Nearly Christmas Pannal included

It is wet and dismal and everyone must be in Harrogate or elsewhere shopping as Pannal streets are very quiet. No one walking around not even all that many cars flying up and down. The rain is getting heavier and The Stray is flooded. Buses are still running but with few passengers from here. West country has been badly hit again and fortunately some of our family are travelling by car. Trains have stopped and coaches are not being provided as roads are flooded down there. Hopefully our trains will run but we have on past occasions not been able to travel from York home as the line has been under water. So pleased we did our shopping early and in dry frosty weather but will have to brave the crowds to get in the fruit and veg. You know, when global warming was first mentioned I thought it meant us having summers like Spain. Quite looking forward to that and I do not think I was the only one as Harrogate Borough Council planted all tropical plants in the gardens at Ripon Park. They soon drowned. What a shame it means wet summers and even colder wet winters. Enough it is the festive season. Carols and midnight mass, fairy lights and the trees on the Green look very good this year. Inside our houses it will be festive. We shall be with or families over the period. We have never spent a Christmas away from Pannal. Our four children and partners and grandchildren come to us. We love it. Great to have everyone together. It is not just at Christmas as we try to arrange holidays where we can all meet up. Last year The Cotswolds and one time Anglesey. Ok over the festive season we are all so busy I do not have time to blog and you do not have time to read it. So have a lovely Christmas and a great New Year. Shall be back in 2013.

Carols and lights and Pannal

Two comments on my blog. Thank you Judith I have seen it. Tonight was the night of the Carols around the tree on Pannal Green. The lights are great this year. Pannal Village Society paid for the lights and I arranged for them to be put up. A great job has been done this year. They look very good. One comment I must make was the Carols were advertised for 6.30pm in the newsletter and on the notice in the notice board it was 6pm. We very nearly missed it. Good to see some villagers turned out on a rainy night. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The Dickensian Festival at Grassington was very good. This is the first year we have gone for the weekend. We usually just go for the day. Thought I would treat Bas as it is his birthday soon. I am chief driver now as Bas eyesight rubbish so I drove over on a very foggy Friday. Bit of snow at Greenhow. Fog cleared as we reached Grassington. Stayed at The Foresters Arms which was good fun and very lively. There was a group of rugby players in the bar singing Irish songs. They had been in all day and by the evening the landlady decided enough was enough and good naturedly showed them the door. She held it open and they all went out on there knees singing Heigh Ho its off to work we go. Saturday of the Festival light showers but that did not dampen the spirits. Chestnuts, mulled wine, Christmas stalls, shops open. Hebden Bridge Band played and were excellent. A stall with a great take on a one armed bandit. Had to be seen to be believed. Very funny. The day closed with a little girl as Mary on a donkey and a little boy as Joseph touring the village and Joseph went into the various pubs asking for room and when he went into ours the landlady said "You never book so there is no room. You have the same problem every year". We attended the concert in the evening and that was very good. The Chairwoman of the Calendar Girls sung in the choir. Their take on the Twelve days of Christmas involved the audience. Bas was a - ladies dancing - and had to wear a lovely little hat with a flower on it. On another subject I am applying for Rights of Way on the field at the end of Pannal Quarry. Pannal Quarry was going to be completely fenced off with no access to the fields but I have stopped that and shall have a meeting with North Yorkshire County Council in the new year. Hopefully I shall win.

Pannal. lights and frost

What do I prefer frost and sun or mild and wet. We have had about ten days of heavy frost but lovely sunshine. Pannal looked pretty frost on the grass and on the trees. The only downside is one had to watch one's footing. Today fog to start with, black ice no sun and now rain. Think I know which I prefer. This weekend is the last w.e. of the Dickensian Festival at Grassington. We have been going ever since the first one about thirty years ago when Santa came through the village in his sleigh throwing sweets to the children and as luck? would have it our youngest (at that time) sweet landed in a pile of dog poo. We havn't been for about five years now as it was getting very commercialized with coaches coming from as far a field as Windsor. Shall let you know what it is like when we return. Pannal lights were being put up on Pannal Green yesterday. This is something I organise with the help of Pannal Village Society who provide the money for the lights and Harrogate Borough Council who kindly put them up. The very first Christmas lights Pannal had on the Green I asked for donations from the villagersif they thought it was a good idea. They did so I have been organising it ever since. I love Christmas - the carols, midnight mass, lights, glitter, tinsel. My long suffering husband puts light outside the house and we have seven decorated trees/ Large one in the hall and smaller ones at all the windows. The children and their various partners arrive and all stay here for nearly a week.  Plus two dogs and our two cats. It is great fun. A tight squeeze and a path worn from sink to cooker.

Never left Pannal

On Friday we thought we would go to the Christmas lights switch on and Carol Service at Knaresborough at 6pm.  Got ready to go with about three coats on as it was freezing outside. Bas cleared the car on the outside with anti freeze and handed it to me inside the car as it was worse inside. I went to spray the front window but pointed the nozzle not at the window but at myself. Out it came straight in the eyes and down the throat. Must have had the mouth open - now there's a surprise. Had to go back in and wash face as it was stinging. Warning do not ever do this cos it doesn't half hurt. By the rime I had finished too late to go and besides all the merriment had worn off. Went yesterday to Christmas Market and it was very good. Room to move around and look at the various stalls not like Harrogate one which I did enjoy but stalls were too near and one was being carried along with the crowd and not having time to stop. Knaresborough's lights and trees are lovely and there was a very good atmosphere. Went to a little cafe/coffee place opposite Hannah's and it was very good. Excellent coffee and big mince pies which were excellent. Had a lovely moonlit walk back to the car and yes the merriment had returned.