Pannal, Me Owl and Trees

 I now have the back of the conifer hedge at the bottom of my garden done. It was a big job for Gary as it had to be tackled from the school side, Crossing the Pannal Beck, my fence then the conifers. Now done it is and sunlight will once more shine on the Pannal Nursery Groups play area much to my delight. I went round to see them to tell them what was going to happen and said I had at last found Gary who would come and do them. They had never complained as I had kept them in the picture about my efforts to find someone.  Jonathan has carved me  a wonderful owl. Majestic it is. He is so talented. The owl has been named, by my daughter Susan,  Cedric as he was carved from a cedar tree Jonathan knows Gary the Tree Man and I said to him I have just had a text from Gary and he can't come on the day he said he would as his girl has to have a massive operation. How awful is it his wife or daughter. Jonathan said its his dog. We all love our pets in my case "my girl" is Tigs who is a very affectionate cat. She knows what I am saying to her and she does it much to my amazement. Well when she feels like it. Not all that chuffed with all the noise first trees then carving. 

Pannal was such a quiet village sixty years ago so easy to cross the road. Now if one crossed the road as one did in those far off days - death beckons. The traffic is awful. Not just at school times but all day. Usually not too bad at weekends but this weekend was awful. Where are they coming from and where are they going to? The speed limit is in the vast majority of cases not being adhered to. I think most of the drivers look at speed signs and think "Oh they don't mean me" It will not be pleasant when all the houses are built on the Western side. Pannal and Harrogate will not be the same and what are being built are not of great  architectural merit and they seem to have tiny rear gardens. 

I have been asked to include the following in my blog. Play by Alice Nutter performed by the Dramatic Society Barnbow Canaries on the 27-29th November  West Park Centre.  ps If I have got this wrong (can't read my own writing - never could that is why I learned shorthand) but this time thought I would try.. Will it work? If not there will be a ps. 

Pannal and trees

 I have a large high conifer hedge at the bottom of the garden and have been trying for ages to find someone to trim the back of it. Problem being there is a stream and a playgroup the other side of the stream and my conifers and going over towards the playgroup. At last I have found a firm that will tackle this from the playgroup side. So hopeful more light will shine upon them. 

Jonathan Sherwood tree carver coming next week to carve the owl on what is left of my very large cedar deodora  Looking forward to seeing it being done. The grandchildren of my neighbours said they would like to watch it being done but as Jonathan is starting at 8am there will probably only be me watching. Oh and Tigs the cat.

Last week I was driving on Leeds Road with the intention of turning off to Leadhall Lane. I was in the correct Lane to turn and coming up to the lights that had just changed to green when this car came tearing up on the inside of me and overtook me, making me jam on my brakes, and went racing along Leeds Road overtaking everything on his left He was amazingly lucky he never caused an accident but he got away with it and having done so will now do that manoeuvre again. Talking of manners I am finding very few people I pass in street make eye contact never mind speak. I always say good morning or hello and they visibly jump. 

Query is Joan Bradshaw still around? She used to live on Pannal Green and no one seems to know what has happened to her. She was a verger at St Roberts. Many years ago on the first Red Nose Day it was such a novelty that we all wore our noses and met up in St Roberts Church. I had put on my eldest daughter Susan's school uniform and Joan said how about we go to Pannal School and I will pretend to be your Mum and say I could not get you to get out of bed and that's why we are late. So off we went and Joan asked to see the Headmaster which was Mr John Kirk and he appeared in little short trousers blue jumper and Pannal school tie and cap. It was so funny we and all the teachers were laughing. For years after that I sent Joan a Mothers Day card. Those were the days! I know Linda Ruddy who was in Susan's class at school married Tom and Joan's son. There is a comments bit if someone could let me know as there are a few of us inquiring. 

Pannal Lightening and Me

 Ordinary Day not raining, not big black clouds.  I was coming out of the house to go to the garage. Keys very loosely over one finger. From nowhere lightening shot up my drive, hit the keys knocking them out of my hand hit the top of my garage, which has fortunately wooden doors, went over the top and hit the wind turbine at Pannal Primary School. The noise was horrendous and could be heard for miles. I was shaking and had a strong coffee. I am so pleased I was carrying the keys loosely as if I had been gripping them do not think I would be here to write this. I did have quite a large bruise on the back of my hand but that is all. My "incident" and the fact that the school was evacuated - new headmistress had only been at the school for a couple of days. My accident and wind turbine were reported in the Stay Ferret. Few days later as a member I attended Longlands AGM in their field in Starbeck. There was a caravan with awning serving drinks. I had a cup of tea and just picking up a piece of cake when the metal pole holding the awning fell on top of me hitting my shoulder.. I nearly fell to the ground but there was a lady near me that I managed to hold onto. Asked if I was ok I said yes and a helper said I had to be written in the Accident Book when I said my name and address. Someone said you are not the person that was struck by lightening are you. Then someone said its the 13th today so be careful. I did have a sore shoulder for a couple of days but ok now. Having just come off crutches following a stupid accident in the Lake District I am counting these as three. It is said everything comes in threes so hopefully that is my three. 

