Bits about Pannal and nearby

I am fed up with the Hookstone/Leadhall Lane/Leeds Road Junction. I have written to all our councillors and asked for it to be put back as it was. Coming out of Hookstone Road and trying to go across to Leadhall Lane can be a nightmare one is either held up by the traffic turning right towards Harrogate or else one has a car alongside one on the left going to Leadhall Lane. As it was arrow pointing left and straight on and adjoining lane arrow pointing right. Simple. All that is needed is a lick of paint.  On the A61 traffic going to wards Leeds or turning right to Leadhall Lane can be backed all the way to the Prince of Wales roundabout at any time of the day. I would like that returned as it was. Can NYCC do anything right. M&S has made no difference why NYCC thought it would I cannot imagine.
We have been for lunch to day with friends to the restaurant at the old Leeds Road/Brookside Garden Centre now grandly names Crimple Hall. It was very busy and is popular. The staff are friendly and it is a nice set up except when one is alongside the door and the constant coming and going freezes one. We know this so we had a lovely round table for six at the back where it was warm. Food good too.
Have told Marble Call the Midwife and Mr Selfridge returning. She can take up her position in front of the tv. Last Tango in Halifax does not do a lot for her which is surprising. A cold day and our two cats Marble and Tigs curled up together which is unheard of. We have had them five years. Rescued individually. Marble first when she was about three. Tigs a couple of months later when she was about six months and a bossy little madam even at that age, and a thug as she is bigger than Marble and poor Marble has never stood a chance. But and I say but perhaps things are changing and they are not only tolerating each other but dare I say like. We have had cats before and they have never done what these two do. The have a path down the garden which they have made on the grass and follow it exclusively. One behind the other. Large indents we have and funny thing the ginger stray cat that we feed follows the same path. What is going on?
At last an appointment for a vertigo clinic in York. Can they sort me out? I hope so. Sixteen years I have had this and sometimes it is really bad. Vertigo suffers will understand.
Our oldest grandson is 11 tomorrow so secondary school beckons but he is still at that age where he likes us all and does not sit in his room. Long may that continue.

Pannal and 2015

A Happy New Year to you all. Apart from the Christmas lights on a number of houses which were lovely Pannal has been quiet. A very nice Carol Concert. It was mild and a number of villagers turned up. To enjoy the carols and the mince pies and punch in St Roberts Chapter House afterwards. We had a fairly quiet Christmas then everyone arrived a couple of days after. All fourteen of us. One missing as she thought we were all getting together for Christmas, but no it was for New Year and she had booked to go to Glastonbury to do a witchy, wizard, druid thing. Anyway a lot of beer was drunk and a lot of food was eaten. I did all the meals and there was a good variety and I was very pleased with myself. Four grandchildren amongst the party and Leonie got chicken pox as a New Years present but apart from the spots seemed ok .Santa never came here at Christmas as we had a letter down the chimney saying he was running out of time and he knew the children were not in Pannal so he would call in on his way back to the North Pole when they would be there which he did. Everyone stayed for a week. Im still cooking. Now everyone has gone, on Sunday they departed,  I am doing all the washing. The windy weather is helping. House is very tidy and quiet now. I miss the action. Our cats don't Marble did not get watching tv. She is fond of Call the Midwife and Downton. Tigs took herself off chasing things in the quarry.
Visited the co-op yesterday and it is well stocked apart from Stork margarine. Few people complaining. It was not crowded but it will be useful to many Pannal people. The news is we are to get another Marks and Spencer Simply food at the BP garage. At one time Pannal had thirteen shops and in the 1960s it had a grocers and bakery at number 3 Station Road, then the post office and general store. Further down  Walkers the butcher and fruit and veg. which had been a wet fish shop (Ken Walker I keep in touch with and he is fine) Then the newsagents and on the bridge a grocery shop. In front of the church an ironmongers now demolished. Opposite the Black Swan there was a grocer and sweet shop.
As I am writing this a knock at the door and it was a special delivery addressed to me. On opening it was the Arctic Medal awarded to my father and I was sent it as his next of kin. Dad CPO AD Grant DSM Royal Navy was a distinguished war hero and the medal was for the Arctic convoys to Murmansk and Archangel. Very hazardous journeys as the ships were always attacked. Wave after wave of planes would attack from their bass in Stavanger and other airfields. In the winter it was 23 hours of darkness and one hour daylight ands in the summer it was 23 hours of daylight and one hour of darkness and that was when most ships were sunk by the enemy. My parents lived in Hookstone and when dad died he had a military funeral in Harrogate.

