Pannal life after the festive season

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. I certainly did. All the family - there were 14 of us staying. A bit of a squeeze but it was fun. Good job I like cooking. Five grandchildren and only one disagreement when One was left out when the others were playing. Soon solved and pretty good for a week together. I went back to Cheltenham and Bristol for the New Year and my lovely neighbour looked after the cats. I left them food in the summer house and of course the feral (I think) ginger cat decided it was a cushy billet in the summerhouse. Something must of frightened him as he came out of the summerhouse via a large pane of glass in the door. Derek very kindly tidied it up and when I came back we did a bodged job with cardboard until it all dries and then we can get new glass etc. Does anyone know who the ginger cat belongs to? It has been around for a few years and comes in to the house via the cat flap and eats my cats food. They are frightened of him so just let him. Not only did I come back to that but the utility room was flooded as the central heating pipe thing (see how good I am at describing mechanical/engineering parts) had come undone. Safe Gas came out very quickly and all was sorted. Could have done without both.
Years ago we bought some conifer trees Miniature they were and planted them. Little did we know that they would grow tremendous. It was like Jack and the Beanstalk out there. My planting those far of years ago left a lot to be desired as I planted them too close. Remember they were supposed to be miniature and they more of less killed each other growing to the gigantic things they grew into. Lesson learnt there. Yesterday the chaps came to fell them and I have spent today clearing up this large space. Did not look all that large when they were there but I can tell you 30 bags later it was. Quite a few trips to the tip called for here.
All quiet at the moment re development in Pannal. The lull before the storm as we know it will all kick off soon and I will keep you informed.
Nice to see the tree lights on Pannal Green still on. Hopefully we shall have the conifer trees decorated next year as they are a good size and that is what they were planted for.

Pannal and Christmas

First warmish day we have had for ages. I am fed up defrosting my car so let it sit there covered this morning then looked out of the window and frost had all gone.
Hopefully everyone is ready for Christmas. Now do I buy a turkey now or do I wait? Waiting at the moment but will see as I would like a fresh one but if I buy now I shall have to put it in the freezer. Decisions, decisions.
I approached the CPRE with regard to the Crimple Valley asking if they could help as it is a Special Landscape Area as deemed by Harrogate Borough Council who now want to build on it. I have received a letter from them in London and the development plans that I sent them has been referred to their branch in Yorkshire. I shall pass this letter on to the Parish Council as I feel it would be worth joining to be able to have the benefit of their expertise. That reminds me. I went into Boots the other day and an assistant walked towards me and said "are you on benefit". I was taken aback thinking do I look as if I am on befit. I said "Excuse me what do you mean" and she said "Benefit is a range of makeup we are selling" .Honestly, that is true there is a range of make up called Benefit. I suggested that she should rephrase how she asks people in case she got thumped. As she very nearly was!!!
The lights are up on Pannal Green and very nice they look. When I was a member of the Pannal Village Society I asked members if Pannal Green should be lit up and they agreed and the money was raised. Then sadly three boys from Pannal Green were killed in a car crash and money was given from their paper round customers and blue and white lights were put on the trees nearest where they had lived on Pannal Green and they were all Leeds supporters. That was all a very long time ago and their parents do not live in Pannal Green now and the winds destroyed a number of lights last year. This year new ones have been put up and the Parish Council has taken over my job of arranging for the lights to be maintained and lit.
What will 2018 hold for Pannal. I do not know only that Harrogate Borough Council will do all in their power to destroy it. Am I saying this because I have lived here 52 years? Yes and no. I am thinking well yes of how I feel but also for the children and grandchildren and animals and birds, and butterflies and our lovely green space. If this area is built upon where will we go to walk, and exercise our dogs. It is a very well used area and if it is filled in just think we will have nothing left.
On a happier note a very Happy Christmas to you all and a Guid New Year and may all our wishes for lovely Pannal to be left alone come true.

Pannal or South Bilton

This heading is what we will become.. Pannal will not be a village. It is ancient. It will be part of Harrogate which is not. So sad. The planners did not take our objections into consideration at all. Completely ignored. Destruction of the lovely Crimple Valley which we all use. Where will all the wildlife go?  To their doom probably as the lethal A61 the Leeds Road is there. Years ago I was told that Harrogate Borough Council's plan was to make Pannal the same as Bilton and this seems to be coming into fruition. Bilton was once a village but is no longer and that is our fate. Of course not only us but Harrogate to and surrounding villages. Not only houses but how will Harrogate manage with all the cars that dwellings bring. Skipton Road, Leeds Road are practically gridlocked. We all despair of Harrogate Borough Council.
The telephone box we were going to turn into a little library. Since I raised this and said about elderly people not being able to get into town. No bus through the village only the 36 which one has to climb a steep hill to get. Some older people do not drive. There is a bus twice a week but one has to pay for it. Bus passes no use. Back to the telephone box it will remain and the Institute is thinking of having a library there. Now if this comes to pass it will be a good idea. All elderly people from Pannal /Green fear not the steep hill as there is a defibrillator at the Institute. Seriously it will be a good idea and I hope it happens.