My Pannal Heritage Walk went well. It was a lovely warm day and people seemed to enjoy the walk and talk. Seems a very long time since I did my first walk. The Harwood pub was there in those days and I said to the landlord that I was doing the walk and would finish at the pub and he said how many people do you think will be coming. I said I don't really know probably about thirty.  He said ok I will make sandwiches for thirty. Which was very kind of him. Many, many more people turned up. It was great fun and we did finish the walk at the pub. Who got a sandwich I do not know but many drinks were consumed. The first pub was Platform 1 in 1980 then the Harewood which at the beginning was really good then through a series of landlords and landlady was not. It became the o-op which is very handy. Then we lost our very old pub Spacey Houses which was so sad. I tried very hard to save it as I had listed a number of buildings and Spacey Houses Farm which had not to be razed to the ground as many old farm buildings had to be kept and listed. Unfortunately I could not save Spacey Houses as THEY came one very rainy night and removed the roof. 

Pannal Heritage Walk

 I am doing a Pannal Heritage Walk on Friday 19th September. Meeting at St Robert's Church at car park at 11am. Walking towards the Mill Pond in Mill Lane and then back up Main Street to the Old School. Me talking my usual rubbish which is humorous and it is a fun talk but at times slightly serious as I tell you the history of Pannal. Finish back at the Church where we shall a little walk round the church grounds and then have a nice relaxing seat and a chat in the Church. 

Hopefully see some of you together with the Heritage Group. 

Pannal was a village but is it now?

 Pannal was a village but is it now that is the question. We who live here still call it Pannal Village but the Council and some residents say it is a suburb of Harrogate. The "village people" like to think it is a village. We have an ancient Church St Roberts, Pannal Hall ,Old protected cottages, a Village Green. Village Institute, Old School now Scout Hut, the wonderful Crimple Valley. Old Corn Mill and pond and very lucky to have a railway where steam trains flourished. A number of village shops now down to the Post Office and a new Co-op that replaced the pub in the centre. Spacey Houses was at the top of the village now sadly demolished so no pubs. A hairdressers that replaced the lovely Ken Walkers butcher and fruit and veg. We all miss Ken who retired to look after his wife. Lovely to think back to how it used to be. We used to have a village policeman Stanley Stukens who lived at the top of the village. When he retired we had a shared policeman with Huby. They were so good knew most people and stood no nonsense. 

To us it is still a village apart from the traffic. Where are all the cars coming from. If one stands at the top of Church Lane one will know. Mostly Green Lane and also Leadhall Lane and goodness do they go fast. They fly down Church Lane sometimes slowing down for the Matrix then speed in up and they are never ever doing thirty miles an hour and when they reach the bad bend in Church Lane where the speed drops to twenty mph forget that they fly down Main Street. Interestingly a neighbour had to sell her bungalow as the noise from the traffic nearly drove her mental. It really did. If one is gardening at the front the constant swishing of fast cars up and down from Church Lane and Main Street could drive one mental if they let it. What can one do re traffic, flap all it seems until there is a terrible accident. Accident black spots bottom of Church Lane and approaching the bend by Pannal Green. 

Cup of tea and bp settled I am now back. I am doing a walk for Heritage Week on Friday 19th September. Meeting at St Robert's Church at 11am. Shall walk up to the Mill and Mill Pond then up to the top of Main Street and Spring Lane/Woodcock Hill and see the old school. Then back for some chat and a sit down at St. Roberts. It is a fun walk some history and funny anecdotes - a lighthearted fun talk which I always enjoy and from the feedback my audience do to. 

i have had my cedar deodora cut down as it was so near the house and if it did come down in the high winds it would fall on my house and fat chance I would have had claiming insurance as always happy to not pay claimant out they would have said "should never have been planted there - to near the house. So I am afraid I had to bite the bullet. Tree had a little baby tree so it lives on. Gary my very nice tree man asked if he could have it to plant on. Happy to do so and I am having an owl carving by Jonathan the great wood carver. So that will be really lovely. Left height on the tree so my very kind neighbours can see the owl. 

What did Tigs think of all the noise not a lot. She gave me some very hard stares. 