Pannal and festive season

Hey anyone remember Herman Munster/ Well that is who my poor husband looks like. He has two rows of stitches across his forehead. Two black eyes, stitches on his neck and a cauliflower ear. I am out and about he is not. Hopefully he will be ok for Christmas when everyone comes up. All fifteen of us here. Be a tight squeeze but great fun.
I met Howard West today. He writes the column on Pannal for the Harrogate Advertiser. Only clubs and societies mind as that is all that is required now. My great friend Malcolm Neesam does not write for the paper anymore as his articles very much appreciated by the newspaper buying public but not by the newspaper decided he was being too restricted in what he was being told to say so has left exactly as I did. Shame. Wonder if through this policy there will be a newspaper in a few years time. Now back to Howard. I had not met him before so invited him round for coffee. Made a cake and he brought some lovely biscuits so we were set up for a long chat which we did. Can't say we set the world (Pannal) to rights but we tried.
Carols around the tree on Pannal Green on Monday. I hope to be there and hopefully Bas too. A nice start to Christmas. I will take this opportunity to wish everyone in the village a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Health (I don't do prosperous) New Year. Enjoy the relative peace as in 2016 building will start on the old Dunlopillo site and Pannal will never be the same again. On a happier note Fifty years we have lived here. My parents lived at Oatlands so there is not much I do not know about the history of the area and all the changes that have taken place. Looking back what am I proud of apart from my lovely husband and four lovely children and our grandchildren. It was being Chairman of The Harrogate Society and also Chairman of the Friends of the Valley Gardens in 1984 when there was every danger of the Sun Pavilion and the Colonnades being knocked down to provide a car park. Yes this is true. So I gathered together Geoffrey Smith, James Herriot (Alf White) and David Bellamy all personalities I knew a fantastic treasurer and right hand man Stephen Barnes and we did it. We saved the buildings. Nearer home Spacey Houses farm and outbuildings. English Heritage listed them for me as they said they were one of the most complete set of ancient (1600s) buildings they had seen. I am now trying my best with the old Police Training site which was Pannal Ash College and before that Southern College built in 1840. I have everything to do with the old school, trophies, school magazines, photographs, paintings and even school blazers and caps. I am also in touch with the headmasters daughter who lives in Eastbourne and is in her eighties. Unfortunately I could not save Ancient Spacey Houses Hotel and we went on holiday to South Africa and they demolished it in my absence. Such a dreadful shame.
See you all in the New Year. Be good!!!!!!

New shop in Pannal

The Co-op open its shop at Pannal Station last week. It replaces The Harwood public house. Is this a good thing or not? The Harwood was very hit and miss. When it opened at the old Station house (railway ticket office and house built about 1848) in 1980 as Platform One it was a success then a duff landlord and it was taken over and renamed The Harwood. Was used by the village under Clive the landlord and they had a golf team and a darts team. Clive then left and it was never much good after that, so inevitably it was sold but not as another pub the co-op purchased it. Pannal now after over 100 years (Spacey Houses Hotel demolished) is publess. Burn Bridge has The Black Swan and long may that continue. We, as a family, will use the co-op as it is open from 7am to 11pm but still continue to use Steve at Crimple Fresh in the Post Office as his fruit and veg very good and he sells produce the coop does not.
Heavy vehicles still coming through Pannal. Completely ignoring the weight restrictions and probably following their satnavs. These are the ones that use us as a short cut then there are others that miss Pannal Business Park and turn at Rosedale and go up the village again.
Now it is not only the children that love school holidays we in Main Street love them as well. Gone is the school traffic, gone are the pushy parents that park across drives and when tackled say I am taking my child to school.
Hey ho Christmas is coming, Santa too. We have our lights up, lit trees at all the windows and I shall open a window on Christmas morning and send the little lad that is passing to get the biggest turkey for Tiny Tim. There will be 15 of us staying here. A tight squeeze but great fun. So I will take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2015.

Away from Pannal then bck

Now this will teach me. I was in Otley passing Lloyds Chemists and saw in their window come in and have your blood pressure checked. So in I went had it taken and dispenser said it is a bit high I should go and see your doctor. I had an appointment re the stitches out from face so mentioned it. Yep a bit high one reading ok the other. Just to make sure doctor said we shall fit you with a blood pressure monitor nurse will ring you when one is available. Nurse rings 7am to go in I said I am not up at 6am to come in so no. She said we come in at 7am. I said you are paid to do so I am not. Anyway compromise 9am. So fighting with the school traffic, and having to defrost the car, I went (still a bit early if I am honest these winter mornings). Fitted up. Home for coffee. The band on my arm tightened every ten minutes. aaaggghhh. I rang and said is this right. Told relax your arm. Did not work. Take it off at bed time. It was such a nuisance I nearly went to bed at 3.30pm. Anyway persevered took it back next morning again fighting school traffic and defrosting the car once more. Week later heard nothing, phoned and was told nurse will ring you. Nothing then comes the letter your test results have been lost or was the wording mislaid?  I am making arrangements for you to have the test over again. Now I have to go through that once (I hope) more. Told them it was a shambles. So now awaiting call from nurses or maybe a policeman for my remark. I lesson to be learnt here but perhaps it is all for the best. Also notice I have not named and shamed.

