Friday 25 January 2013

Pannal and weather

Snow still lying. Side roads have not been cleared and are a bit slippy so I am told as I am, unfortunately, still in the Big Boot. Family are calling me Clumpy. Another month of this lark then start physio. I do not get a lot of sympathy as when people (hospital staff being one lot) ask me how I did it and I tell them a whoopee cushion they just fall about laughing and say never heard that one before. On the Stray some lads built an igloo and advertised it for sale on ebay as a detached residence. Money going to charity. Bids have reached over £1000 as yet. Had sad news that Jean Robinson of Burn Bridge had died. Jean was a lovely lady. She loved everyone and I never heard her say a bad word about anyone. We all have a gossip and a grumble but not Jean she was a pleasure to be with. She had many friends who are upset about the news. Jean was in her nineties, kept herself well, dressed nicely and had a young mind and could converse with old and young alike. She will be sadly missed. Good job I am writing another book or I would be bored out of my mind by now. Taking this enforced lay off as an opportunity to get on with it.

Monday 21 January 2013

Pannal cut off

It did not start snowing until after 5.30am this morning. I know that as I was up. Did go back to bed though. Heard that Pannal was cut off early on. Not surprising really as we are in a dip. Hill on either side of us to go up or through Burn Bridge but it was stated it was just as bad. School was closed not surprised as headteacher does not live here nor do the teachers and judging by the 4x4s and cars of a morning neither do half the pupils. Stated by another school on tv we do not open the school when it snows as a teacher or a pupil might fall over and sue us. What sort of country are we living in?  Was told that all the snow gritters etc are now up at Penny Pot Lane. They used to be on Claro Road which was much more sensible as from Penny Pot Lane they have to either tackle Cornwall Road or Pot Bank to get to Harrogate both steep hills.  We have about 4 inches and I am sorry I am not out as this must be the first year that I have not built a snowman or a snow caterpillar. One year built a great igloo and that seemed to last for weeks.  Those poor young people that died on Glencoe. There but for the grace of God go Bas and I. We have done some "daft" walks and thought nothing can happen to us. All young people think that and so sad they were so young and talented. One being a lady doctor at Harrogate District Hospital. I am hoping Big Boot comes off on Wednesday as I have a lecture to do in Ripon.

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Reply to comment

I have replying to comment asking about my lecture at Rossett School and I hope you received it. If not here it is. I am one of ten speakers at Rossett Lectures and I believe our audience have paid in advance to hear all ten lectures. I only talk from October to March and these are fully booked but I am doing a talk at Woodlands on the 16th October. Any others that come along I will put in my blog. Thank you for your comment and your good wishes.

Pannal has snow

We have some snow not a lot but enough to close the golf course. Not that I am bothered as still in the Big Boot. Meant to say that, thank goodness, the traffic lights on the bridge on Station Road have been changed. The second lot of light coming down Station Road have been switched off. We have been complaining for years (truly) about them as drivers who do not know Pannal and shall I be uncharitably and say using it as a cut through go through the first set of lights on green and when they come to the second set they are on red and instead of driving through they have stopped and we who live here has to have our wits about us in case we crash into the back of them. Was a silly arrangement and glad it has been stopped.
Last year poor Becky only 17 who used to work at the golf club was killed by a train at Pannal Station - not the drivers fault and last week Susan and Brian Towers poor dog was killed near the doctors surgery. Poor little dog was spooked by a child on a scooter moved onto the road and was unfortunately hit by a car the lady driver of which was so upset.
Have had a few e-mails about the lights on Pannal Green saying how lovely they were. Just hope we do not have strong winds and they get damaged as that is what happened last year and new lights had to be purchased.
Stuffed at the moment as I cannot get out and about to talk to villagers and see what is happening in the village so do not know when next blog will be.

Thursday 10 January 2013

Pannal up and running again

A Happy and Healthy New Year to you all. My New Year has not started too well as I tripped over a loose paving stone doing the food shopping and twisted my foot. It was painful but I carried on and everyone came up for the festive season and I managed all the cooking etc. Then on everyone's last night we were playing games and Someone who shall be nameless - James - put a whoopee cushion (one of my presents, oh yes) under my chair I sat on it screamed and staggered off to the right on the foot that I had hurt which necessitated a visit to A&E much later on as we were all screaming with laughter me included. I am now encased in the Big Boot having sympathy for The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Fractured or Ligaments damaged shall know more when I go back to hospital in two weeks time.
Before this episode I had a visit from Malcolm Ross ho lives in Pannal asking if I had seen news item on tv about a carriage that was being restored having been removed from a North Yorkshire pub and left derelict. I had not but I remember Mae's carriage (named after former landlady at Lascelles Arms in Follifoot) being crane lifted away from Platform One (now The Harwood)  as it was supposed to have been riddled with asbestos. It was used as a restaurant so I hope that was not true and the one that is being restored is Mae's.
Out and about before Christmas I met so many people, not just from Pannal, saying they missed my column and all the historical news and villagers who lived here and also villagers who used to live here and came visiting that I wrote about. The Harrogate Advertiser changed their policy and only wanted news of clubs and societies which , as a journalist, I was not willing to do. My column interested people from this area and far beyond. I still have people ringing, emailing or coming to the house with queries. Which is lovely. 
I am doing a Rossett Lecture in February about Pannal. Last time I did one I had so much interest from the people who attended as some of them said they had often passed along the A61 and seen the sign to Pannal but had never been there. Two ladies that did come and telephoned me after their visit said how much they had enjoyed it but they were surprised that there was not a little co-op in the village. To think Pannal used to have 13 shops now just the post office. I am also doing lectures about my Dad who served in the Royal Navy and was a World War 11 decorated war hero. He had many adventures Russian convoys being one of them

The lights on Pannal Green were lovely this year and we are hoping that there will not be strong winds as that is what did the damage last year and they had to be replaced this Christmas. We now have the daffodils to look forward to and little by little the nights are getting lighter. Has been a long winter and unfortunately it is not over yet.