 

More goings on in Pannal

 The copper beech in Rosedale part of which suddenly came down necessitating its felling. No it is not going to be left as it is the reason being a bees nest was discovered so when the bees leave the nest the trunk of the tree will be removed. My sad news is about forty years ago I purchased "a dwarf conifer" as that is what I was told it was by the gardener at the Great Yorkshire Show. It is now massive and towers over the houses. I planted it to near my neighbours garage and I now think it could undermine their garage. so very sadly it will have to come down. The roots are growing across my garden and it is pretty near my house and in the very strong winds that we had I lay in bed listening to the branches being blown about and thinking if it does come down I am gone so probably would be half the house. I am saddened that it has to be felled as I love trees but I am a bit scare of what might happen. I am hopefully going to have a bird, fish or animal carved on the trunk. I shall, I think, be going out as I do not want to see it being felled. 

I have enjoyed watching England. Hang on have I? It was been so tense edge of the seat stuff. Would be good if they beat Spain but is that realistic? Fingers crossed. I enjoyed Wimbledon the men's matches but not the ladies. The grunting one annoyed me and the Final was boring. 

My intrepid daughter has, with a friend, been walking round Mount Blanc. Many miles. weather not bad but the scenery was beautiful. Michael her brother and his wife are off to do it in September. Michael has already run round it in a competition. This time take it easy and enjoy the scenery. James says he is not going to and Richard loves kayaking.  As a family we have always walked. Long distance footpaths both in Scotland and Yorkshire. 

School is out and the roads in Pannal are quiet which is so lovely. Probably not for long as I do not know where the time has gone. I can remember May but how have we got to the end of July so quickly. Time for my four children and their families to visit Pannal where they were all born. Well apart from Susan who was born when we lived in Kirkby Overblow. I do not want to live anywhere else. Where I live has not really changed and it suits me. 

Tigs agrees she is a happy little soul and follows me around all the time. Funny really as she never bothered with Marble but I think she misses her. 

Goings on in Pannal

 I am now very nearly on the mend but not able to fully bend my right knee but I am assured that will come. Still attending HDH but on my next visit I can drive myself. Having had two crutches for a long time I then had one crutch now no crutches yippee. I am finding it slightly difficult as having been held up by crutches my sense of balance is a bit off but that is hopefully will improve. I shall not jump streams again. I took off like a gazelle and landed like an elephant so I have learned my lesson. Friends have said "Whatever did you do that for" My answer "thought I could"

In my resting period I have been busy answering queries about relatives who used to live here or places that people remember and say is it still there? Mostly the answer is yes but there has been a no. Had a query from a gentleman in Ontario who used to live at Rossett Green Lane in the large house that belonged to Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints in the 1960/70s.  Unfortunately after the Latter Day Saints owned it it was a Nursing Home then the beautiful house was demolished and other buildings were erected on the site and surrounding area. Rather sad as Sir Norman Rae used to live there when it was a private house round about 1910. He was to all accounts a very lovely man and a great benefactor in the Shipley, Bradford area and an MP for Shipley.  I have a book written about him Sir H Norman Rae 1860 - 1928 Our Local Benefactor written by G Shuttleworth and M Walker. Apart from answering queries I have really enjoyed the fantastic sunny weather. 

Last blog I mentioned Woodcock Hill sign that was removed. NYC will not play ball and re-instate it and the Pannal and Burn Bridge Parish Council are going to do an Interpretation Board about which I have been asked to help. Think it is going to be positioned near Sandy Bank Quarry and amongst the history of that area Woodcock Hill will be mentioned. It is mentioned on the very old 18c maps that I have so it is important as the large house on the hill was called Woodcock Cottage. I do not like to see Pannal being downgraded by losing part of our history. So I shall do my bit and see that it is not. 

Couple of Sundays ago there was a loud crash. I was in the garden and thought that two cars had hit each other head on it was that loud. What it was the gentleman who owns the second house in Rosedale told me a very large branch on the big copper beech tree had come down. I had put a Tree Preservation Order TPO NO 1 Pannal 1969 on a number of trees in Rosedale but the tree was found to be dangerous and it was felled. Amazing watching the feller climb the tree and saw off the branches and trunk. He was very high up. 

The next noise I heard that week was a car flying through the village. It was going so fast coming down Church Lane and then Main Street which I heard then saw. It was a Police car flying through the village to get to Leeds Road. 

Thank you to all my bloggers who asked "are You alright" and my wonderful neighbours. My four children have been very supportive. They were part of the group that Said "whatever did you do that for" Tigs has also ben very supportive and follows me everywhere. So much so that I sincerely hope I do not fall over her.