof their piece of land is registered to them in the Land Register.
Now, not only am I locked in the toilet on the Stray but on a recent visit to the Lakes I dropped my mobile phone down the toilet. I had only had it a year. Utterly destroyed so had to buy a new one. Costly mistake that was.
We have lost Dr Richard Hall from our lives. He has retired to garden and paint. He was an old fashioned doctor who listened to you. Had time for you and did not have his finger on the button for the next patient or his pen on a prescription form. We shall miss him.
The Harwood will be listed which will help maintain its looks and not let the Co-op destroy it. I am also in the process of having the Memorial Library on the site of the Police Training College which used to be Pannal Ash College and before that in 1840 Southern College. I am lucky to have all papers, books, sketches, photographs, magazines, cups and even blazer and caps from the boys of the old Pannal Ash College. The Memorial Library is dedicated to the boys of that college who gave their lives in the First World War. Lord Harewood opened it in 1920.
The Dennistoun Conservation Society of Glasgow are looking at a copy of my book with a view to telling their members about it. Which will be very nice.
Ok rain has stopped there is a bit of sun so I shall go and do a bit more gardening that is if my vertigo lets me. I have had it 22 years and every so often it lays me low and lasts for weeks. Not at all nice.

A great summer in Pannal but sadness too

The weather is still great and I am still in shorts or a skirt. Have not worn trousers since March.  Golf has been good ( I have won a few things) apart from today where I was complete rubbish. Now the sad part. My lovely friend Rita Corbridge from Burn Bridge died in June. She taught at Pannal Primary School both the old school and the new one. She taught only one of our four children. Michael and he still kept in touch every Christmas. Rita was always the same kind and would do anything for anyone. We went to her 90th Birthday Party and it was lovely and she was surrounded by all her many friends. I had a chat with Derek her husband today about the First World War and I shall pop round and see him to hear more.
The second sad occasion is our next door neighbour Mary suffered the tragic loss of her son-in-law through drowning. David and Jane live in Sheffield but they have a cottage on a little and I mean little island called Hestan in Dumfries and Galloway. It is joined to the mainland by a causeway. What happened was David saw a log floating in the sea and obviously decided that it would do for his cottage so swum out to it and unfortunately got caught in the current and got into difficulties. Jane called the coastguard who reached David and pulled him onto his boat. Tried CPR and it did not work so summonsed an ambulance which met them at Kippford. Tried again in the ambulance then took him to hospital where he sadly died. He was a nice cheerful man and everytime he came to see Mary (my neighbour) he would call for a chat. Where he drowned was the Solway Firth and we know that area very well having spent a few holidays there. I went swimming the last time we were there and got into difficulties and very nearly drowned. I had swum into an enormous patch of seaweed which very nearly did for me but my Guardian Angel was on duty and I survived. Had a very nasty scare and have now decided my swimming in the sea days are over.

A walk from Pannal round all of The Stray plus

Glorious weather ok lets go a walk from Pannal all round the Stray. Got to the bottom of Tewit Well Road walked towards the hospital crossed the road towards Skipton Road. I said there is a coffee shop in Devonshire Place. Bas said he wanted to go to the loo on The Stray just down from the coffee shop. I said I may as well go to. Only one toilet I shut the door and got locked in. Catch thing on the door clicked. I could not open the door. It was stuck. I shouted Bas Bas. No answer. I was there for ages slightly panicking still shouting. Bas who is deaf did not hear me and walked up to the coffee shop thinking where the hell is she? Not knowing this I am thinking surely he will come to see if I am ok as I have been in here for what felt like a fortnight. On the point of phoning police, fire brigade as I had my phone, not ambulance you will notice. Hesitating thinking God I am going to look a fool what will Bas think when police/fire engine drives up? Still bellowing Bas Bas. Eventually I heard him say "where are you" "I'm locked in". He had to kick the door to get me out. Honestly my legs were shaking. Blow the coffee where is the nearest pub. Found one sat outside and it was lovely. Continued the walk down to the Valley Gardens. Had an ice cream then walked the rest of The Stray back to Tewit Well Road.

Really is summer in Pannal

May was the last time I wrote a blog. What have I and Pannal been doing. Enjoying the fantastic summer weather. Having said that it is raining today and that is why I am here. Came back from a great holiday, last night, in The Dales. Fantastic weather also a few weeks back a fantastic holiday in The Lakes. Now these are two places that have their own weather but for once they were the same as everywhere else. Hot and sunny. Our Michael and family live in the lakes and he in his spare time is a fell runner and was pleased to find he was placed 11th best fell runner in the lakes out of about one hundred. We went to a fell race with him and if you thought the Pannal Gala was bad (and it was) it cost £10 to get in and apart from children's races and the big fell race. There was a sweet stall, a hot dog stall, a pop stall and a raffle. Michael said to me "don't you dare complain as I am paying for you and dad". I am a source of embarrassment to my family as I say things like "Excuse me how can you justify that price?" The older I get the worse I am. A mixture of Scottish and Yorkshire need I say more. Our youngest granddaughter celebrated her 2nd birthday here in Pannal and apart from going into the house to sleep we had all our meals in the garden. We all had a lovely time. Pannal is deciding to apply for Parish Council status and where was I when the meeting took place. I was on the golf course. First things first. Everyone knows that from May to September I walk, play golf and garden. I feel Pannal has suffered (and I use this word) more than most over the years. We have had so many houses built with more to come. There would not have been a recreation ground at Crimple Meadows if it had not been for John Law (late of Pannal Avenue) and me. It would have been all houses. I was also pleased to, as Chairman of the Friends of the Valley Gardens and Chairman of The Harrogate Society, have saved the Sun Pavilion and Colonnades from being demolished. Also I saved Spacey Houses farm by having it listed. We must fight to save what we have left. Sandy Bank Quarry and the Crimple Valley and green fields around. I do not need to be on committees to get things done.
I was very pleased to receive official recognition as the historian for Pannal Golf Club and as the historian for Pannal I have been entrusted with all memorabilia from Southern College later Pannal Ash College now the Police Training College on Yew Tree Lane. It has closed down on July 31 and is being sold by the Home Office. Yet again more houses. Can I save the original old school buildings. Yes I am going to give it a good try. I am still receiving comments and telephone calls from readers of my Harrogate Advertiser column saying how much they miss me which is very gratifying. Incidentally my new book is being delivered this week and will be on sale in Scotland (I hope) as it is about Glasgow. Have a good summer. Be back later but I am here if needed.