All quiet on Pannal front

Now then I have heard of this twice. Don't know how it works but unscrupulous people are registering their cars to someone else address and then they merrily park illegally, not in places where a clamp is used, and the fines are sent to the address they used and frighten the life out of the poor soul who lives at that address who then has an awful time saying it is not her car.
All quiet at the moment apart from the fireworks that is. Marble is in and frightened so sits either on my chair or on me. Tigs is not frightened and wants to be out with a look that says I don't care - bring it on.
My friend Jenny and I are attending the Parish Council meeting on Thursday to see if we can put books in the telephone box that no one uses. GPO are happy to let us do that but we have to wait and see what the Parish Council says. Unfortunately GPO cannot sell (It costs £1) to an individual or individuals so PC involved. Hope they say yes as I think people who cannot get into the Library (only bus is from the top of the road and some villagers cannot do the hill) will use it. We are hoping not only will people take books but put some in as well. Hopefully no Barbra Cartland. I entered a raffle and guess what one of the prizes (it was not listed) was. Yes a box of Barbara Cartland books. I said oh I am not all that keen on her (I don't read fiction) can you put it back. Blow me down I won it for the second time. So some charity shop is now the proud owners Sorry but someone will buy them, honest.
 I have spent this past lovely dry week gardening and have taken 30 bags up to the Wetherby Road tip. Bin emptied on Thursday morning full by Thursday afternoon.  That is only the front garden. Back one to do and it is bigger.  They are lovely up there and I just have to get the bags out of the car (three journeys) and they come and help me. Soon we shall be on first name terms.
Short blog as I am b....... or k........ and I shall have an early night. Not quite now but sooner rather than later. Marble and Tigs will be having an early night too but they do not know that as yet!!
Oh yes meant to say I do have emails from readers who like my blog and that is wonderful. So very kind and I am very pleased. Now that the dark nights are here I am getting so many enquiries re Pannal history and I am answering them. Really do enjoy that and I have not been stumped as yet. Oh! I should not have said that as my mum used to say Pride comes before a Fall

Holiday from Pannal and village telephone box

My eldest son Michael and his wife Helen said to me you are coming with us on holiday somewhere warm but it will be a surprise. I had no idea all I knew was Leeds/Bradford Airport 4am. Still did not know on the aircraft until the captain said we are going to Malaga. Ok I thought that's nice. We arrived there, they had hired a car and off we went to (still did not know until I got there) Granada. How lovely and it was. First morning we went out and they said "we will go in this church". I said "I can't I have not brought anything to cover up (in shorts and strappy top) and I do not want the embarrassment of being told to leave I will sit in the little garden" I did but they were having a guided tour so I thought I will have a little walk across the road. I crossed the road just turned left, There was a man selling pictures, handbags etc spread on the pavement. He had his back to me when he suddenly, as I was passing behind him leapt in the air and threw out his right leg which caught me and ripped my leg. There was blood everywhere as I had on sandals, nothing to stop it. He grabbed his goods and was off. People were shouting guardia, ambulance. No one could speak English I cannot speak Spanish. I was shaken up and tried to text Michael who had switched off his phone being in a church. All I managed to text was hospital next door. An elderly gentleman took my arm and was pointing to a hospital just there alongside the church. Both named St John. I went in. The receptionist could not speak English but motioned me to stay where I was (covering the floor in blood) and brought back a young male nurse who had a bit of English. He said private hospital you pay. I said "I have no money". As before we left Pannal I said to the kids will you subsidise me and I will pay you when we return. So I had left money and cards at home. He said I call Dr in other hospital. I am saying No please. He say get ambulance I am saying No please. He say ok I will tidy you up but you must see Dr.  Tidied up I thank him and say can I go out please. He takes me down on the lift and leaves me by a large glass window I am thinking where's the door. Then Michael and Helen came towards me and the window slid to one side. We went to a chemist and got some large coverings and antiseptic. I never told them about seeing a Dr etc. They had booked tickets for the Alhambra - lovely gardens and buildings- that evening and all day the next day. I said you two go on at your normal pace and I will walk slowly behind you but every so often turn around to make sure I am still there. I made it. That night I could not sleep then fell into one of those heavy sleeps for a couple of hours. I woke up at 5.30am and the bed was all blood. Trailed the sheets off and washed them in Fairy Liquid. All that was there. Got two chairs put sheets over, open window wide and as the temperature was 35 degrees they would dry. Then I looked at the mattress. More Fairy, more scrubbing but I got it clean. Left windows open and it all dried. Wrapped a towel round my leg in bed and I was ok. Leg healing, not infected. No Doctors. But I must admit it shook me up. Was shaky all that day.
Now for some Pannal news. My friend Jenny and I had applied to turn the telephone box outside the hairdressers into a little library. Tidy it up put flowers and books in. I have asked a number of people if they think this is a good idea and they all approved. Been into the Drs surgery and asked patients and one lady said "brilliant I can go in and get a book when I come here and I have some books you can have" I asked John Mann our local Councillor and he told me where to write and I did and they, BT were very good said great idea we would give it to you but we cannot give it to individuals you will have to ask the ask the Parish Council. So that is where we are at the moment. Thought with all this thought of development going on this would be a nice community thing to do. So hopefully they will say yes and Jenny and I can get started.