Pannal and a query on The Black Swan

Hello Richard Greatorex. This is indeed a strange cottage. The bit the two little girls are standing outside looks older than the other bit. I have a photo dated 1901 (George Dibbs was the landlord) where the roof has been taken off the building and an oast house is either built as part of it or just behind it. So I think your photo predates mine. There was an Abraham Thackray of Burn Bridge who died in 1879. In 1901 the oast house is intact in my later (by a few years) photos it is part demolished (a fire). Your photo must be the latter half of the 1800s. In 1838 the Black Swan was owned by Jane Jackson. Hope this is of some help.

Now I must tell you of the rose bush in our garden. I am a very keen gardener and was weeding and stood up. Forgetting the rose one of many that we have had for 40 odd years was there and it caught me across my face. I wiped the blood off and carried on. Then a few weeks later I noticed I had an ulcer thing on my face. I was visiting the doctor for my vertigo just as I was leaving I said what is this on my face. Next thing I knew a letter to go down to HDH. I arrived handed in my letter sat waiting for what seemed like a fortnight. Everyone called in before me. I said to one of the nurses excuse me where am I on the waiting list. He said you are not on it, did you hand in a letter. Yes. Who to. I don't know. Ok wait there. I waited got fed up went to find someone when senior nurse came down said are you Anne Smith. Yes. Well your appointment has been cancelled. You should have received a letter but I know for a fact it was not sent out. Me stood there gobsmacked. Ok I said I am here now I am not leaving. Eventually seen. Told yes we will just take the top off and to come back next week. Did so, doctor looked at it said of no we shall have to go deeper. One hour later having asked the nurse to let my husband know I was going to be longer and I was going to appear with a face dressed for Halloween. My lots of stiches come out on Friday. I have gone up in my grandson's estimations as he said will I have a scar like Action Man? Cool. Another comment from the family was I could audition for Phantom of the Opera. I have been in hiding, no golf but had to have a quick visit to the super market today. Dark glasses etc. as I have a lovely black eye to accompany the stitches. So beware of rose thorns they can be lethal.

Our cats Marble and Tigs two docile little souls have a cat flap and so come in and out. Hell of a racked in the middle of last night fighting, spitting meowing I got up and the utility room was in a mess. Two cats had shot through the cat flap knocked over their beds and were cowering with big fat tails. What had attacked them? Hope it was not a fox.  

Not half term and quiet in Pannal

What has happened this weekend. Not many cars going up and down Main Street. We have been working in the front garden and for once peace. No cars going zoom zoom up and down. As I sit here now nothing either. Wonder if it is the windy weather that has discouraged people from going out. Still not complaining as it is lovely to have it quiet.
On the proposal for a Parish Council leaflet that was delivered to us all there is a figure on the front and guess what it is Bas. Quite unbelievable. Bas eyesight is really bad (after the mugging and op - I am driver etc) so I post all the letters as he has difficulty with pavements. Anyway this particular day he went down to the post box on his own and on the way back was "caught on camera".
What will be my next job when the wind dies down to clear all the leaves that our garden attracts from Rosedale. I watch them blowing down the road and into our garden. After that go down and clear the patio bit by the church car park. I look after that as no one else will and I have put a little garden there which Pannal Village Society kindly gave me some money to do.
Hoping to golf next week but I am in one of my visitations from vertigo. I have had it 22 years and it comes back, without warning, every so often and I can tell you it plays havoc with my putting.
Can I have a moan about the traffic lights on Leeds Road/Hookstone Road junction. The arrows on the road from Hookstone Road across to Leadhall Lane used to be (quite sensibly) on the left. It was turn left and straight ahead. Now some numpty in their wisdom has changed it to left only and straight ahead and right. I and dozens of others have been stuck waiting for the cars in front of us to turn right towards Harrogate only to find that we are stuck as the traffic on the A61 has started moving towards town. Help. The other day I was on the right going across to Leadhall Lane when this car on my left came with me just missing the side of my car. Apparently both these problems are happening as I spoke to the traffic warden who was there. I have reported it to NYCC and HBC only to be told there is nothing they can do and they will look at it in the new year. How kind!!