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.