Poor Pannal

Where have I been. Last time I looked it was June now it is September where has it all gone. I have golfed, walked, gardened. Visited my four children. They have visited me. I have been on holiday with them. Oh I see that is where it has all gone.
We have also had the bombshell dropped on us of all this housing. Our lovely Crimple Valley being destroyed by on one side of the A61 Leeds Road housing and on the other side employment. Remember the gypsy site. We were all convinced that it was a ploy by Harrogate Borough Council. They would put forward a gypsy. Oh just remembered travellers site, everyone would panic and then we would be told we are not going to have a travellers site but we are going to have housing and everyone would say well that's better than a travellers site. Until that is they found that they are planning lots and lots of houses. Where are we going to walk, exercise dogs, see wildlife. There is lots and there used to be a lovely flower meadow with orchids here and there but unfortunately that was all destroyed by the farmer who rented the land. If what HBC are planning comes to fruition then we shall have nowhere to walk. We really won't. All have to march in single file round the rec. There is also a proposal to build houses on Spring Lane and a group have been formed to fight this. Caused some agro in the village as the leaflets they sent out was just objecting to this proposal and nothing else. No mention of Crimple Valley. Crimple Valley was declared a Site of Special Interest and a green wedge that separated Pannal from Harrogate.The River Crimple runs through it and it is on a flood plain.  None of us can figure out what has changed apart from the fact that someone has got it in for Pannal with the number of houses proposed and Crimple Valley being wantonly destroyed.   There is of course not just us, proposed house building all round Harrogate. Everyone says we need more houses and we are sick of hearing - the government are telling us to do this. We are all here, in our differing ways fighting this proposal. OK enough. On to a more unusual subject. What goes through cats minds. I was cleaning the fireplace had removed the fire guard had left all the doors open. Marble was out in the garden when she made her "bid for freedom" she ran in and straight up the chimney. Fortunately I grabbed her back legs and picked her up before I either had to call the fire brigade or wipe up sooty footprints from the carpet. I had a sooty top and I threw her out in the garden and she flew through the air quite well for quite a distance. She is getting used to flying. Talking of flying I was sitting out in my neighbours garden when Denise said "there's a drone". When Derek and I looked up we saw nothing and she said "I did see one" Derek and I looked at each other with that look one gives when they think someone has lost it then over it came again we all saw it .Don't know where it came from or went back to but not a welcome sight as our rear gardens are meant to be private and there it was hovering over all the back gardens.

A wet Pannal

Couple of wet days and two more to come. I golfed yesterday at Harrogate's Invitation Day. Yes in the rain. I played rubbish but did get a prize being nearest the pin on one hole. Food was good and all in all had a nice day with good friends.
Have had the result of my scan and it is ok. So I live to fight another day.
I went to a meeting at Ashville College re the amount of housing that the south and west of Harrogate is going to have. 3000 houses at the moment with 2500 more planned. Did not learn anything new. All they seemed to be worried about was the Otley Road and how busy it was going to get. Now that is when the 3000 houses are built at Beckwithshaw and if people work in Harrogate. The vast majority will work in Leeds, Bradford and York and where will they go certainly not down the Otley Road to access the A61 but across country coming through Pannal. God help us.
Don't think the Pannal Parish Council are now very chuffed with the newsletter they sent out re supping with the devil. There is such a lot of criticism re it in the village. Just hope it reaches their ears. I look after the little patio garden by St Robert's Church and that is where villagers talk to me about all sorts. Dangerous job I do looking after the patio as I have nearly been wiped out three times by cars avoiding the speed bump and driving across the patio. One time witnessed by churchgoers. One car was driven by an elderly man with his wife (I presume) alongside him. Our eyes met. Was he sorry not a bit of it. Another trick is instead of going round the traffic island and down Crimple Meadows they avoid it all together and cross Main Street and  go down Crimple Meadows on the wrong side of road. I certainly learn about human nature there. There and on my walks.
My eldest grandson came to stay a few days at half term and we went a walk from Bilton to Ripley and when we were coming out the gate at Ripley there was a notice on it with a drawing of a man's face. Alex said what does it say. I said your 13 read it. He did and said what does expose himself mean? I said he showed someone his willy. Alex said Whatever for and the woman behind me said Quite.
Also heard a brilliant remark . A man said all that was missing from Therese May's manifesto was Voluntary euthanasia for the over 75s.
Tigs and Marble are decidedly miffed with this weather and they have bagged my chair. They will be thrown off when I finish this. Ok done, now to claim my seat.