Pannal and the polls

Pannal remained conservative notice the small c as I am fed up with all the parties. Think most people are too with the protest vote for UKIP.
We are going to feature in a tv programme Restoration Man with George Clarke. I have been asked to help with the history of the water tower on the hill by Walton Park which is being converted to a house. I have declined the offer as I remember there was a lot of opposition to the planning application from people who live there so I do not want to become involved.
We have lost our neighbour Geoff Holberry. Poor Geoff had been ill and hospitalized since Christmas. He was a character which came out at his humanist funeral. We will miss him coming round in his shorts and saying Shirley and I are off to Sharm el Sheik can you water the tomatoes? We also used to say we are off to Bristol, Cheltenham, Wales or The Lakes (nowhere fancy) nothing to do just to let you know we are going to which we would reply "You have not asked permission". His football team and love of his football life was Huddersfield Town and when they won the Cup Shirley was out so he came round with a bottle of champagne and said "Shirley has gone out and won't be back until late and I have no one to celebrate with me" So we duly obliged. That was no hardship.
Weather rubbish. Hope it is not going to be like this all summer. Beware of newspapers saying "going to be a scorcher" Oh ha!
I have now finished my next book. Reading the proofs. It will be published in Scotland as it is about My and my lifelong friend's childhood in Glasgow and Millport, Isle of Cumbrae. On to my next one now. At least this weather is good for writing. Minute the sun shines it is down with the pencil and out. Tuesdays have been good and I have been able to golf and have been doing quite well. Course closed today. Dear me and it is summer too. 

Share of Pannal sadness

Oh dear first Joan Newby has died. Not long after Ken. They came to live in Burn Bridge after we came to Pannal so we have known them a long time. Stalwarts of St Robert's church until they were deemed too old to help. Joan was on the Pannal Village Society and was always willing to help with teas and coffees. A very nice couple apart from their fanatical devotion to the Liberal party. I am completely as they say catholic in my choice of candidate. In local elections I vote for the person whom I think will do the job properly. Having said that what is there left for in Pannal to fight for?
Our neighbour Geoff Holberry has died after a long illness. We shall miss him as he was always such a cheery soul. We look after each others houses and I always seemed to be at the sink (think I am chained to it and only let out on a long leash to garden) when he used to appear to say they were off to foreign parts and could I water the tomatoes. Knowing his dislike of cats I had to appeal to his better nature once, when my friends who came in and fed the cats were away, and ask him to do the honours and bless him he did.
I do wish May would buck up as I love the long evenings but they seem to be wet as of now. We are still walking locally (by that I mean Knaresborough, Ripon, Otley) at the moment as there are so many highways and byways to rediscover. Nearly fifty years of walking this area there are not many places we do not know. I hope you all have a good summer and I shall be writing again but I hope with cheerful news. My book on a Scottish childhood is being printed as we speak and will be published in Scotland fingers crossed.

Spring, Pannal and traffic

These blogs are few and far between as I have been writing a book on a Scottish childhood. Two wee lassies me and my friend Terry. We have known each other since our mothers used to push us in our prams round Alexandra Park in Glasgow. It is at the printers now and hope it will be published soon.

Spring has sprung, the grass has rise, I wonder where the burdie is. Anyone remember that? The daffs are out on Pannal Green. I don't think quite so many as when I first planted them as Harrogate Borough Council dug a b---- great hole just where there was a number of daffs. My little garden by the notice board is doing well despite the fag ends and sweet wrappers that I clear up. Talking of sweet wrappers I rang Pannal Primary School to ask Jane (Head teacher) if she could announce at assembly for the children to put their wrappers in their pockets until they get home and not throw them in our gardens. Seems to be working as we are not clearing up so many. Do you remember when we were children saying Mum what do we do with this wrapper and Mum saying put it in your pocket until you get home. We taught our children that but God knows what they are told nowadays.

Have we seen the best of Pannal?  Answer yes. I of course remember it with no Crimple Meadows, no Rosedale, Rosedale Close or Woodcock Close. No Pannal Green or Clarke Beck Close. Farm, farmlands and fields that's what it was. I wonder if I am cursed or praised for asking the council in the 1970s when Crimple Meadows was in the planning stage to not make a through road to Burn Bridge as they had separate identities and should not be joined up.

Traffic - a great number of people are as fed up as I am with a speeding traffic and b using Pannal as a rat run. It will only get worse with houses on the Dunlop site and Police Training College and more to come on the western side.. Hence my question in the third para?